Camo Uniforms and other clothes

[buglerbilly]

MultiCam Combat Shirt – Afghanistan GearPorn Part VIII

March 20th, 2010 | GearPorn | Posted by Rob Curtis


Tru-Spec combat shirt in MultiCam. 2-12 INF Soldiers were issued UCP combat shirts so some turned to the internet to buy MultiCam versions.


The upper back and shoulders are heavier material to resist abrasion, while the lower back is a lighter material to help with evaporative cooling


While the Tru-Spec Combat Shirt doesn't have pen sleeves on the forearms, it does have some good padding on the elbows.


Here's the label. 60/40 Cotton/Nylon in the body, 50/50 Cotton/Nylon ripstop on the sleeves and upper back.

[buglerbilly]

Scientists make boron carbide t-shirt

April 6th, 2010 | Technology | Posted by Rob Curtis



Practical uses are sketchy at this stage, but a group of scientists in southern California have figured out how to up-armor a cotton t-shirt with boron Carbide nanowires.

Using a cotton t-shirt as a template, the crew soaked cotton squares in a solution containing boron powder and then cooked it. The heat turned the cotton into carbon and the fine boron particles trapped in the fibers of the t-shirt reacted and bonded to make a flexible boron carbide fabric.

The scientists haven’t claimed the resulting material is more bullet resistant than Kevlar, and there’s still the issue of lethal levels of backface deformation to contend with when considering such a light and flexible material for ballistic protection.

So, this isn’t a bulletproof t-shirt. But, it is a big step toward a composite material that will make armor of all types lighter, more pliable and in the case of body armor, more comfortable.

More info............

Armored T-Shirts May Stop Bullets One Day

They are not ready to replace Kevlar yet, but scientists are working on armored cotton t-shirts that are light and flexible but acquire the properties of boron carbide, the third hardest materials on the planet, according to researcher Xiaodong Li:


We were able to make large quantities of high-strength B4C nanowires using cotton T-shirts as both the template and carbon source. 'Cotton fibres have lots of small pores which can be used to trap the powder. During the process the cotton fibres change to carbon fibres - which react with the boron powder, producing B4C. The boron-carbide nanowires we synthesized keep the same strength and stiffness of the bulk boron carbide but have super-elasticity



The only side-effect is that the t-shirts turn to black. Does this mean that we will have bullet-proof t-shirts soon? Unfortunately, no. The technology is not there yet, although—according to other scientists—the approach seems promising. I'm sure the military would like to give their soldiers bullet-proof underpants

[buglerbilly]

It Isn’t MultiCam Anymore — Call it…

by christian on May 7, 2010 ·


OEF FR-ACU…

That’s right, the Army has landed on an official name for the new MultiCam uniforms heading to Afghanistan with units deploying in the surge.

Instead of the “MultiCam Combat Uniform” or something that easily rolls off the tongue like that, the Army has decided to officially call it the Operation Enduring Freedom Fire-Resistant Army Combat Uniform — or OEF FR-ACU.

That’s a mouthful.

In other news on this uniform, the Army has slightly modified its fielding policy for this set of duds. As before, the units who are deploying — or set to deploy to Afghanistan — as part of the surge are going to get the full compliment of MultiCam accoutrements, including patrol caps, boonie hats, name tapes, “heraldry,” pants, coats and packs…

But, for those Joes who are already in theater, they might not see the OEF FR-ACUs for a while — if ever. According to the PM for Soldier equipment, those troops with 120 days or more left IN COUNTRY will receive the ensemble when logistics allow for them to be delivered in the war zone. Those who have four months OR LESS left in country: no joy on the AfCam.

Also, a technical side note, the new OEF FR-ACUs will not only be fire resistant but also bug proof — they’ll be treated with permethrin, a widely used insecticide.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/05/it-isnt-multicam-anymore-call-it.html#ixzz0nMbjmI7I

[buglerbilly]

The Latest on MultiCam



On February 19, the Department of Defense formally announced the selection of MultiCam for Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. PEO Soldier is moving rapidly to make this fielding happen, and we are able to answer more of your questions. Here is an expanded FAQ.

Q. When will the Army start fielding Fire Resistant Army Combat Uniforms in MultiCam?
A. The Army, through Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, will begin fielding MultiCam FR ACUs to deploying Soldiers as early as August 2010.

Q. Who will be getting the MultiCam uniforms?
A. At this time, only Soldiers assigned to units deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom will receive the uniforms. The next fielding phase, which is expected to begin no earlier than October 2010, will include Soldiers assigned to units that are already in Afghanistan. The overall order of fielding will be based on priorities established by the Army G-3 and availability of units. Exact fielding dates have not been determined. Priority for units already serving in Afghanistan will be established with guidance from Army Headquarters, U.S. Army Central Command and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan.

Q. How many of the uniform will each Soldier get?
A. The Basis of Issue for the Army Combat uniform is the same as for the Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI), four per Soldier. Each Soldier will also be issued four Army Combat Shirts with sleeves in the MultiCam pattern and torso in the Tan 499 color.

Q. What gear will Soldiers receive in the MultiCam pattern?
A. Soldiers will receive the same Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) and body armor in MultiCam that they would normally receive in the Universal Camouflage Pattern.

Q. Will the uniforms and gear cost Soldiers anything out of pocket?
A. No. Soldiers will not be charged for the equipment that is issued to them through PEO Soldier. They will be issued the equipment on their hand receipt.

Q. Will the MultiCam FR ACUs be permitted for garrison use in Afghanistan, as well as outside the wire?
A. Yes. Soldiers deploying to OEF who are issued the four sets of MultiCam uniform will wear that uniform as his/her duty uniform while performing missions in the compounds and outside the wire. This will be the only uniform those Soldiers will receive.

Q. Will Soldiers be permitted to wear MultiCam anywhere outside Afghanistan, such as in Iraq or at their home installation?
A. The current plan for the MultiCam uniform is for its use only in OEF. The uniform for Iraq will still be the FR ACU in the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP). Once a Soldier deploys back to home station, he or she will wear the Army Combat Uniform. Army Headquarters G1 will publish wear policy for MultiCam uniforms.

Q. Will Soldiers be permitted to keep their MultiCam uniforms when they redeploy to the States?
A. Soldiers will be permitted to keep the MultiCam FR ACUs, caps, hats, and accessories on their clothing record. They will be required to turn in their MultiCam MOLLE, Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) Generation III items, body armor, and helmet covers.

Q. What uniforms will be provided in MultiCam?
A. The following uniforms will be provided in MultiCam:
1) FR ACUs with permethrin treatment, all Army Uniform Board approved changes, and appropriate patches (4 FR ACUs per Soldier, except combat vehicle or air crew members)
2) Army Combat Shirt (4 per Soldier)
3) Improved Combat Vehicle Crewman Coverall (4 per combat vehicle crewman)
4) Army Aircrew Combat Uniform (4 per aircrew member)
5) Extended Cold Weather Clothing System Generation III, selected layers (1 per Soldier, except crewmen who draw the Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble)
6) Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble, selected layers (1 per combat vehicle crewman and aircrew member)

Q. How about body armor and other personnel protective equipment (PPE)?
A. The following PPE will be provided in MultiCam:
1) The Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) and Soldier Plate Carrier System, or conversion kit (1 per Soldier)
2) Advanced Combat Helmet cover (1 per Soldier)
3) NAPE Pad (1 per Soldier)
4) Knee and Elbow pads (1 set per Soldier)

Q. What additional items will be provided in MultiCam?
A. Besides uniforms and personnel protective equipment, the MultiCam pattern will apply to:
1) MOLLE, all kits and components (1 per Soldier; kits per duty position)
2) Patrol Caps and Sun Hats (1 of each per Soldier)
3) Accessory kit: (3 name tapes, 2 rank tapes, 2 pin-on rank, 2 U.S. Army tapes, and 2 shoulder sleeve insignia, all per Soldier)
4) Improved First Aid Kit (1 per Soldier)

[Gubler, A.]

Looks like ADF SOF are wearing multicam uniforms in the Ghan for a raid on 30 Apr.

http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100507/index.htm

[Gubler, A.]

Here's a day time picture with DPDU over MultiCam. No doubt SASR.

[buglerbilly]

The new Brit Camo pattern is very similar............MTP, Multi Terrain Pattern.......

[Gubler, A.]

The new Brit Camo pattern is very similar............MTP, Multi Terrain Pattern.......

Similar? Its the same!

I wouldn't mind the Australian Army adopted MultiCam across the force. A 'western world' or at least 'anglo nations' uniform would be pretty cool. Also make the Navy look like utter fools for their RANCAM embarrassment...

[Raven22]

You could save money too. Multicam would be a good all-purpose cam for use in both vegetated and arid areas, meaning we wouldn't need to produce two of everything (DPCU and DPDU).

You might still need small stocks of dedicated jungle and desert cams for special forces or something, but that would be limited. Wet multicam would be good enough for the jungle, and faded multicam good enough for the desert for just about everyone else.

[JimWH]

Also make the Navy look like utter fools for their RANCAM embarrassment...

I'm pretty certain they already feel like idiots over that one. But I'm curious as to what your objection is (I could have sworn you gave a semi-reasonable justification for it whilst I was frothing at the mouth just before it's introduction)?

[SteveJH]

I'm pretty certain they already feel like idiots over that one. But I'm curious as to what your objection is (I could have sworn you gave a semi-reasonable justification for it whilst I was frothing at the mouth just before it's introduction)?

Fairly sure one of the reasons someone mentioned was that it hid stains better?

[JimWH]

Fairly sure one of the reasons someone mentioned was that it hid stains better?

Anecdotally they also don't need to be ironed at all vigorously in order to be presentable. But hey also look bloody stupid...

[buglerbilly]

Similar? Its the same!

I wouldn't mind the Australian Army adopted MultiCam across the force. A 'western world' or at least 'anglo nations' uniform would be pretty cool. Also make the Navy look like utter fools for their RANCAM embarrassment...

HA! I must admit I did wonder..................

[Gubler, A.]

I'm pretty certain they already feel like idiots over that one. But I'm curious as to what your objection is (I could have sworn you gave a semi-reasonable justification for it whilst I was frothing at the mouth just before it's introduction)?

Adopting a camouflage uniform that is actually designed not to have a disruption effect just a style one is pretty pointless. But worst of all RANCAM cost the Navy a huge amount of money that was better spent on other stuff. Their legacy uniforms were more than adequate and while the grey boiler suit was not flattering for anyone without a Hollywood body type it was functional and easy to maintain.

[buglerbilly]

Tactical Tailor MultiCam MAV

May 12th, 2010 | Product Announcement | Posted by Stickman

Got Multicam? Tactical Tailor does, and they’ve got it in gear you can probably use.

The two piece Modular Assault Vest (MAV) is one of Tactical Tailors more popular offerings, and with good reason. The MAV gives a lot of configuration options, and goes on quick over armor and plate carriers. More than one MAV can be setup if you are alternating missions, which saves you from pulling pieces on and off your equipment, which is a pain when you get short notice tasking or changes. The two piece TT MAV is shown below worn over concealment armor along with the Arc’teryx combat jacket.



Speaking from personal experience, I’ve used the Tactical Tailor MAV for the past 4 or 5 years. I’ve worn my MAVs over jackets, under jackets, over soft/ concealment armor, and over hard armor. I’ve used the mini-MAV, single MAV, and the two piece MAV, and I’ve got to say that I strongly prefer the two piece when concealment doesn’t matter. The two piece allows me to throw it on quickly, and although the one piece gives a little more room in the front, it also takes a little longer to put on. While thats probably not an issue for most guys, its something that is a plus in my book. The MAV upgrade that I would take a look at is the H Harness, it takes most of the webbing out of the picture.

The Tactical Tailor Modular Assault Vest is available piece meal, or as a complete set. Below is the info from Tactical Tailor. If you are looking for durable MultiCam gear, its worth checking them out.



MAV Completes now available with your choice of magazine pouches: 3 mag 5.56 x4, AK/M16 mag x4, 7.62 double mag x4, or 200rd SAW pouch x2.

To make things easier, we also offer our popular Modular Assault Vests as complete sets, including everything you need for a basic setup. Our MAV Completes include your choice of a 1-Piece or 2-Piece MAV body, 4 magazine pouches (or 2 SAW pouches), two Large Utility Pouches and two Small Utility Pouches. Available in OD, Black, ACU, Multicam and Ranger Green.

www.tacticaltailor.com









Arc'Teryx Gear is here.............

http://leaf.arcteryx.com/

[Marc 1]

Fairly sure one of the reasons someone mentioned was that it hid stains better?

So does the standard bunny rabbit pattern austcams issued. But surely given the colours used in the navy cams they are intended for use on ships or in an urban environment - where you need straight edged geometric shapes not organic shapes to work. It's beyond stupid on so many levels. What was the acronym on camouflage? Shape Shadow Silhouette Shine Movement - and the navy seem also to believe that you need to add RS (Reflective Stripes! WTF?). As a solution for providing PD, its comical.

[buglerbilly]

Dunno wot youse guys got against the Naval Camo I think it looks very.......errrrmmmm..........CUTE! :thumbsup

(The guy in the chair is the PO that could actually spell "rifle"..............the dude on the right in the dark Camo is Indo.........)

