An apparatus for an armor system includes a housing case, an interior ballistic panel, a frame, an electrical energy storage unit, a flexible backplane system, and a control unit. The housing case includes a top shell and a bottom shell, where the top shell is removably secured to the bottom shell, forming a cavity. The interior ballistic panel is removably arranged within the cavity between the top shell and the bottom shell. The frame is arranged within the cavity between the top shell and the interior ballistic panel, the frame including a compartment. The electrical energy storage unit is arranged within the compartment of the frame, and the control unit is communicatively connected to the electrical energy storage unit to manage operation of the electrical energy storage unit. The flexible backplane system includes electrical connectors and electrical traces on a flexible substrate connecting the electrical energy storage unit to the control unit.