Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[WebSlinger]

<< all i heard is “spider silk sucks for bullet proof vests but maybe we could make a t-shirt”??? >>

One of the main reasons the Army got into the extended contract with KBLB was for undergarments. This has been reported quite a few times. But KBLB tries to mask this by calling it "personal protection" so that people will think they are talking about body armor (since it sounds sexier). You might notice that the deliverable for the extended contract is not shootpacks, but just 100 kgs. of fiber.

"“We [the Army] want to evaluate, to test, to see if this [spidersilk] is a better material to use,” said James Zheng, the chief scientist for the Army’s Soldier Program Executive Office. Among the top potential uses, said the representative, “extremity protection… for the groin area.” Read that to mean soldier underwear." (http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2017/08/us-army-boosts-spending-genetically-engineered-spider-silk-possible-use-body-armor-soldier-underwear/139923/)

"On Wednesday, the company [KBLB] announced that the Army will move to the second phase of the contract and will look to Kraig to produce a customized strain of the silk for “high-performance fibers for protective apparel applications.” (http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2017/08/army-boosts-spending-genetically-engineered-spider-silk-body-armor-underwear/140020/)

"protective apparel" = undergarments

"Spider silk is more elastic than Kevlar, the fibrous material found in the Army’s combat helmet since the 1980’s. Rice says his company’s product could also be used in ... protective undergarments." (http://wkar.org/post/stronger-steel-michigan-builds-spider-silk-industry#stream/0)