[ARH v.3.1]

Well that looks gay!:gaygay

[battlensign]

Why do our Cams look so unimpressive next to the UK and US equivalents? - ours always seem to look like old pj's that have been without a wash in three weeks and the ABCA counterparts always seem starchy-new (even when in-theatre and clearly therefore not)..........? Even looking at page 1 of this topic would give some indication of what I am talking about.

Brett.

[buglerbilly]

Soldiers’ Perspective: Army Combat Pant

by christian on May 14, 2010

We took a Blackhawk ride over to Forward Operating Base Sharana from FOB Salerno this morning to link up with the 3rd Battalion of the 187th Infantry – the unit we’ll be embedded with for the next week.

After a commander’s brief of the AO, which is essentially all of Paktika province, we walked around the FOB and bumped into a group of Soldiers from 3rd Battalion’s Angel Company loading into some sweet new MAT-Vs. Not only were they sporting the newest MRAP, but these guys were evaluating the newest combat pant developed for PEO Soldier.

Overall, the Joes we talked to liked the pant – especially the knee pads that can be easily adjusted for height and even removed for those times you don’t want to deal with the pad around the FOB.

The pants sport some Velcro strips at the knees and waist to help adjust them better for fit and incorporate spandex-like material in the knees and crotch for flexibility.

And that’s where the main gripe shows up.

One of the Joes explained to us that the stretch fabric in the crotch is a major nuisance, ripping every time he has to hurl himself through a building or jump an irrigation ditch. He’s got two pairs of the combat pant and has already ruined one of them. He’s waiting to destroy his regular ACU pants before he dons his final pair of combat pants as a last resort.

The Soldiers recognize that PEO wants this kind of feedback, and as you can see from the video, they aren’t holding back.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0nxNynS8X

Pant? Pant is what you do after a session of the horizontal Olympics, PANTS are what you wear.............:p watch the video at the link its worthwhile............

[Raven22]

Why do our Cams look so unimpressive next to the UK and US equivalents? - ours always seem to look like old pj's that have been without a wash in three weeks and the ABCA counterparts always seem starchy-new (even when in-theatre and clearly therefore not)..........? Even looking at page 1 of this topic would give some indication of what I am talking about.

Who cares what they look like? They are not a fashion contest. I'll think you'll find that Australians far prefer a faded, used look on all their equipment than that crispy new look, as it shows that it has actually been used. Generally the older, more faded and more damaged the kit you wear, the more respect you get. My bush hat was manufactured in 1993 and is so old and faded you can barely see the cam pattern, it has more holes than a collander in it, and is only held together by the accumulated grime and crud built up over the years. If I washed it I am pretty sure it would disintegrate. It is one of my most prized possessions.

A faded DPCU has proven to be the most effective cam for use in Afghanistan, far preferred to both new DPCU and DPDU. I've got a couple of pairs of old cams squirrelled away for next year.

[Gubler, A.]

I will second Raven's PoV: it goes so far in the Army that soldiers wash their newly issued gear in salt water to try and fade it as rapidly as possible. But I think the initial call was flawed because the benchmark was a US battalion commander and a group of models. The former is wearing a neatly pressed and starched uniform without any field/combat gear as he visits the local leadership and the later are wearing stuff straight from the manufacturer.

[battlensign]

Okay.....I think we are missing the point here a little. I probably didn't phrase that very well either ('unimpressive' etc)......was talking more about material qualities and homogeneity more than anything else (specifically Auscam). If we are right then why do the US and UK have such dissimilar uniforms and vice versa. If faded is better then why isn't DSTO working with the manufacturers to aid this outcome etc. I would also note that I did not attempt to suggest that Page 1 was the main basis behind my comment, only that it may give some indication of what I was getting at. I fully accept Abe's point that those particular photos are a poor basis for comparison.

TBH, I was thinking more of photos like these........

1)

(A) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2ID_Recon_Baghdad.jpg
(B) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/01/15/PH2008011502336.jpg
(C) http://www.whoserved.com/images/82nd_iraq.jpg

2) http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100504a/20100428adf8246638_260.jpg

3) http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100504a/20100428adf8246638_201.jpg

4) http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100504a/20100418adf8298134_080.jpg

5) http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100129b/20100113adf8246638_047.jpg

6) This one isnt so bad: http://www.defence.gov.au/op/eastTimor/gallery/2010/20100510/20100502adf8208246_172.jpg

7) DPCU vs DPDU:
(A) http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100129b/20100113adf8246638_285.jpg
(B) http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100129b/20100113adf8246638_311.jpg

Brett.

[buglerbilly]

Gear Review: Soldiers Like Army Plate Carrier — With Some Improvements

by christian on May 17, 2010

The video at the link explains it all............

One of the newest pieces of kit out here that’s a bit controversial among Soldiers is the Army’s new plate carrier body armor.

While significantly lighter and lower profile, the KHD-made Magnum Tac plate carrier Joes are wearing in Afghanistan settles all the weight of the Level IV ballistic plates and smaller side plates on the shoulder, making for a pretty uncomfortable fit after even a short hump. Add to that MOLLE pouches of ammo and other gear, and those shoulders start to blaze pretty bad.

Soldiers here say this problem could be fixed pretty easily with a cummerbund-style attachment that would help shift the weight to the hips and waist, rather than the shoulders. Another gripe is that the side plates hang a little low, covering the hips and waist rather than the vitals on the side.

A few Joes had already purchased their own plate carriers before deploying – ones that fit better and had more robust coverage without sacrificing weight and adding bulk (and some even bought them in MultiCam). But higher has demanded that all Soldiers in 3rd Brigade Combat Team here wear the issued gear, leaving a few unused plate carriers lounging under bunks and tables until the end of the deployment.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0oB8dQovy

[buglerbilly]

New camouflage arrives in Afghanistan

An Equipment and Logistics news article

21 May 10

British military personnel in Afghanistan have started wearing uniforms bearing the first new camouflage design in over 40 years.


A soldier in Afghanistan wearing the new camouflage pattern
[Picture: Corporal Barry Lloyd RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

The new Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) camouflage was unveiled in December last year and began to be worn by soldiers in Afghanistan in April 2010. It will be issued to all military personnel by 2012.

The camouflage is intended to help British troops blend into Afghanistan's varied terrain.

It was trialled in laboratory tests and field evaluations to assess overall performance, with pilot trials held before the final testing. This included aerial and scientific photography to provide the right colours and brightness for the new camouflage pattern.

Colours were fed into a computer and computer modelling was used to represent the Green Zone, deserts and mixed environments in Afghanistan. A number of camouflage samples were then generated based on the colours found in Afghanistan and via the computer modelling trials.

The new MTP camouflage will work across different terrains in Helmand province, such as compounds, grassland, crops and woodland - all the areas our troops encounter on patrol.

Members of the Royal Dragoon Guards are among the first to be issued with the new pattern.

Sergeant Luke Cunningham said:


The new camouflage pattern is suitable for use in all the environments to be found in Afghanistan
[Picture: Corporal Barry Lloyd RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

"I was in Afghanistan in 2008 and so I have worn both Combat 95 and Multi-Terrain Pattern camouflage on operations.

"The new camo is definitely better for the conditions we face in the Green Zone of Helmand. It's more comfortable and it is superior in terms of the operations we're undertaking."

It is the first time since 1968 that the British Armed Forces have changed the camouflage pattern.

Colonel Stephen James, Project Team Leader for the Defence Equipment and Support Clothing Team, who was responsible for delivering the new pattern, said:

"We have presented the new designs to the US Department of Defense and, following our recommendations, the US Army are about to adopt the same technology for their uniform in Afghanistan."

Samples of the MTP camouflage were tested in the UK, Cyprus, Kenya and Afghanistan by the Infantry Trials Unit.

The new uniform is part of the MOD's ongoing programme of work to provide the best possible equipment and support to the front line.

[buglerbilly]

EOD Gets Their MultiCam on in Afghanistan

by christian on May 22, 2010



Well, regular infantry Joes with 3rd BCT are bummed they don’t have it. But some new explosive ordnance disposal unit Soldiers who just got to Afghanistan are pretty stoked on their new OEF FR-ACUs.

We were hiking through the hills with these bubbas from 1st Platoon of the 707th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company and the UCP sure stood out while the MultiCam blended right in.

So when are the rest of the troops at the pointy end here going to get their OhFracYous? Stay tuned…

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/05/eod-gets-their-multicam-on-in-afghanistan.html#comments#ixzz0oi9XHlhh

[Doohan]

On the Hi res on the Defence Website these guys have Aussie flags on them

[Gubler, A.]

On the Hi res on the Defence Website these guys have Aussie flags on them

Page one of this thread has some better pictures of SOCOMD-A SOTG wearing MultiCam. Here is the latest pattern of AUSCAM supposedly designed for Afghanistan that the CA was spruiking in theatre recently. It looks like the desert pattern with extra Playboy Rabbits in green and beige. Don’t think it will be anywhere near as effective as Multi-Cam or a proper “mid point” pattern with a new and khaki or brown base colour rather than the cheaper option using the DPDU’s existing sand base colour.


Left to right: DPCU, “Mid Point”, DPDU

[Goknub]

Reduce the "love hearts" and "bunny ears" to a 1/3rd their size and dull the bright yellow background and you'd have a better camo design without looking like a Yank. The Germans got it sorted out in WW2 so it shouldn't be so hard to get right.

Heres a 2min hatchet job using Paint:

[buglerbilly]

Why not just go for the same pattern the Yanks and Brits use? WHY reinvent the wheel again?

[Gubler, A.]

Reduce the "love hearts" and "bunny ears" to a 1/3rd their size and dull the bright yellow background and you'd have a better camo design without looking like a Yank. The Germans got it sorted out in WW2 so it shouldn't be so hard to get right.

Who would want to look like Nazis? There is nothing wrong with AUSCAM's splotches. The whole issue is finding the right colour palette for Afghanistan rather than the sand dunes desert colouring of DPDU. MultiCam works despite its relative unsophistication, its popular with the people who actually have to wear it in harm's way and is rapidly becoming universal with our allies.

[Goknub]

Given the multi-national environments we operate in, it is important to be able to verify who is who. Especially when we share bases or operate jointly it is guarenteed to create confusion.
Its not the end of the world if we did adopt the same style but given we produce our own clothing it shouldn't be too much to ask to make us identifiable.

Edit: No, Im not saying we should adopt SS uniforms, just that this sort of cam has been around for ages now and shouldn't be such a difficult thing to get right

[Raven22]

Its not the end of the world if we did adopt the same style but given we produce our own clothing it shouldn't be too much to ask to make us identifiable

Considering the recent preference to have 327 different patches on the uniform that denote nationality and unit, telling us apart from other nations shouldn't be difficult.

While Multicam would work, I see no need to go away from Auscam. Instead of using DPDU as the base for universal cam, I think we should use DPCU as the base. As I said before, a faded DPCU is about as effective a camouflage as you'll get for arid areas. The DPDU pattern is way too bright (and who wants the colour purple on their combat uniform?) If they modified the current DPCU to make it more 'arid' that would be suitable 95% of the time. SOCOMD can still wear Multicam just to be different as well (I'm sure if the conventional army switched to Multicam, SOCOMD would switch back to Auscam). The army would certainly save beaucoup dollars by only issuing webbing, CBA etc in the one colour.

[buglerbilly]

Big Props for Airmen Battle System-Ground

by christian on May 25, 2010



One of the coolest new uniforms we’ve seen here on our embed to Afghanistan is the recently-deployed Airmen Battle System – Ground combat ensemble.

We made good friends with a tactical air control party operator attached to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry over in Paktika who had some pretty high speed kit that most general purpose force troopers weren’t authorized to wear. He has a sweet plate carrier in MultiCam, complete with MC pouches and rigs. And his rifle is all tricked out.

But he raved about the AFSOC-issued ABS-Gs he wore every time he went out on a mission.

Basically the ABS-G is patterned in the Air Force’s new digital tiger stripe, but departs from the Airman Battle Uniform in both material and construction. The material is a fire-resistant weave that is deceptively thin and airy, our TAC-P buddy (we’ll call ‘Square’) remarked. It definitely is lighter than what the Army is going to issue with its EOF FR-ACUs and that makes a huge difference in the Afghan climate which can reach 120 degrees in the south.

Square had both a standard blouse, with arm pockets and low-profile chest pockets for easy access under body armor. There’s also the option of a combat shirt not-unlike the Army’s in overall construction, but with arms made out of the thin, light FR material like the other items.

The coolest part, though, were the pants. These things had pockets right where you needed them, had zippered closures and the fit was pretty streamlined, allowing for more freedom of movement and less bunching when you’re strapping on thigh rigs and other gear. The one thing they didn’t have were the integrated knee pads like the Army’s experimental combat pants, but I’m pretty sure they had compartments so you could slip in thin pads. Soldiers I talked to complained constantly about the strap on knee pads they sometimes have to use, saying the material behind the knee bunches up and causes discomfort.

