The need for such technology emerged from lessons learned during urban and asymmetric conflicts, where locating and assessing wounded soldiers often consumes critical minutes.
By Hezy Laing
Polaris Solutions, an Israeli defense‑technology company founded in 2010 by former IDF special‑operations soldiers, has introduced a new generation of smart body armor that integrates real‑time health sensors and automatic geolocation capabilities.
The system, known as the VIRRUS Combat Guard Smart Armor, embeds biometric monitors directly into the vest, allowing medics and commanders to receive a wounded soldier’s GPS coordinates, heart rate, respiration, blood‑oxygen levels, and movement status within seconds of injury.
The armor transmits data through encrypted tactical networks, giving medical teams immediate situational awareness even under fire.
The need for such technology emerged from lessons learned during urban and asymmetric conflicts, where locating and assessing wounded soldiers often consumes critical minutes.
In the 2014 Gaza War and later operations in Jenin and Nablus, medics reported delays of up to five to seven minutes in identifying the exact position and condition of casualties.
Polaris Solutions designed the system to eliminate this gap, enabling what the company calls “digital triage.”
According to internal testing cited by the company, the smart armor can reduce time‑to‑treatment by 30 to 40 percent, a figure consistent with IDF Medical Corps estimates that rapid intervention dramatically increases survival rates for chest and abdominal trauma.
Compared with competing systems such as the U.S. Army’s IVAS medical telemetry modules or the British MoD’s Virtus Vital‑Sense add‑ons, Polaris’s armor is lighter, more rugged, and fully integrated into the protective plate carrier rather than attached as an external device.
The VIRRUS platform also pairs with Polaris’s camouflage and concealment technologies, giving it a multi‑role advantage.
While American systems focus heavily on augmented‑reality overlays, Polaris emphasizes durability, low power consumption, and seamless battlefield connectivity.
The IDF has begun deploying the smart armor in select infantry and special‑operations units, including elements of Nahal, Golani, and Yahalom, with plans to expand distribution after field evaluations.
Several foreign militaries, including forces in Canada, Singapore, and Eastern Europe, are testing the system for integration into their own soldier‑modernization programs.
Costs vary by configuration, but defense‑industry estimates place each unit between $2,500 and $4,000, depending on sensor packages and communications modules.
By merging protection with real‑time medical intelligence, Polaris Solutions has created a system that not only shields soldiers from harm but also dramatically improves their chances of surviving it
