Women in the armed forces say they are still being issued with clothing and protective equipment that does not fit properly, BBC News has reported, five years after a landmark review warned that unsuitable kit put them at greater risk of harm.
The 2021 Atherton report called on the Ministry of Defence to urgently provide safer and more appropriate equipment for female personnel by the end of 2022. The MoD has since introduced a newer version of body armour adapted for women, but some servicewomen told the BBC that problems remain, including armour that does not properly account for breasts and shortages of smaller sizes.
Rhian Brown, who left the Army Reserve in 2024 after seven years and had served as an infantry platoon commander, said she often felt her uniform and equipment did not properly protect her or meet its intended purpose. She said the newer Virtus Scalable Tactical Vest was an improvement, but still did not fit her body.
Brown, 26, from Plymouth, said fit was a safety issue rather than a matter of appearance. She also described being given medium body armour because a small size was not available.
The issue comes as the MoD has paid for 2,000 sets of curved body armour plates for women serving in Ukraine’s armed forces. The plates, designed by NP Aerospace in Coventry, are intended to allow for breast shape. The BBC reported that the contract responded to a specific operational need and was separate from wider UK equipment programmes.
Seren White, who worked on the curved plate design, said the armour had undergone extensive testing. Erin Grieve, from NP Aerospace, said the company’s research found curved plates offered women better protection than flat plates. The equipment is not currently available to UK servicewomen.
Other serving women, who spoke anonymously to the BBC, also described shortages of female-specific kit and armour that did not fit bustier women.
Ofsted, which inspects MoD training establishments, said in October 2025 that women and smaller recruits were being issued with unsuitable kit and clothing for the fourth year in a row. Its report said this could affect appearance, restrict participation in training and create a serious risk in combat situations.
Dr Mary Keeling, from the Centre for Evidence for the Armed Forces, said progress since the Atherton report had been inconsistent. She said improvements had been made, but that change needed to be faster as the MoD sought to increase female recruitment.
RAF veteran Stacey Denyer, who left the service in 2023 after 19 years, said the issue was about safety and not complaint for its own sake. She said better kit was essential if the armed forces wanted to attract more women.
Fred Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View and a former Royal Marine officer, said properly fitting body armour for women should be an absolute priority. He said it was unacceptable for some personnel to be better protected than others, although he added that the services were trying their best.
The MoD said new ballistic plates would be delivered in 2028 and would be available in several sizes to improve fit for all personnel. The BBC said it understands those plates will be flat. The department also said it was developing future body armour through its Complex Geometry Body Armour Programme, which would allow the purchase of curved plates. The BBC said these could start being delivered from 2029.
The MoD said it ensured all personnel had access to the best equipment needed to protect themselves in combat.