The only thing Square didn’t like about the uniform was the pattern. There’s a pretty universal dislike here toward the Army UCP pattern and the Air Force digital tiger. But the TAC-P explained that the Air Force camo helps him blend in with the units he’s supporting in this airborne infantry unit, so he opted for the ABS-G in the standard camo rather than a MultiCam setup.

As far as I know these uniforms are for limited issue only to Airmen executing ground missions in support of other units our going “outside the wire” for extended periods. But from the Airmen I talked to who had it, the service hit a home run with this one.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0ox91f100


Here are featured the pants and blouse of the ABS-G.


The TAC-P wearing his loadout with ABS-G combat shirt and pants.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0ox9pNHeh

[Gubler, A.]

While Multicam would work, I see no need to go away from Auscam. Instead of using DPDU as the base for universal cam, I think we should use DPCU as the base. As I said before, a faded DPCU is about as effective a camouflage as you'll get for arid areas. The DPDU pattern is way too bright (and who wants the colour purple on their combat uniform?) If they modified the current DPCU to make it more 'arid' that would be suitable 95% of the time. SOCOMD can still wear Multicam just to be different as well (I'm sure if the conventional army switched to Multicam, SOCOMD would switch back to Auscam). The army would certainly save beaucoup dollars by only issuing webbing, CBA etc in the one colour.

The colour palette for AUSCAM (DPCU, DPDU, GAYCAM, etc) is quite flexible for printing. Rather than try to tweak DPCU or DPDU to get it to match we should just adopt a new colour set from the scratch. We could even just print an AUSCAM in the same colours as MultiCam. Which would look something like this:



But ideally we should do what made AUSCAM great in the first place. A digital colour survey of the operational area. When the original DPCU was designed in the 1980s the colours were determined by taking a series of photos across the north of Australia and a computer working out the most common ones and producing an appropriate colour palette. Except that black was deleted for some reason because it was decided that it did not occur “naturally” as if fire in Australia is not a common as opposed to ‘natural’ occurrence.

Anyway come 9-11 and the demand for a similar uniform for Afghanistan and DSTO go and collect a photo sample of the operational area for a new uniform. But rather than go and take a series of photos at ground level as in the original AUSCAM they take the photos from orbit (satellites). So we have a good uniform for the average colours of Afghanistan. Unfortunately much of this averaging of colours is influenced by places no humans visit like the exposed granite (hence the purple) and the desert sands. So if the Army is going to spend a lot of time in the non life supporting areas of much of Afghanistan it’s a great uniform.

What we really need is a colour survey of the green zone and surrounding terrain to produce the right camouflage uniform. Or to keep it simple stupid just recolour AUSCAM with a new base colour and four new splotch colours based on what is known to work in theatre.

[buglerbilly]

Image from the thread on the new TBAS............the new uniform colours..........???

[Gubler, A.]

Image from the thread on the new TBAS............the new uniform colours..........???

LOL, already posted on the page previous (and a better comparative image cropped as well). Its not often anyone gets a chance to preempt Bug so I’m going to enjoy this…

[buglerbilly]

...........enjoy your momentary victory! Haaaaaaa

[Gubler, A.]

On the topic here is a colour palette of the various AUSCAMs and some contenders. The swatches don't show which colour is used the most but the colour on the left is the base colour (except MultiCam which doesn't have a base colour).

[buglerbilly]

Roggenwolf Thyacline Semi Arid? DAMN! I'd use that one just for the name!!! :thumbsup

[Gubler, A.]

Roggenwolf Thyacline Semi Arid? DAMN! I'd use that one just for the name!!! :thumbsup

It’s probably the best camouflage around using both micro and macro digital patterns (the Canadian, USMC and ACU patterns only have a micro digital pattern). Australian designed as well, but don't hold your breath waiting to see it in the ADF. Not if the DMO clothing division can find another way to screw the pooch.

http://www.roggenwolf.com/

[buglerbilly]

200,000 new Aussie made uniforms to hit the shelves

10:49 GMT, May 31, 2010

More than 200,000 new Australian-made camouflage uniforms are expected to hit the shelves from July 1, Greg Combet, the Minister for Defence Materiel and Science said today.

The news follows the signing of new $30 million clothing contracts with Australian textile companies, Australian Defence Apparel and CTE Pty Ltd.

“This contract is good news for Australian troops, good news for Australia’s textile industry, and good for the future of Australian textile jobs,” Mr Combet said.

“Australian Defence Apparel and CTE Pty Ltd will together provide more than 200,000 sets of Australian Defence Force combat uniforms used on operations and in Australia.

“Today’s announcement is welcome news for the textile, clothing and footwear industry, with all the uniforms manufactured in Australia, by Australians and using Australian fabric.

“In total, the contracts valued at more than $30 million will help to secure the future of more than 100 manufacturing jobs in Victoria.

“Meanwhile, Australian troops can be confident they are getting the quality equipment they need for operations and in Australia.”

Australian Defence Apparel will supply the Australian Defence Force with Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniforms and Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniforms from Bendigo, Victoria.

CTE Pty Ltd will provide Disruptive Pattern Navy Uniforms and Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniforms from West Footscray, Victoria.

Bruck Textiles Pty Ltd will make the material for the uniforms in Wangaratta, Victoria.

[Raven22]

Good to here, since pretty much the entire stock of popular sized DPCUs is exhausted around the country.

[buglerbilly]

It’s All in the (Tactical) Pants

by christian on June 1, 2010



One thing you notice at about every FOB in Afghanistan is that there are a lot of civilians walking around base — all contractors of one sort or another.

And it seems that every one of those civilians (aside from the kitchen workers) are wearing so-called “tactical” pants…and when you get a closer look at their duds, you notice it’s pretty much a 5.11 world over there (I say ‘there’ because we’re back from our embed now, safe and sound).

I’ll have to admit, I brought two pairs of pants on my embed: one was an old pair of Patagonia cargo pants that have served me well on embeds since 2004 and one was a pair of 5.11 tactical pants in FR material I got for Iraq back in ‘08.

It just so happens that I received an email while I was over there from a company that built a Web site dedicated to reviewing a wide range of tactical pants — it’s artfully titled The Ultimate Guide to Tactical Pants. There are detailed descriptions of pants from designers like Blackhawk, Vertec, Tru-Spec and EOTAC along with pricing info and a handy-dandy chart with materials and features broken down.

It’s maybe more than you’d ever want to know about “tactical pants,” but I could see if you’re outfitting a group of contractors or a PD or something, this “at your fingertips” kind of resource might be helpful.

Now Ward really liked his Blackhawk pants, and I’m sticking by my Patagucci ones, but if drifting through this web site gives someone in the market for some tactical pants an idea of alternatives to 5.11, it’d be nice to see a little variety cruising around the DFAC (not that there’s anything wrong with 5.11…) now and again.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0pern8kkI

[buglerbilly]

This is the afore-mentioned Ultimate Guide to Tactical Pants.............

http://soldiersystems.net/2010/05/17/the-ultimate-guide-to-tactical-pants/

[Gubler, A.]

Here's a clearer picture showing the pattern of the British version of Multi Cam - MTP. Plus a side by side comparision with MultiCam. Can't wait for Ausmulticam...

[buglerbilly]

No MultiCam for the Rakkasans

by christian on June 3, 2010



One of the most frustrating aspects of the Army’s switch to MultiCam, aka the OEF FR-ACU, or “OhFracYou,” is the fact that PEO Soldier has prioritized the fielding of said-patterned gear to troops about to deploy, then will field the MC duds to troops in theater based on the logistics capability of each of the regional commands.

PEO has also established a cutoff date for units in Afghanistan who’ll get the MC suites to those units with more than 120 days left on their deployment as of November 2010.

This is disappointing news to Joes caught in the middle of this arbitrary fielding policy, forcing units to fight for nearly a year with uniforms in camo schemes the Army’s top experts have admitted aren’t as effective in the varied environments of Afghanistan as the replacement MultiCam.

That conundrum has been compounded by commanders who refuse to allow their troops — who are in firefights with enemy insurgents every day — to wear any piece of MultiCam at all until the official fielding by the Army of the entire ensemble of PEO-supplied gear.

We spoke with a dozen Soldiers in Task Force Rakkasan and the 3rd Battalion of the 187th Infantry Regiment who were told they could not wear a single thread of MultiCam on their combat operations since the Army hadn’t fielded it unit-wide, and several officers we spoke with were actually reprimanded for wearing plate carriers, hydration bladders, pouches and other uniform items in MultiCam during operations. One senior NCO we spoke with admitted he’d purchased his own MultiCam ensemble for $1,600 which was now gathering dust in his bunk.

The order came straight from the top, from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team’s commander, Col. Viet Luong. In his old-school Army way, he ordered that all Soldiers look the same, regardless of what camo testers back at Belvoir deemed most effective for the region 3rd BCT is fighting in.

“No one is supposed to have MultiCam items or wear them on missions. The purpose of the uniform is just that: to be uniform,” said 3rd BCT spokesman, Maj. Justin Platt. ”In this case, all Rakkasan soldiers have been issued the necessary ACU print uniforms and equipment to accomplish any mission.”

Platt, who’s a straight shooter and honest broker of info from his commander Luong, said that BCT leaders were concerned that Soldiers who donned their own MultiCam would stick out from the rest and be at greater risk than their comrades.

I can see that, except on the flip side, the Army has tacitly admitted that Soldiers who wear UCP would be at greater risk — otherwise why field a new camo scheme for the theater?

It’s the old-school Army rearing its ugly head, and the standard of uniformity winning over combat effectiveness.

And don’t think for one second that if you’re an Army FOBBIT at Bagram you’ll get to where your MultiCams (assuming you meet the criteria when they’re handed out to in-theater troops in November). The TF82nd Command Sergeant Major has deemed no Soldier may wear MultiCam at Bagram except if he is in transit, ”on their way to R&R or traveling under similar circumstances,” Platt said.

Yet another reason to stay as far away from BAF as possible.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/06/no-multicam-for-the-rakkasans.html#more-998#ixzz0pqDw48ye

[buglerbilly]

Tiger Stripe Making Comeback in Afghanistan

by christian on June 7, 2010



It’s a long way from the steamy jungles of the Laotian border, but when you’ve got a quasi-guerrilla unit on your side, sometimes it’s best to just go totally Old School.

We did some missions with a couple operators from the Afghan National Defense Service — their equivalent of the CIA — during our embed, and I saw one of the officers wearing new-school Tiger Stripe cammies and thought it was a one-off.

Well, it looks as if it might be part of the issued gear of this shadowy force, based on some shots I found on the ISAF web site. You don’t have to be a photosimulation engineer to recognize that this pattern might not exactly be the most optimal for the NDS’s operational environment. The new versions of the Tiger vary widely, but this one is clearly way too dark for anything other than the deepest, most shadowy jungle battlefields.

But there is, of course, the “cool” factor in all this. Tigers look mean (except, of course, the Air Force version) and even with the myriad camo patterns floating around Afghan security forces, these are very different from their counterparts. And besides, trading on a little bit of the Vietnam MACV-SOG mystique might play well even in the most remote qalats.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0qBC1I0fQ

[buglerbilly]

TF Rakkasan Camo Issue: Kit Up! Responds

by christian on June 8, 2010



EDITOR’S NOTE: I would like to take the opportunity to respond to some of Col. Luong’s comments on the issue surrounding his order that no TF Rakkasan Soldier wear MultiCam in his AO.

First, I write this with all respect to Col. Luong and his long experience as a combat commander and Army officer. He was courteous to both Ward and me during our embed and allowed us unfettered access to his units in Paktika (and anywhere else we might have wanted to go in his AO) which demonstrated to us in no uncertain terms that when it comes to the discipline and combat acumen of his troops, he’s got them solidly squared away. I appreciated his hosting us.

Col. Luong is right, it is incorrect for any Kit Up! reader to even get close to inferring that any commander of a Brigade Combat Team in a place like Afghanistan — much less a storied unit like the 101st Airborne Division — is in any way a REMF. There may be different command styles and ways of approaching a problem, but one thing is for sure, you don’t get a job as a BCT commander in such a volatile AO unless you’re good at what you do. Luong is out with his troops all the time — in fact, Ward and I caught a ride with him on a Black Hawk to visit 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry staff for an in-depth briefing and a spin out to some of the combat outposts. As his PA says, Luong “leads from the front” as much as a BCT commander with such a strung out battlespace can.

It is correct to say that the biggest casualty driver in Afghanistan is the IED. And it is also true to say that MultiCam wouldn’t have helped any of the IED victims from getting injured or killed. And it’s hard to argue with Luong that “the most important thing for MY formation are discipline and standards.” But it is short sighted to completely dismiss the issue of concealment in Afghanistan and the shortfalls of the UCP pattern.


I’m perplexed that we are spending time talking about the multicam uniform. It is not all that important compare to other more important issues we have at hand. The multicam will not win us the war. The effectiveness of the multicam is thus far unproven beyond the labs.

