BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Protecting troops is a top priority but mobility also is a concern, U.S. military officials said Wednesday.

According to a Pentagon report disclosed last week, more complete body armour could have prevented or limited about 80 percent of the fatal torso wounds suffered by US Marines killed in Iraq.

    The Army and Marine Corps are rushing to buy and deploy improved body armor that provides more protection for the sides of the torso, a weak point in U.S. troops' body armor configurations.

    According to a Pentagon report disclosed last week, more complete body armour could have prevented or limited about 80 percent of the fatal torso wounds suffered by US Marines killed in Iraq.

    But military officials, called before the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss the status of the improvements, said they have not yet found a perfect balance between fully protecting troops and weighing them down so heavily that they cannot accomplish their missions.

    "We must not burden our soldiers with weight to the point that they become ineffective and susceptible to other dangers," Army Major General Stephen Speakes told reporters after the briefing.

    Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the Armed Services Committee chairman, said he was satisfied the services had the money and authority to get the necessary gear and understood the limitations.

    "Everything that can be done is being done," Warner said.

    Full body armor, with all the associated plates and extra protection, can weigh up to 125 pounds, a particularly heavy load in the extreme climates of Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

    Warner said a fully armored service member could actually end up being more vulnerable than one with lighter armor and more freedom of movement.

    The Corps began fielding side armor plates in June, with about 9,000 sets now in Iraq and about 28,000 expected by April. Enditem

    (Agencies)