FORT HOOD, TEXAS (KXXV) - Soldiers at Fort Hood recently tested out some new military equipment.

According to a press release, the Soldier Protection System (SPS) was put to the test by Company B, 2nd Battalion; 7th Cavalry Regiment “Gerryowen”; 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry. The soldiers partnered with the U.S. Army Operational Test Command (OTC) to complete the testing.

Garryowen started testing SPS in February. OTC wants soldiers to perform training the way they usually do, so that accurate data on how the system performs will be produced.

The press release states that Captain James Flannery had his unit attack a mock city.  It describes the soldiers moving through rooms and alleyways as grenades deployed in close vicinity, eliminating enemy combatants, firing simulation rounds, and performing basic soldier tasks during the smoky simulation.

“You don’t know if a piece of equipment is truly effective unless you’re maneuvering under stress,” Flannery said. “The only way to get a real, realistic test on any piece of equipment that we would use in the army is to try to simulate combat situations as closely as possible,” he added.

Soldiers who participated in the test were able to give their feedback on the equipment. The equipment has not yet been approved.