This last statement is manifestly untrue as the Army has spent millions to make sure that MultiCam was more effective in Afghanistan by taking it to the field — in fact the testers (all combat vets and high speed operators) field tested the different patterns right outside Luong’s back door at Camp Salerno in Khost province late last year. Again, with all respect, Luong demonstrates his attitude toward this whole argument (which has been reflected by others in the discussions about this whole camo issue in Afghanistan from day one) that MultiCam is more effective in Afghanistan with his “cool guy” comment.


LTs buying coolguy kits is a recipe for disaster. They are the most inexperienced in the Task Force. I’m glad that someone disciplined thes guys…In the end, tenacity, leadership, courage, discipline will win us this war, not a uniform or guys with cool gear, Oakleys and bandannas…I just hate to waste time on such an inconsequential issue.

I can understand why Luong feels this is an inconsequential issue and boils down to some Soldiers wanting to look cool. The problem is, the Army found that the current pattern is not as effective in the environment where its units are fighting in Afghanistan and has begun a replacement program. The story I posted was an example of how some units can fall between the cracks of the fielding plan for the OEF FR-ACUs and what some commands deem is the best policy for uniforms in that theater based on what kind of uniform they’re going to have. Again, I respect Luong’s position on this, but I think most of our readers might not agree with its rigidity.

One issue I do take with his post is with this line:


You see, when you help propagate these types of articles, you are tying down commanders from doing their jobs. You also paint a bleak picture to the American public that this war is being led by buffoons. You are actually supporting Taliban.

Now, in my entire career in covering the military as a journalist, which spans a decade and nearly a dozen embeds, I’ve only been told I support the Taliban twice before. Now this is the third time. I take sharp exception to this notion that posting a story about small unit leaders being reprimanded for wearing MultiCam items by their command which dismisses the Army’s new official camouflage for Afghanistan as “cool guy gear” is “supporting the Taliban.” That’s plain stupid and offensive and I know for a fact that commanders out in the field aren’t taking one second away from lobbing 40 mike-mike on bad guys because they’re arguing about what uniforms to wear.

And one last point of pride: I don’t think there’s any doubt that the stories, blog posts, photos, videos and Tweets Ward and I posted during our embed were ignoring the “good things” Luong’s troops were doing or leaving out how his units were “taking it to the Taliban.” I’m proud of the work we did there and am proud to have been allowed to live and work alongside such great Americans.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/06/tf-rakkasan-camo-issue-kit-up-responds.html#more-1022#ixzz0qJVVzVCF

[buglerbilly]

TF Rakkasan Commander Responds to MultiCam Moratorium

by christian on June 8, 2010



EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is the response from 3rd Brigade Combat Team — TF Rakkasan — commander Col. Viet Luong to the post on MultiCam restrictions in eastern Afghanistan and the discussion that ensued. I have posted his entire response with only very slight copy edits…

Wow- such harsh words. I don’t ever recall being called a REMF or douchebag in my entire career. One of my Soldiers told me about this article and when I saw it, I felt compelled to respond- because of the lack of veracity of the reporting and the potential for something like this to impact my mission at hand and the characterization of my unit.

First off, I’ve been in tactical units all my life- 82d ABN, 173d, 101st. I have commanded at all levels and have never served above the BDE level. I have been deployed to Haiti, Kovoso, Iraq and Afghanistan in multiple command positions. Have been shot at and IEDed many times. I don’t know who BamaPunisher is; however, if he’d served with me in Samarra, he could attest to the fact that I consistently lead from the front and am outside on patrols with the boys nearly every day as a BN CDR. Just to give you some background on who I am and let you know that I know the fight firsthand, not sitting from my desk.

I’m perplexed that we are spending time talking about the multicam uniform. It is not all that important compare to other more important issues we have at hand. The multicam will not win us the war. The effectiveness of the multicam is thus far unproven beyond the labs.

In addition, the biggest casualty producing weapon remains the IED- against vehicles and not against Soldiers who are poorly camouflaged. I have fought in BDUs, DCUs, and ACUs. My Soldiers in Samarra bled profusely while wearing ACUs, the alleged best we had at the time. In short, I can’t really tell you if wearing ACUs saved more lives. So what I’m telling you is the most important thing for MY formation are discipline and standards.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0qJWdSre9

[buglerbilly]

No Velcro on OEF FR ACU (MultiCam) Pant Pockets

by christian on June 17, 2010



Some of you might have seen the report on USA Today’s front page a couple days ago about the Army abandoning Velcro (aka ‘hook and pile’) on the thigh pockets of its ACU pants.

The article states that Soldiers complained the Velcro wouldn’t hold when the pockets were stuffed to the gills and that the dusty environments of Afghanistan and Iraq made the pile part of the Velcro fail because of dirt and sand infiltration.

We reported on this issue back last fall with news of an Army survey of troops and changes the service was making to the ACU to reflect Joes’ preferences — including the overwhelming need to go back to button closures instead of Velcro on the thigh pockets of the trousers.

Kit Up! received a statement from the Army yesterday contextualizing the USA-T story.


When concerns surfaced in the surveys that the hook-and-pile tape was not holding under the weight of full pocket loads, the Army evaluated several solutions, including buttons and snaps, and provided prototypes to more than 1,500 Soldiers for wear-testing. These prototypes included a variety of other changes to the uniform as well.

The end result was the Army has reinforced the seat of the trouser, substituted three buttons for hook-and-pile tape on each trouser cargo pocket, and improved the attachment of the infrared tab.

The Army also made some slight changes to the Velcro on the blouse, including reducing the size of the tape on the closures and collar.

But the biggest change is that the new MultiCam EOF FR-ACUs will have the button closures on the trouser thigh pockets. And these will be the first Army uniforms to incorporate the change. No ACUs have been issued with trouser pocket button closures so far and PEO Soldier says “eventually” buttons will be included on all future ACUs and FR-ACUs. But with the service evaluating whether UCP is still the way to go, could this change be moot for the current ACU?

Another interesting side note is that the Army considered going the button way on the blouse cuffs but decided against it for safety reasons. Officials were concerned that the buttons wouldn’t hold during a flame event (maybe the plastic in the buttons would melt?) and not keep the sleeve closed to protect the Soldier’s arm from fire.


PEO Soldier is aware of other concerns with the hook-and-pile tape and will take those into consideration in future modifications to the ACU.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0r7Rqa7OB

[buglerbilly]

IMINT: Air Force Operator With AOR 1 Camo and SCAR (maybe)

by christian on June 21, 2010



We got an excellent tip from a Kit Up! reader this weekend on a pic he spotted in an Australian military magazine supposedly of an Air Force “special forces operator” weilding a Socom Combat Assault Rifle Mk-16 in Afghanistan.

The other remarkable thing our astute reader spotted was that said “operator” was donning very high speed Crye-made combat fatigues in, of all things, AOR-1 camo pattern.

It’s an awesome photo of a door kicker in the Gucci-est of gear. But something about the photo doesn’t fit the caption, so I wanted to run a couple things by our readers.

Going from head to toe: Now I know Air Force regs are pretty lose; and when it comes to operators assigned to spec ops units in other services, those regs can get blurred even more. But I have never in my life seen an Airman take his hair and beard to the kind of limits in this pic.



Now, he does have on a pretty low-pro plate carrier in MultiCam, which special tactics teams assigned to SF or other units tend to wear as well. But, weirdly, I’m not seeing a lot of antennae and radios on this guy. Also, he’s wearing an old-school headset rather than the Secret Service-style ear pieces TAC-Ps and such are wearing these days.

And as for the SCAR. I’ve scoured a lot of photos and just got back from hanging out with some TAC-Ps in Afghanistan and I haven’t seen or heard of ST Airmen getting the SCAR yet. I’ve heard rumors that it’s coming, but not yet in the field. There are 10″ barrel M4s and HK-416s, but SCARs ain’t with the Airmen, as far as I’ve heard.

Lastly, the AOR-1 pattern…I find it hard to believe that an Airman would wear the AOR-1 pattern instead of the MultiCam. And the other photos in this series that show SF dudes with illustrate that the Soldiers are wearing ACUs or MC combat uniforms.

http://dvidshub.net/?script=images/images_gallery.php&action=viewimage&fid=270721

Where am I going with this?

I don’t know why, but I’m thinking this guy is a SEAL. Not sure why he’s with this group doing a MedCAP, but all the photo evidence is pointing to a DEVGRU guy or straight stick SEAL.

It’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

(Gouge: DFitz)

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0rWxtklZ2

[buglerbilly]

Test Camo Pattern for SEAL Team 6 (DEVGRU)?

by christian on June 22, 2010 · Comments (1)



Yesterday when I was tracking down some updates on AOR-1 I ran across an interesting blog that seems to have some insight into test gear being looked at by the Tidewater VA-based SEAL Team 6, aka DevGru.

We know from our friends at Soldier Systems that the company Beyond Tactical has been developing camo patterns for the group, including combat ensembles in AOR-1 (a SEAL version of the Marine desert digital) and AOR-2 (a woodland MarPat). But Legit Kit got its hands on a MultiCam-esque digital pattern that Beyond Tactical ginned up for the DevGru frogmen during the AOR-1 and 2 tests (be sure to check the link for more pics).

This is a camo scheme that looks pretty close to what someone might dub a “universal” pattern. Wonder why it got shunted to the side of the road in favor of two patterns that basically mimic the Corps’ MarPat.

If anybody’s got any more gouge on this pattern, please let us know.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/06/test-camo-pattern-for-seal-team-6-devgru.html#comments#ixzz0rcLj5UsM

The comment..........



FormerDirtDart · 31 minutes ago

Looks like it may follow the MarPat pattern, but, with a different colorway. Black looks to be replaced with a Dark Brown, Green replaced by Sand, Sand replaced by Green, and Tan replaced with a light sort of muddy Brown.

It definitely seems well suited for a semi-arid environment.

Frankly, I have come to the opinion that the services really need to develop camouflage in four colorways: Artic/Snow, Woodland, Semi-Arid & Arid/Desert. The Semi-Arid could form something of a "universal" (though I hate that term) colorway for equipment.

[buglerbilly]

The Legit Kit website is here.............

http://lgtkit.com/

.....well worth a visit for those interested in personal gear.

[buglerbilly]

The blast-proof boxers: They sound hilarious, but these Kevlar underpants could soon be saving British troops from the most feared injury of all

By Peter Almond

Last updated at 10:06 PM on 26th June 2010


Well-protected: A model in the blast pants that could soon be saving troops in Afghanistan

They are certain to prompt sniggers back at barracks, but their purpose is deadly serious. British troops in Afghanistan may soon be using a new item of protective gear – blast-resistant underpants.

With more powerful roadside bombs causing a rise in the number of groin injuries and other lower body damage, protective pants could soon be an essential part of the soldier’s kit.

BCB International, a military accessories provider based in Cardiff, will soon be selling ‘blast boxers’ to the public for less than £60 a pair in knitted Kevlar.

The MoD is looking at a version of the pants which has a panel made of tightly-woven silk to protect the most vulnerable areas. Used in this way, silk is very strong yet more flexible than Kevlar.

RAF medics say they have witnessed an increase in injuries to this most sensitive area of the male anatomy. ‘We are seeing a lot of perineum [groin] injuries,’ said Sergeant Sonia Darbyshire.

Her colleague Corporal Tony Pugsley added: ‘Ninety per cent of the powerful improvised explosive device (IED) injuries now are *double amputees, and the scrotum area is usually badly affected.’

The Kevlar underpants would not protect a soldier standing directly on a powerful IED but they could stop small fragments of a blast, according to bosses at BCB International.

‘I tested them by firing an air rifle against them,’ said BCB scientist Matthew Searle. ‘It matches the ballistic standards we needed.’

Soldiers welcomed the development. ‘You go out on patrol and you’ve got a helmet for your head and body armour for your torso but you’ve got nothing for your groin,’ said Corporal Simon Mercer, who recently returned from Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

‘It’s forever in your mind. This would have a huge impact.’

The Kevlar underpants come in single or double layers, enough to stop a small piece of shrapnel from causing damage or severing the femoral artery, which carries blood from the legs to the heart.

Soldiers at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics Show in Millbrook, *Bedfordshire, where the blast boxers were unveiled last week, said they would be willing to wear them. But once on operations back in Afghanistan, several said they might ‘forget’.

‘It’s hot and you don’t want to wear anything that’s going to impede your movement,’ said one soldier.

‘You would if your missus told you to put ’em on,’ retorted another.

Others are not so sure. ‘If I were to ask my husband, “Are you wearing your blast shorts today?” he’d probably say, “Of course” whether he was or not,’ said Julie McCarthy, chief executive of the Army Families Federation. ‘But we encourage anything to protect our soldiers.’

The Army has been reluctant to introduce the groin-protection flaps that hang from the waist of US Marines’ body armour, because they restrict movement.

Questions were raised about this policy last year following reports of a higher groin injury rate among British troops compared with the Americans in Helmand Province.

Veterans’ charity Combat Stress has relatively little experience of psychological damage to those with genital injuries because the average time lapse before combat stress is reported is 14 years and the use of IEDs against British troops has increased dramatically in the past four years.

But an American study of war wounds concluded that although groin injuries amounted to only two to three per cent of all US casualties in Vietnam, they had a long-lasting psychological impact.

