the plan is actually to have a mix of armored and unarmored men among the thureophoroi, but that adjustment to the unit has not been completed as yet, partly because we never decided on the proper ratio.

as for connections to actual units, a papyrus from 197 BC attests a Kretan hyperetes (junior officer) of the second epilektoi thorakitai. its one of our best, if not only, attestations of units of specifically "thorakitai" in Hellenistic armies.