The MoD ordered 10,000 lightweight body armour kits designed to give Our Boys freer movement.
But the thinner ballistic plates in the chest and back failed to meet stringent safety standards after being declared fit for purpose.
Troops have now been forced to put their old heavy plates in the new vests - and peel off a protective rubber coating because the fit is so tight. The bungle comes as Top Brass said they hope Operation Moshtarak - the biggest coalition push of the eight-year Afghan conflict - will break the back of the Taliban.
Brave troops are preparing to finally drive the insurgents from central Helmand in a series of high-risk raids. Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth yesterday warned there was a "very real risk" of casualties.
The Osprey Assault kits were meant to replace the old Osprey body armour after troops said it was heavy and restrictive in firefights.
They have two plates that sit in the vest to protect vital organs. The plates originally passed safety tests. But during "batch" testing manufacturers discovered too many failed to meet standards so they were ditched.
The webbing, Mk7 helmet and rest of the gear were shipped to the front before Christmas - but with the armour plates missing.
Tory MP Adam Holloway said last night: "Putting old plates into brand new vests would be farcical if it was not so important."
Operation Moshtarak is certain to dwarf last summer's Operation Panther's Claw, which left ten soldiers dead and more than 100 injured.
Taliban strongholds will be attacked by Nato troops, alongside special forces, jets, Apache choppers, tanks and drones. The aim is to kill or capture up to 1,000 insurgents. Chief of the General Staff, General Sir David Richards said: "We have to be prepared to drive insurgents from their safe havens, inflicting a psychological blow to them and reassuring the population."
Intelligence reports suggest the Taliban have buried hundreds of improvised explosive devices in the area British military spokesman Major General Gordon Messenger said he hoped revealing details of the operation would give insurgents a choice - lay down your weapons or face "overwhelming force".
The MoD said of the new armour: "We insist on the very highest standards for our troops' kit."
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