‘They are the most feared of combat injuries,’ said the study. ‘For some, disfigurement of sexual organs is equivalent to the loss of all manly qualities.’

An MoD spokesman said: ‘We continually seek new ways to improve protection for our personnel on the front line. We are currently researching groin-protection options and striving to achieve the right balance between protection and manoeuvrability.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289827/The-blast-proof-boxers-They-sound-hilarious-Kevlar-underpants-soon-saving-British-troops-feared-injury-all.html#ixzz0s14TS522

[buglerbilly]

Army Looking for Three Camos

by christian on July 2, 2010



Our friends over at Soldier Systems Daily had an interesting post on the Army’s progress in Phase IV of their camo search.

According to a new RFI posted on FedBizOpps, the Army is asking industry to provide the service with their ideas for three different camo schemes to cover woodland/jungle, desert and so-called “transitional” (which could mean a garrison UCP or urban scheme). The Army also wants to see ideas for a universal pattern for all body armor and other gear that a Joe would wear, presumably so Soldiers wouldn’t have to switch out their OTVs for each environment.

The Rangers have done well in the past with their Ranger Green gear and the Corps works well with their coyote brown stuff as well.

This is a huge deal and could mean the service has thrown its hands up and gone back to the idea of a spread of camos for different battlegrounds. But it also could mean the service looks at all these patterns and goes “let’s stick with just one.”

We’ll see. But it’ll be awesome to watch what industry comes up with.

And good on SSD for picking this out..

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0saaFPMO9

[buglerbilly]

This is the Soldier Systems Daily report mentioned above.................

Army Camo Phase IV

And so it begins…well actually it began awhile ago but Phase IV of the Army’s camo program is gaining steam and Natick in conjunction with PEO-Soldier released a Sources Sought Notice yesterday for camouflage patterns. SSD was also able to speak with PEO Soldier’s COL William Cole and LTC Mike Sloane about the situation.

The Army is seeking a family of three different camo patterns including woodland, desert and, transitional (sometime called universal), and one pattern for personal equipment (such as body armor, ammo pouches and rucksacks) which works with all three (3) uniform camouflage patterns. The idea behind the family of patterns is to give Army leaders and Combatant Commanders options. The document goes on to describe a family of patterns as “A family is considered to be of the same or similar geometry with coordinating color palettes to cross the global operating environments. Global operating environments are defined by a geographic classification system that subdivides the global landmasses into areas with similar environmental characteristics.” So ultimately, they are seeking three and possibly four patterns that share basic composition. Sharing basic geometries can be used for identification purposes as well to streamline with supply chain with common printing screens. One option for the family of patterns is that the transitional or universal pattern will be issued in the clothing bag to all Soldiers and the woodland desert patterns would be special issue to those operating in those environments.

The Sources Sought Notice goes on to describe how the patterns will be evaluated. This methodology can be used in both a photosimulation study as well live field tests.

“The woodland pattern may be evaluated in forest, full ground cover, cropland and jungle terrain at distances between 35 and 400 meters.

The desert pattern may be evaluated in low sandy desert and high rocky desert terrain at distances between 35 and 500 meters.

The transitional pattern may be evaluated in both woodland and desert terrain types at the distances cited above.

All evaluations will be made with a subject mannequin and/or human wearing a uniform in the evaluated pattern and a body armor vest with ammo pouches in the family personal equipment pattern.

The primary method for evaluating uniform and personal equipment pattern effectiveness will be determining the distance at which observers have a 50% probability of detecting the camouflaged test subject; the shorter the distance the more effective the camouflage.

The secondary method for evaluating pattern effectiveness, to be used in instances where all patterns are detected at the same range, will be the relative time to detection; the longer the time to detection the more effective the camouflage.

Near IR performance will also be evaluated at distances from 35 and 200 meters. The patterns will be evaluated for Near IR performance in the same terrain types as for daylight performance.”

The big issue here is options. The camouflage team which is comprised not only of PEO-Soldier and Natick but also such stake holders as the Maneuver Center of Excellence, Naval Research Labs, USASOC, and the AWG has to brief the Army leadership on their plan of action in July. This plan not only offers choices but also economizes them through a common pattern geometry for uniforms as well as a common OCIE pattern.

COL Cole said that he expected to see a new family of patterns enter service within two years saying “We want to conduct rigorous testing. This is not a fashion contest.” What is clear is that no one wants to rush into a solution but rather, the Army would like to conduct full testing in all terrain environments and all seasons. Additionally, LTC Sloane added, the Army wants to ensure that they conduct a thorough threat analysis placing the correct emphasis on probable areas of operation.

At this point, the Army is trying to ascertain the state of industry to support this requirement and to give everyone a heads up. Offerors have one month to respond and we are looking forward to seeing what industry comes up with once a full blown solicitation is released.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 at 6:08 PM and is filed under Camo, PEO-Soldier.

[buglerbilly]

From DiD...........

ECWCS-III: Dressed for the Cold

06-Jul-2010 15:32 EDT


ECWCS-III: all 7 layers

Over $85M in recent contracts. (July 2/10)


“During Operation Mountain Lion I found myself praying for bad weather, the first time in my military career I was actually begging for a cold front to come through. I knew my soldiers could handle it and the enemy couldn’t. ECWCS allowed my men to outlast the enemy on their own terrain. When the enemy was forced out of the mountains due to the bitter cold to take shelter, that’s when we got them.”

—LTC Christopher Cavoli, US Army 10th Mountain Division, Afghanistan

This third generation of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS-III) is a radical re-design of the cold weather clothing system for the U.S. Army. In 20067, Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. (ADS), who has won other significant soldiers’ equipment contracts from the US military, announced an ECWCS-III contract whose value could exceed $1.1 billion.

As the lead integrator, ADS will lead a team of over 10 American technical garment manufacturers and technical textile companies to produce and supply the versatile 7-layer, 12-component system for fielding to Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan by the winter of 2008. So, exactly what’s in the ECWCS-III…?

The ECWCS-III Clothing System


Layer 2 underwear

The Army’s PEO-CIE sought significant feedback from industry and Soldiers to develop this fully integrated cold weather layering system

Based on layering systems currently utilized by mountaineering professionals, the Generation III ECWCS system incorporates 7 layers of clothing, including light-weight and mid-weight Polartec® Powerdry® moisture wicking shirt and briefs, a Polartec® Thermal Pro® fleece jacket, a nylon/ spandex wind jacket, a soft shell jacket and trousers using Nextec® fabric, a Gore-Tex® wet weather jacket and trousers, and a Primaloft® insulated loft parka and trousers for extreme cold weather conditions. Wool socks and a fleece cap are also included. Each piece fits and functions either alone or together as a system to provide the most options for the Soldier.

As an improvement upon previous generations, the new Generation III ECWCS is 33% more compressible, 25% lighter, and is rated as more comfortable. It is also more versatile and includes functional features that allow the Soldier to adapt to varying mission requirements and environmental conditions ranging between -40 to +60 degrees Fahrenheit. The U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division field tested 18,000 of the ECWCS-III systems in Afghanistan in fall 2006, and as one can see above, they gave the system a very strong review. Components include:

LVL 1: Base layer shirt and long underwear
LVL 2: Base layer shirt and long underwear, heavier
LVL 3: High-loft Polartec fleece jacket
LVL 4: Jacket shell, camo. Designed for wear under body armor
LVL 5: Long Jacket and Trousers soft shell layer, camo
LVL 6: Long Jacket and Trousers waterproof shell layer, camo
LVL 7: Parka and Trousers

In truth, ECWS-III was an effort to catch up with the rapidly-evolving civilian technologies in this area. Hopefully, the circle will come back around and mail-order versions of ECWS-III spin-offs and sub-sets for civilians won’t be too far behind.

[McDethWivFries]

Well-protected: A model in the blast pants that could soon be saving troops in Afghanistan


Blastpants . . . for when you've eaten a really good cabage & beans meal

[buglerbilly]

Don't eat that and smoke at the same time...........

[buglerbilly]

I've noticed that the Brits still have the desert Camo on the Osprey Armour and backpacks, anyone know when or if this going to change...........?


Royal Marines of 40 Commando carry out a routine ground domination patrol in Sangin
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Si Ethell, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

[Exsandgroper]

Army pattern trials by SF forces in the latest "The Soldiers News".

Questions and some answers

ref page 22-23 in letters and viewpoints


http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?xml=defencenews_army.xml


Cheers

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems.........refers to US Army only...........

The Latest on the MultiCam Uniform

July 8th, 2010 Late last month the Army issued ALARACT 189/2010 which provides guidance on the fielding of the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform. This is the third name it has had and they haven’t even fielded any yet. First it was referred to as as the Afghanistan MultiCam Uniform (AMU), then the OEF FRACU, and now this. But to be honest, this is probably the best name yet as it is a bit more all encompassing.

The ALARACT goes on to describe which equipment and uniform items will be available in OCP. The Basis of issue will remain the same as for UCP but the new pattern will be phased in over time meaning there will be a period where Soldiers will wear a mixture of patterns. However, having spoken with PEO-Soldier’s SPIE we know that they are working to minimize this. While the basics will be available soon such as FRACUs, MOLLE, etc some items like Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble (FREE) won’t be ready until after the new year. No word on when the Army Aircrew Combat Uniform or Improved Combat Vehicle Crewman uniforms will be ready but they are on the list as well.

So what are the takeaways?

-Fielding will commence no later than Aug 2010 for forces deploying from CONUS and by Nov 2010 for units with 120 days retainability in theater
-The uniforms and equipment can only be worn enroute (to or from) or in Afghanistan
-No commercial sales including Military Clothing Sales Store of Insignia by authorized producers

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems......

Arc’teryx LEAF Armor Compatible Clothing Availablility Update

July 7th, 2010 Yeah, it’s a mouthful but the armor compatible clothing line is starting to show up in the webstore and will be loaded on to the website by next week. Naturally, this means that you will need an account to see and purchase these products.



http://leaf.arcteryx.com/

You don't need an account to see the above.

[buglerbilly]

Curious to see that the USAF has its own Camo...........



Airmen(?) preparing for a convoy...........

[buglerbilly]

And now for something different, Russian Camo............

New Russian Camo Spotted

by christian on July 13, 2010



A Kit Up! reader sent me a link to a photo gallery of a new Russian army camo that seems a bit of a throw back to Cold War DDR duds.

http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2010/07/13/new-uniform-of-the-russian-army/#more-15533

The new uniform appears digital, but is a dark woodland brown and green that could limit its usefulness in combat situations other than fighting in forests.



Though the soldiers modeling the uniforms in the photo gallery look like they’re 12 years old, there are a few details here that indicate the Russians had put some thought into the design. Like their American counterparts, the Russians look as if they’re starting to wear knee pads and almost everyone’s got body armor on. The helmets look more like US designs than the Soviet bucket from WWII. You’ll also see some detailing in the material makeup of the blouses and trousers that make them look a little Crye-ish.

The camos are interesting – especially since we reported the Alpha guys wearing MultiCam – but by far my favorite is the one with the grey coveralls and FR bandana. Just an AK and a dagger…he don’t need nuthin’ else!



Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0tZaitu5m

[Milne Bay]

The grey coveralls look like a sleeping bag with a belt.
I prefer these shots.

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems...........

MultiCam at ADS

July 14th, 2010

MultiCam was already the camouflage pattern of choice for America’s elite but once the Army chose it for use in Afghanistan it was like an explosion. All of a sudden lots of new products have been developed featuring MultiCam and ADS has them. ADS has just released a catalog featuring all things MultiCam and many of these items will be featured at the Warrior Expo-East. Not only will MultiCam developers Crye Precision be on hand with their latest products, but so will Arc’teryx and New Balance with their new clothing systems. Additionally, ECWCS Gen III as well as FREE will be offered in MultiCam to our troops in operation Enduring Freedom so be sure to check those out as well.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/34314857/ADS-MulitCam-Mini-Catalog-Vol-1

http://www.adsinc.com/multicam

http://www.adsinc.com/nbs7

http://www.adsinc.com/gen-iii

http://www.adsinc.com/free

[Gubler, A.]

I've noticed that the Brits still have the desert Camo on the Osprey Armour and backpacks, anyone know when or if this going to change...........?

Probably sometime after they get issued their MultiCam bath robes...

[buglerbilly]

WOW! Ultra-cool...........where can a buy one? I've always wanted to prove what some people have said about me...............I'm a dick-head.....!!! :violent

[buglerbilly]

Arc’teryx Unveils NYCO Combat Uniform

July 16th, 2010

Arc’teryx LEAF unveiled the new Talos Combat Uniform at the Warrior Expo yesterday.



The Halfshell top is made from a combination of woven 50/50 NYCO sleeves and yoke and a printed 50/50 NYCO knit torso from Cyberknit. Yes, you read that right. The torso fabric is also in MultiCam. Additionally, the sleeves feature pit zips and snap cuffs.

The trousers are also made from woven 50/50 NYCO and have the same feature set as the Sphinx trouser such as webbing knee covers. The new uniform will be available in Spring 2011 in MultiCam. Arc’teryx plans to follow this up a year later with multiple color options. They are also researching new lightweight fabrics for combat uniforms that are showing lots of promise.





http://leaf.arcteryx.com/

[buglerbilly]

SEALs Going All Lumberjack on us

by christian on July 16, 2010



In my weekly scan through the federal business opportunities website, I ran across this interesting solicitation from Naval Special Warfare Group 2 based in Little Creek, Va.

The command is seeking a boatload of heavy-duty lumberjack wear made by the Seattle-based Filson company. Filson is known for its hardcore outdoor work clothes, including so-called “Tin Cloth” work bibs and jackets whose fabric is so thick, it’s almost impossible to bend.

But Filson, like Orvis and Patagonia before it, has transformed itself from an outfitter for West Coast gold prospectors and lumber cutters to a much-sought-after status symbol for the well-to-do set. You ain’t a real upland hunter or waterfowler unless you have a Filson jacket or bibs. And the price definitely reflects the Gucci allure of their gear these days ($170 for a logger coat).

So I gotta wonder, what is NSWG2 looking to buy Filson duds for? I have visions of some covert mission to a salmon fishing village in Vladivostok or specialized training on the Olympic peninsula.

Or maybe, our Atlantic Coast frogmen just have a great sense of style. I truly respect that they know top quality when they see it and as far as I’m concerned they deserve the best.

(Full disclosure: I have lots of Patagonia gear and one Filson jacket — it was a Christmas gift…)

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0tqtuAPGA

Double Logger Coat Style Number 063



USD$170.00

Double Tin Pants Style Number 067



USD$140.00

[Gubler, A.]

The command is seeking a boatload of heavy-duty lumberjack wear made by the Seattle-based Filson company. Filson is known for its hardcore outdoor work clothes, including so-called “Tin Cloth” work bibs and jackets whose fabric is so thick, it’s almost impossible to bend.

I thought lumberjacks wore women's clothing? Maybe that's just when they hang around in bars...

[buglerbilly]

For those few, those blighted few, who don't understand the Lumberjack connection............

ARTIST: Monty Python
TITLE: I'm a Lumberjack
Lyrics and Chords

I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
I sleep all night and I work all day
He's a lumberjack and he's okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day

I cut down trees, I eat my lunch
I go to the lavat'ry
On Wednesdays I go shopping
And have buttered scones for tea
He cuts down trees...
He's a lumberjack...

I cut down trees, I skip and jump
I love to press wild flow'rs
I put on women's clothing
And hang around in bars
He cuts down trees...
He's a lumberjack...

I cut down trees, I wear high heels
Suspendies and a bra
I wish I'd been a girlie
Just like my dear papa
He cuts down trees...
He's a lumberjack...

[buglerbilly]

I've noticed that the Brits are now starting to get the camo body armour to suit their new Camo pattern..........



...........taken a while!

[buglerbilly]

AND here come the USA............

MultiCam Soldier Plate Carrier System

July 23rd, 2010

PEO-Soldier recently released a photo of the Soldier Plate Carrier System in MultiCam. Interestingly, the PALS webbing is MultiCam. Initially, we had been informed by Army sources that all accessory tape would be in Tan 499 due to the increased cost of printed webbing. The Army will begin issuing equipment in MultiCam to Afghanistan-bound troops next week.

[buglerbilly]

Here's new ATACs camo gear for Police/SWAT/SRT use...............



A-TACS KIT FROM TACTICAL ASSAULT GEAR

Many of you have been asking to see more A-TACS images from the field, so over the coming weeks in addition to new product announcements and introductions, we will be releasing a series of new images showing the pattern in different operational environments. These first images showcase the pattern on an SRT team at work in an urban environment.

For this release, the folks at GTI (Government Training Institute) were kind enough to host one of our very first in this series of location shoots. The instructor team at GTI specialize in all areas of training from SRT teams to specialized branches of the military. For more information on GTI, visit them online at www.gtitraining.org







Special thanks go out to instructors Brett,Travis and Rupert (pictured above) for putting up with the heat as well as the rest of the professional team at GTI.

[buglerbilly]

More camo news! US Navy Working Uniform III

You might remember that back in January Soldier Systems Daily ran a story outlining the US Navy’s further plans with regards to the issuing of camouflage uniforms to its personnel.

Just to re-cap, this outlined the Navy’s set-up as follows;

■ Navy Working Uniform Type I – the standard Navy utility uniform in the blue-grey coloured version of CADPAT/MARPAT: authorised for wear by all Navy personnel currently authorised to wear it.



■ Navy Working Uniform Type II – the standard Navy utility uniform in the desert coloured version of CADPAT/MARPAT/AOR camo (aka, AOR1) with the ACE logo embedded in the camouflage pattern: authorised for wear ONLY BY NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE units. The 3-color DCU will be retained for wear by everybody else.



■ Navy Working Uniform Type III – the standard Navy utility uniform in the woodland coloured version of CADPAT/MARPAT/AOR camo (aka, AOR2) with the ACE logo embedded in the camouflage pattern: authorised for wear by all Navy personnel currently authorised to wear woodland camouflage BDUs.

And just to make things more interesting – or at least different – the Type II and Type III patterns differ from their AOR predecessors by not only having the ACE logo embedded, but also by the pattern being rotated 90 degrees to have a vertical orientation. I still haven’t seen or heard any explanation as to why they rotated the pattern – in fact, many camouflage experts say it will make actually the pattern less effective.

At any rate, some clear high-quality photographs of the Type III uniform recently surfaced (no pun intended). Enjoy!







Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick West holds an all-hands call with Sailors and Marines. West is wearing the Navy Working Uniform type III during the conformance test phase.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer A. Villalovos/Released)

[buglerbilly]

More Afghan camo: new pixelated pattern for the Afghan Civil Order Police

The first thing that struck me about this was that its ironic that the Afghan Army adopted a “woodland” coloured uniform, whilst the police adopted a “desert” coloured one.

Then, taking a second look, I noticed that the uniform style appears to be the same as the Army’s – and that the camouflage pattern is clearly the same “Spec4ce” pattern from HyperStealth.

*Note: Guy Cramer of HyperStealth got in touch to point out that the colours are not actually the same as CADPAT-AR – somewhat close, but not identical and the dominant background colour is actually a pale khaki-green called “desert green”.


The Afghan National Civil Order Police Sergeant Major and the commander of ANCOP 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, inspect the new ANCOP uniform Aug. 3, 2010. The 2-1 was the first unit to receive the new uniform made of lighter-weight and rip-stop material. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez, USAF)


A member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police assists a friend with attaching patches to the new ANCOP uniform Aug. 3, 2010. The new uniform will help distinguish ANCOP, an elite police force, from the remainder of the Afghan National Police. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez, USAF)


A member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police attaches nametapes to a new uniform Aug. 3, 2010. The 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade is the first ANCOP unit to receive this new uniform that will help distinguish them from other police units. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez, USAF)

HyperStealth’s Spec4ce “Forest” pattern, adopted by the ANA as “Afghan Forest”.

[buglerbilly]

More on the Type II and Type III NWU

August 9th, 2010



The Program Manager for the Naval Working Uniform has set up a fantastic web site to keep the Fleet updated on the roll out of the Type II and III variants of the NWU slated for fielding in Spring 2011. Two variants of the basic layout are currently in conformance testing pitting a traditional BDU cut most Sailors are used to against a more innovative style based on features found on commercially developed combat clothing. In the photo above you can see the Type III which will replace the Camouflaged Utility Uniform in the Woodland pattern. Unfortunately, the Navy plans on retaining two separate desert camo patterns, with Naval Special Warfare adopting the AOR I inspired variant and all others retaining the old 3-color desert pattern which first saw service in Operation Desert Storm.



www.navfac.navy.mil/nwu

[buglerbilly]

The Navy’s Divergent Vision for New Cammies

by christian on August 10, 2010



Thanks to our good buddies at Soldier Systems Daily for tipping us off to the latest news on the Navy’s search for a camo uniform that’s actually…well…camouflaged.

Kit Up! made a few calls yesterday and had an interview with the Navy’s program manager for the Navy Working Uniform Type II and III and a top gear buyer for the service’s Expeditionary Programs office. Be sure to read the story we posted on Military.com this morning to get the overall view of the program and where it’s going.

But peeling the onion back a bit, there are a couple of issues the folks I talked to didn’t really square away. First, it seems that there’s already an “approved” version of the NWU Type III. In fact, the MCPON (seen above) has been wearing it on his recent tours of the fleet. This version (we’ll call version 1) has:

■ Straight flap chest pockets
■ Small can-of-chew or pack-of-butts shoulder pockets
■ Straight flap cargo pockets
■ Drawstring waist
■ Collar rank insignia

Version #2, which incorporates feedback from the Naval Special Warfare community who proved the seed-corn of the entire idea, has:

■ Large shoulder pockets
■ Angled cargo pockets
■ Chest pockets oriented for body armor wear
■ Elastic waist
■ Centerline rank insignia

Now, I asked how the Navy could possibly design a uniform that meets the demands of communities as divergent as the Seebees and SEALs. The folks I was interviewing got a bit defensive and tried to explain that Seabees are in combat too. But I countered that it still was apples and oranges and they didn’t budge.

Well, what might be going on here is that the Seabees and their ilk who’ll get the Type IIIs want one thing, and the SEALs, who actually started this whole initiative back in 2003, predictably want another thing. The Navy is seemingly trying to square a circle here and in the end, I betcha dollars for dougnuts the service goes with the MCPON-worn version #1 and the NSW community continues to buy their Beyond Tactical gear in AOR 1 and 2.

Another strange thing about this whole story that the officials I talked to wouldn’t comment on is this crazy idea that only NavSpecWar will be allowed to wear the Type II desert camo uniforms. All other Sailors deployed to a desert environment will wear the tri-color cammies (even EOD). So, let me get this straight…the Navy is spending $80 million to design, test and field a new desert cammo uniform…but only for a few thousand Sailors?

So we’ll have three different cammies in the inventory: the bizzaro blue and grey Type Is, the Type II desert, the Type III woodland and the Tri-Color desert. Is this NSW strong arming the service in order to be “special”? And how ironic it would be for the service to pick the design for the Type II that the SEALs didn’t want, they wear their Crye or Beyond Tactical kit, and nobody ends up wearing the Type II at the end of this exercise.

Might be far fetched, but we’ll see how this shakes out. There’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/08/the-navys-divergent-vision-for-new-cammies.html#more-1536#ixzz0wDegOM2T

The below is the Mil.com article referenced above..........

Navy Testing Two New Camo Uniforms

August 10, 2010

Military.com|by Christian Lowe

The Navy is set to field two new camouflage uniforms next year, just months after the last of the fleet will be issued the service’s newest pixel-pattern, blue-and-grey “Navy Working Uniform.”

Navy officials announced late last year they would provide a service-specific camouflage pattern to the ever-growing number of Sailors supporting operations in combat environments, recognizing the bright colors of their newest at-sea uniform were inappropriate for anything other than shipboard operations.

“In 2006, the [Chief of Naval Operations] saw the need to improve the tactical uniforms,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Neish, a top gear buyer for the Naval Expeditionary Programs office. “The rationale was to provide a uniform to address the needs of the battlefield today.”

Borrowing from work done by Naval Special Warfare Command on two camouflage patterns similar to the Marine Corps’ desert and woodland digital patterns, the Navy began testing the so-called “Navy Working Uniform Type II and III” in late July.

The Type II uniform is a slightly darker version of the Corps’ desert Marpat scheme and the Type III set-up is akin to the Corps’ woodland digital. Both have the Navy’s “Anchor, Constitution and Eagle” emblem embedded in the digital pattern.

According to Navy officials, only Naval Special Warfare operators and those supporting them will be allowed to wear the Type II duds, while all Sailors who are currently issued the old-school woodland uniforms will be allowed to wear the Type III cammies -- both deployed and at their home stations.

That means Sailors in the Seabees, riverine units and explosive ordnance disposal technicians will get the new Navy Type III uniforms for day-to-day wear. Naval Special Warfare operators will also be issued Type III camo duds for woodland and jungle environments.

Commandos issued the Type II desert scheme will not be allowed to wear their new uniforms on base in the U.S. unless they’re in training, and any Sailors outside the special warfare or expeditionary community deployed to a desert locale will still wear the Desert Storm-era tri-color desert camo, the Navy says.

The entire program cost an estimated $80 million to develop, test and field the two camo uniforms, officials said.

Development of the new camouflage patterns comes as the Navy is still fielding its controversial new “Type I Navy Working Uniform” that replaced the dungarees, khakis and coveralls that were part of Sailors’ seabags for decades. It was the last of the services to develop and field a digitally patterned camouflage uniform after the Marine Corps launched its Marpat uniforms in 2002.

Many had criticized the blue-and-grey-hued digital Navy Working Uniform as only suitable for non-deployed or shipboard use and wondered why, during a time of war and increased deployments for Sailors in land-based combat zones, the Navy would field a pattern the service itself admitted was not camouflage.

The fielding also caps nearly 10 years of development in the Naval Special Warfare community of the so-called AOR-1 and AOR-2 camouflage schemes, which are very similar to the Type II and Type III patterns but diverge radically from the MultiCam pattern being adopted by Army and Air Force special operators.

On its Web site outlining the program, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command says the service opted against MultiCam because “the Navy has determined Type II and III provide the best option to protect our forces and maintain our tactical advantage.”

The Navy is currently testing two different designs for the new camo uniforms, one which incorporates features preferred by the SEAL community, including large shoulder pockets, angled cargo pockets and chest pockets that can be accessed through body armor, and another version with a more traditional cut.

About 150 Sailors are participating in the six-week “conformance test” in San Diego; Norfolk, Va.; and Tampa, Fla., and will provide feedback to designers for a final version.

The final design will incorporate all the best features of the two variants being tested, and both the Type II and III duds will be the same, except for the camo pattern, officials said.

The Navy will field garrison caps, boonie hats, helmet covers and Gore-Tex parkas in both patterns, and it is unclear whether the service will develop accessories such as pouches and body armor covers in Type II or III.

“The program’s so new, we haven’t gotten that far,” said program manager Andy Hu. “But we’ll certainly do everything we can improve the capability of the warfighter on the battlefield.”

Officials say they plan to start fielding about 60,000 Type III uniforms and 10,000 Type II uniforms in the spring of 2011.

© Copyright 2010 Military.com. All rights reserved.

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems..........

OCP Update

August 11th, 2010

Yesterday, SSD participated in a teleconference with PEO Soldier’s LTC Mike Sloane and CSM Bernard McPherson. Also on hand was SMA Kenneth Preston along with several Subject Matter Experts from PEO Soldier. The press event was in conjunction with the Army’s initial fielding to a Brigade of 19 items in the new OEF Camouflage Pattern (OCP) at Camp Shelby, MS. Up to 3600 Soldiers will be equipped with the new gear over the remainder of the week before shipping off to Afghanistan. From here out, all OEF bound forces Brigades will be fielded Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment in OCP before deploying from CONUS. Beginning in November, units with more than 120 days left in theater will also receive the kit. PEO Soldier is poised to conduct limited early fielding for deployed Battalion and smaller units who require the enhanced camouflage based on their mission. They are also developing plans to ensure that Individual Augmentees are taken care of. Additionally, Army SOF will be issued gear in the new pattern.

The ambitious fielding schedule would not have been possible without the dedicated work of two communities; the contracting office at Natick and industry. LTC Sloane commented, “The American Industrial Base is leaning forward, flying items in and driving them here.” The other side of this coin is the Army’s contracting strategy. In three months, the contracting office at Natick issued 11 contracts with another six to eight pending. Very impressive.

This fielding marks the implementation of phase III of the Army’s Congressionally directed search for enhanced camouflage for troops in Operation Enduring Freedom. Within less than a year, the Army conducted an extensive down select of 57 to five patterns that included an in-theater data collection effort and a comprehensive photo simulation study and wear test. This culminated in the selection of the Crye Precision developed MultiCam pattern as the new OCP.

When asked if he felt that, based on his experience if Soldiers were better protected with the new OCP, SMA Preston commented, “Based on testing…Yes, I believe they are safer.”

So what’s next for OCP? In February 2011, Tier II items including the Aircrew Advanced Combat Uniform, Improved Combat Vehicle Crewman Coverall, Aviation Life Support Equipment, and Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble items will be introduced in the MultiCam pattern.

Finally, LTC Sloane announced that the Army’s Phase IV of the Global Camouflage effort will not be as short term as initially described. Instead, the TRADOC-led project will not be ready for the Army leadership to make a decision until the end of FY13. This three year effort sounds now to be more of a science project than focused on presenting a near-term warfighting enhancement. On the plus side, the Air Force is participating, and both the Navy and Marine Corps are monitoring the program so there is a slight possibility that the project may deliver a true joint solution. The down side is that for at least the next three years Soldiers must continue to rely on the limited capability of the so-called Universal Camouflage Pattern that caused this whole program in the first place. Perhaps commanders in other theaters will begin to insist that their troops also require enhanced camouflage and we will see increased fielding of MultiCam.

[buglerbilly]

Army’s New Camo Could be ‘Joint’

by christian on August 12, 2010



We reported back in July that the Army was looking for industry’s ability to come up with three different camo schemes: a “woodland” pattern, a “desert” pattern and a “transitional” pattern — thanks to a tip from our friends at Soldier Systems Daily.

Well, officials with PEO Soldier fleshed out the current status of Phase IV during a roundtable interview with reporters on August 10. Apparently, they’re ultimately looking to test three different patterns from three different companies against two government-designed patterns. And a final decision is due to be handed to the Army COS in 2013.

Officials left open all possibilities, including that only one “universal” pattern is chosen, that one is used for garrison and two others are kept in the warehouse for certain AOs or that the Army goes with two patterns worn interchangeably like the Marine Corps.

But PEO’s Jeff Myhre shocked this blogger when he seemed to leave open the possibility that the solution could be joint — i.e. a family of camos worn by all the services.

We have folks, not only from the Air Force, which is very interested in what we’re doing and is taking part in all these assessments and very much wants to see where this goes and leverage whatever the Army becomes, but the Navy and Marine Corps are also watching and seeing what we’re doing. So this has the potential to be a joint service solution at the end of FY ’13.

PEO’s Lt.Col. Mike Sloane added that they’re trying to come up with a scheme that makes the new camo palate more economical. He said it might be that the “transitional” pattern would be able to be worn effectively with the other two patterns, making it so the Army doesn’t have to buy packs and web gear in two or three different patterns. Think of it like the Corps’ Coyote brown…

As we have this family of patterns … what our intent is to have a suite, if you will, that can reach from the desert to that multi-terrain area all the way to that jungle/woodland area. … The idea would be to have a pattern that has 5-8 colors across the three different uniforms and on the [packs and web gear, etc] have three different colors but have the same pattern. An example would be if it was going to have a digital pattern, it would maybe be 8 different colors, but when you have the [gear] those would have 3 possibly 4 of those same shapes and patterns but in one broad match of 3 or 4 colors that would match all those different environments. So you can just pick up your kit and no matter where you’re going you’re wearing that same piece of equipment. And if you need the uniforms once you get on the ground … you can ramp up in one of these other flavors, if you will.

That quote, in a nutshell, reveals more about the sophistication of the Army’s search for effective camo than anything else and also should serve as a lesson to other services on how to do it right. It’s interesting that in the final days of John Murtha’s life, he’d pushed the Army to rethink its controversial (and counter to lab results) decision to go with UCP and what could result is a thorough, logical, modern and potentially joint solution to the varied battlefields our troops might encounter in the future.

Now if they could just do that with the M4…

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0wRsFIOCL

[buglerbilly]

Army's Top Sgt. Says New Camo 'Safer'

August 12, 2010

Military.com|by Christian Lowe



The Army's top enlisted advisor said Tuesday the service's new camouflage uniforms now being issued to troops deploying to Afghanistan will make Soldiers safer and help make them more stealthy than the current Army-wide camo.

During a telephone interview with reporters in which the Army highlighted its first fielding of the so-called "OEF Camouflage Pattern," or OCP, Command Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston told Military.com he believed the service was right to shift away from the universal camouflage pattern adopted in 2005 to the MultiCam scheme that blends into a wider variety of backgrounds in Afghanistan.

"The OCP allows the Soldiers to get far closer to potential enemies before being observed," Preston said. "I believe [Soldiers] are safer" wearing the OCP.

Preston's assertion marks a sharp contrast with some commanders in Afghanistan who believe the change in uniforms and gear is of marginal tactical value.

In June, the Kit Up! blog reported concerns from some front-line Soldiers -- including units whose mission includes multi-day reconnaissance and interdiction missions -- that they were disciplined by commanders for wearing MultiCam items because the entire force had not yet been issued the new camouflage gear.

Preston's comments belie the notion that MultiCam is merely "cool guy gear" and "thus far unproven beyond the labs," as one brigade combat team commander in Afghanistan told Kit Up! in June.

At the direction of Congress, the Army initiated a study last year to look at whether the current "universal camouflage pattern" was more effective than MultiCam -- which is popular with special operations troops -- in the varied environments of Afghanistan. Tests and user surveys showed MultiCam blended better in the river valleys, jagged hills and deserts of Afghanistan than UCP and another Army-designed pattern, Universal Camouflage Pattern-Delta.

In late 2009, Soldiers from the Asymmetric Warfare Group, Special Forces, Natick Soldier Systems Center and Program Executive Office Soldier spent weeks in Afghanistan traveling to various locations in the combat zone to evaluate several different camo patterns -- including MultiCam, UCP, UCP-D and Desert Brush -- against a variety of terrain. The MultiCam uniform was the clear winner, officials said.

"The test that was done by the team going over to Afghanistan and all the different terrain in that country that we have Soldiers serving in -- when you look at the detection of the [OCP] camouflage pattern" it keeps Soldiers more concealed, Preston said.

The Army has only now begun to outfit the first brigade combat team in the 19-item ensemble of OCP gear, including plate carriers, helmet covers and fire-resistant combat uniforms. Officials with PEO Soldier said the 2nd Brigade of the 34th Infantry Division has gotten its pre-deployment loadout, but Soldiers already in the zone won't see theirs until December at the latest.

That leaves some units in Afghanistan operating without the new pattern, but officials say a recent test showed if a battalion task force or infantry company requested the gear, PEO Soldier could outfit them.

"Rather than flow into theater with an entire brigade combat team's worth of equipment … we [looked] at a smaller task force -- whether it was at the company or battalion level -- and said ‘We can do that,' " said Lt. Col. Mike Sloane, who heads up the OCP fielding effort for PEO Soldier. "We're making sure that we're prepared. But as of right now, we have not been directed to do that."

Aside from the technical capability of OCP to conceal Soldiers better and the extra margin of safety it offers in Afghanistan's increasingly deadly battlefields, the new uniform's benefits are more than just a combination of greens, browns and tans.

"Soldiers are getting a better trust in their uniform for Afghanistan," said Staff Sgt. Will Corp, an enlisted advisor to PEO Soldier for gear modernization. "With an enhanced camouflage capability, it's also going to boost morale. And that's also going to help us win."

© Copyright 2010 Military.com. All rights reserved.

[buglerbilly]

OCP vs UCP vs KU and CSM (and 3 BCT CO)

by christian on August 13, 2010



Here’s a little tit-for-tat I wrote for Military.com yesterday on what CSM of the Army Ken Preston told me (others have used this as their lede but make no mistake, it was my question *patting self on back*)when I tried to pin him down on whether the new Army camo for Afghanistan made Soldiers safer:


During a telephone interview with reporters in which the Army highlighted its first fielding of the so-called “OEF Camouflage Pattern,” or OCP, Command Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston told Military.com he believed the service was right to shift away from the universal camouflage pattern adopted in 2005 to the MultiCam scheme that blends into a wider variety of backgrounds in Afghanistan.

“The OCP allows the Soldiers to get far closer to potential enemies before being observed,” Preston said. “I believe [Soldiers] are safer” wearing the OCP.

If you’ll remember, Kit Up! got into a little scrape back in June when we reported that Soldiers we’d embedded with had been reprimanded by their brigade commander, Col. Viet Luong, for wearing MultiCam items.

The decorated infantry commander wrote a strong response to Kit Up! on this issue, equating MultiCam with “cool guy gear” and saying it hadn’t been proven more effective than UCP “beyond the lab.” I wrote a response agreeing with him on some points, but taking issue with others.

But the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of staff of the Army affirmed to me on Tuesday that troops were stealthier in MultiCam in Afghanistan and that indeed — as we all know — the camo had been proven not just in the field, but in Afghanistan itself (the program manager at PEO Soldier and some other snake eater types took it to a variety of combat AOs late last year and stood there like pop-up targets for the Taliban while a photographer took snaps to compare the patterns).

And note this walk-off from PEO’s Staff Sgt. Corp — and it speaks to the general attitude of the guys from the 101st we spent many hours talking to and running around the hills with. They feel gypped that they’re deployment doesn’t fall within the window that troops actually fighting right now in Afghanistan will get their OCP uniforms and gear.


“Soldiers are getting a better trust in their uniform for Afghanistan,” said Staff Sgt. Will Corp, an enlisted advisor to PEO Soldier for gear modernization. “With an enhanced camouflage capability, it’s also going to boost morale. And that’s also going to help us win.”

Interestingly, when it’s been body armor or MRAPs or radios or helmets, it’s always been that the guys in theater are the priority, not the dudes with nary a scuff on their boots.

Officials say it’s because the Army wants to save local commanders the hassle of doing a re-issue. But one has to wonder if there’s a little institutional sour grapes going on here.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/08/ocp-vs-ucp-vs-ku-and-csm-and-3-bct-co.html#comments#ixzz0wXXzIAWF

[buglerbilly]

For those interested, a nice comparative review of Shorts for camp use........or civvie hols etc............

http://www.militarymorons.com/gear/shorts.1.html#sodshorts

[buglerbilly]

Fort Polk Soldiers first active BCT issued MultiCam ACUs

Aug 20, 2010

By Chuck Cannon, Fort Polk Guardian staff writer

Story Highlights

• New uniforms' goal: survivability, lethality

• Sophisticated equipment requires training

Photo credit U.S. Army photo


The new Mountain Combat Boots, being issued to Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan with Multicam uniforms, feature a tougher, more durable sole for gripping the mountainous Afghan terrain.

FORT POLK, La. -- Soldiers with Fort Polk's 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division became the first active-component BCT to receive the Army's new MultiCam Army Combat Uniforms when personnel from the Program Executive Office Soldier began issuing the new gear Aug. 16 in preparation for the unit's upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

Command Sgt. Maj. Bernard McPherson, PEO Soldier, said the primary goal of the new uniforms was two-fold -- Soldier survivability and lethality. "This new equipment will give our Soldiers a better chance of survival on the battlefield and allow them more freedom of movement so they can fire their weapons better," he said.

McPherson said PEO Soldier's primary mission -- to ensure the combat effectiveness of Soldiers -- means they must survive. "The new camo pattern has a lot to do with survivability," he said. "It gives Soldiers more confidence."

The new uniforms also affect a Soldier's quality of life, he said. "These uniforms are fire resistant so that if a Soldier finds himself in a burning vehicle or house, he has a better chance of escaping without being burned," McPherson said. "It also has built-in insect repellent to keep ticks and other bugs away."

While the new MultiCam ACU pattern has received a lot of press, McPherson said other pieces of new equipment being issued to Soldiers headed to Afghanistan have also proven popular.

"The new tactical assault pack replaces the improved outer tactical vest," he said. "It increases the number of magazines a Soldier can carry from six to 10 and spreads the weight out more evenly over the Soldier's body. It was something our Soldiers asked for."

McPherson said all of the new equipment was asked for by Soldiers. "We are fielding the best equipment to our Soldiers in the history of warfare," he said.

When asked if today's Soldier might be receiving too much equipment, McPherson said that depends on where the person who asked the question was sitting. "Are you in a conference room or on a mountain top in Afghanistan?" he said. "Everything we issue has been field tested. It's all about survivability. Soldiers must be able to operate in any environment. It's very expensive and we thank the taxpayers for their support."

Included with the rapid fielding initiative -- the process by which new equipment is distributed to Soldiers preparing to deploy -- the Soldiers also receive training classes. "The new equipment is sophisticated," McPherson said. "Soldiers must be trained on how to maintain and wear the new uniforms properly. We provide hands-on classes, videos and graphic aids."

McPherson said if the uniforms are not worn or sized properly they won't work. "We fit the Soldiers from head to toe," he said. "Confidence starts there: When you know everything -- vest and helmet included -- fits. That's why we're here -- to make sure everything is done correctly."

Capt. Paul Rothlisberger, commander of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, led his company through the issue point at Fort Polk Army Airfield Aug. 18. He said he was impressed with the new gear.

"I think it will make a significant difference in Afghanistan," he said. "In the end, I believe it will save Soldiers' lives and make them more effective on the battle field."

Sgt. Kyle Hellpap agreed. "It's much better than what we had when we went to Iraq," he said. "The plate carriers are pretty neat. It gives confidence, especially to our younger guys."

Plate carriers hold the protective armor - or plates - worn by Soldiers. The new carriers provide Soldiers with greater comfort and ease of movement.

Spc. Leslie Elliott said he was impressed with the tactical assault pack. "We know it (tactical assault pack) is actually going to work," he said. "It will definitely be easier to get to your equipment while firing."

The new uniform and equipment issue includes the following:

• Fire-resistant elbow and knee pad sets
• Combat gloves
• Winter combat gloves
• Army combat shirt
• Cold weather uniform
• Fire and insect resistant ACU tops and bottoms
• Mountain boots
• Combat helmet and cover

The Army National Guard's 34th Infantry Brigade from Iowa became the first brigade to receive the new equipment Aug. 10 at Camp Shelby, Miss. Earlier this summer, a 50-Soldier contingent from Fort Drum, N.Y., also received the new gear.

[buglerbilly]

Air Force Going with OCP . . . Soon(ish)?

by ward on August 25, 2010



The USAF released this statement late yesterday:

“We are committed to equipping Airmen with the most advanced capabilities available at the earliest time possible,” Air Force officials said Aug. 24. ”Based on feedback from Airmen, we believe the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP) provides advanced protection to servicemembers while operating outside the wire in Afghanistan. Army (officials), while beginning an aggressive fielding schedule, (are) working with Air Force (officials) to support developing a long-term joint fielding strategy later this year.”

OCP is better known to Kit Up! readers as “Mulitcam,” and as Christian flagged a number of weeks ago, the fielding strategy has created concerns on both sides of the fence. Unit commanders are concerned about uniformity across their charges, while their charges are usually willing to do whatever it takes to wear the stuff that’ll protect them the best once the bullets start flying — including paying for it themselves, if need be.

Not sure why the Air Force is saying this right now. And this statement — like all good official statements — really doesn’t say much beyond the happy talk of promising the gear at the “earliest time possible.” We’ll also add that the only Air Force guy we saw in the field during our time in Afghanistan — a TAC-P — wore Tiger Stripe cammies, not ACUs like the Joes that surrounded him.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz0xfZGR8yr

[Raven22]

Here's an interesting user perspective of the new DPMU:

Given as the army intends to adopt a new camouflage pattern, I feel it would be prudent to shed light on a few concerns experienced during one of DSTO’s Disruptive Pattern Midpoint Uniform (DPMU) trials.

After completing the trial for the new camouflage pattern (of which I was involved as an SME), I was made aware through contact with DSTO and the published outcome of the trial that DPMU was significantly lacking in many areas, most critically though in its ability to effectively camouflage the soldier.

Before I point out some the major shortcomings of this pattern I feel it necessary to firstly mention a crucial issue that arose on the particular cam trial I was involved in. We were informed early in the trialling process by a civilian representative of the CA that it was the CA’s intent to adopt DPMU pattern regardless of the outcome of the trial. This obviously made the trial somewhat invalid given as how even if other patterns had out-performed DPMU they would never have been considered in the first place.

The first glaring problem we discovered on the cam trial was that the requirements listed by the CA seemed disjointed to the requirements of what a soldier would expect. On a lengthy list of requirements for the new pattern to achieve, one would expect its ability to conceal the soldier to be the first quality desired, although there were numerous other priorities that were listed higher. The ability to be recognised as an Australian soldier, along with cost and the maintenance of a 5-colour pattern were both seen as higher priorities than concealment qualities. Any soldier who is operating in a war-fighting capacity would surely feel more comfortable knowing their camouflage uniform had been designed to best conceal them from their enemies, as opposed to saving money or maintaining a corporate image.

If CA requires one pattern to fulfil multiple rolls, the observations by the SME members of the trial were that the current DPCU would be the ideal choice of the current camouflage uniforms in circulation, or one of the other styles of true mid point that were on the trial but whose results were not recorded i.e. CRYE industries Multicam (which, for the record out performed all of the other tested camouflage uniforms) or not even tested such as A-TACS or British MTP. DPCU performed better in almost every environment than DPMU save for Urban and is obviously an outcome that involves no additional cost for the Army.

Another obvious problem arises with the degradation of the IR treatment and the colours themselves fading. It was in the DSTO officer’s recommendation that DPMU be replaced after 10 washes to prevent performance degradation within acceptable limits (due to DPMU not passing DSTO’s colour fade test). The current uniform replacement system is strained enough as it is let alone having to support every single soldier Q-changing their cams after only 10 washes. It seems highly unfeasible that supply will exceed demand when soldiers require new cams after only 10 washes.

DPMU’s inherent lack of IR defeating capability is another major concern. It was observed throughout every night time test conducted on this trial that DPMU was underperforming. The midpoint cam showed such poor IR capabilities that one SME stated that the any individual wearing DPMU at night would “stand out like a neon bullseye (through NFE)”. This clearly being unacceptable in the modern and constantly evolving battle space where NFE is available over the counter. In the complex warfighting environment that many Australian combat troops find themselves in it seems irresponsible to have their best asset in night time concealment arbitrarily converted into a critical vulnerability.

In conclusion it has been proven and is this soldier’s opinion that DPMU does not perform to the current standard as DCPU. DPMU is also vastly outclassed by the modern styled and commercial off the self camouflage patterns that are being endorsed and integrated by the wider SF community as well as regular units worldwide.

_______________

It seems the CA is still hell bent on making dumb decisions based on personal bias instead of sense. He is very good at it. He thinks that three year tenure for unit commanders is a good idea, because thats what he did. Everybody else said it was a bad idea. We now have three year command tenures for unit commanders, whether they burn out or not. He doesn't like berets because he never wore one as an engineer. Everyone else wants to keep them. Goodbye berets. He thinks a mid point camouflage is a good idea to save money. Everybody says to just use DPCU, or go Multicam. Hello DPMU.

[buglerbilly]

It seems the CA is still hell bent on making dumb decisions based on personal bias instead of sense. He is very good at it. He thinks that three year tenure for unit commanders is a good idea, because thats what he did. Everybody else said it was a bad idea. We now have three year command tenures for unit commanders, whether they burn out or not. He doesn't like berets because he never wore one as an engineer. Everyone else wants to keep them. Goodbye berets. He thinks a mid point camouflage is a good idea to save money. Everybody says to just use DPCU, or go Multicam. Hello DPMU.

How bizarre BUT sadly believable and obviously evident...........where do we get such fuck knuckles from and why are they allowed to persist?

[Raven22]

To his credit he's done a lot of good stuff too. My current boss knows him very well due to some time in Canberra, and he reckons he's just a born meddler. He has an uncontrollable desire to change things. Its just a shame he seems hell bent on changing the wrong things. Theres also a new directive of his that states a unit CO must sign off on the risk of having personnel exposed out the top of a vehicle during unit training. Ie, apparantly having the crew standing the in the turret of an armoured vehicle or acting as rear shooters etc, which is a must and has been going on for as long as there has been armoured vehicles, is now apparantly too dangerous for combat arms personnel. Due to the directive, it is unit COs that will burn in any rollover/accident. When do I get issued my bubble wrap I wonder?

[buglerbilly]

RUMINT: Aussies Going MultiCam

by christian on August 30, 2010



An alert Kit Up! reader tipped us off to something he’d heard about the Australian Special Operations Task Groups, or SOTGs, going MultiCam.

(Certainly wasn't me! What happens here generally stays here..........)

Now, we already reported last week the Air Force is jumping on the OCP/MC bandwagon(talk about finally making what was “un” official “official”), and we know the Brits have made their own version of MultiCam to replace the DPM scheme.

Well, it appears as if the Aussies are following their UK brethren in adopting at least some variant of the MultiCam for themselves — or for their snake eaters in Afghanistan.

Now, this kind of bums me out, because as far as desert camo uniforms go, I’ve always believed the Auscam Desert pattern was the best of all the patterns in the OEF coalition. It’s got the perfect blend of old school GI Joe and new tech color swatches. As the picture above shows, the colors work well on a rocky, desert-like brush background and will blend in to all but the greenest of environments. And their woodland/jungle works just fine too when the foliage gets a bit greener.

So why (if true, and that’s a big IF) would the ADF join the Crye bandwagon? Not sure…but I throw it out there to our readers to fill in the blanks here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A big thanks to Military.com Editor and blogger extraordinaire Ward Carroll for filling in for me while I’m taking some vacation time. I’ll be posting here and there through the next week, but Ward will still be posting while I soak up some much-needed rays. And I’m glad to see you all dig his stuff…That’s why he’s the bossman…

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/08/rumint-aussies-going-multicam.html#comments#ixzz0y8Yqkz4d


Comments (4)

Loading comments...

Juan Alvarenga · 4 hours ago

Well, I personally never ever liked their camos. Looks like something my grandma would wear. I know I know, thye work. But just like professional armies don't wear Woodsman camo's or hunters camos, even tho they work, they want to look professional even outside the combat field. And in my opinion, this just been my own opinion, the Australian camo doesn't look that "good".
But hey, what do I know. Hope at least that what ever they decide is the best for the troops who will be wearing it.

Aussie Observer · 1 hour ago

There is going to be a new release of AUSCAM called the Mid-point Cam (DPMU). This will be a blend of the standard 'green' AUSCAM (DPCU) and the desert AUSCAM (DPDU). A photo of a trial piece can be found at http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?xml=defencenews_army.xml Page 21 (Australian Army News). Not a great photo but hope to see more soon. Brit and US camo solutions have been looked at to provide data but standard issue will still be the AUSCAM style.

And Juan, I agree. Some other nations' camos are 'sexier' but I know when I wore AUSCAM others found it hard to see me! I'll take substance over style any day.

FormerDirtDart · 22 minutes ago

Here are a couple of other pics of the Aussie's Disruptive Pattern Mid-Point Uniform (DPMU). http://strikehold.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/aussies-to-get-new-camo/

Sleepy_Dave 34p · 1 hour ago

I think I'd rather wear a uniform that has what I need and hides me from the enemy, rather than have a uniform that looks good so they can go "damn, mate, thats a nice hat you've got there!" right before they shootmeintheface for it.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/08/rumint-aussies-going-multicam.html#comments#ixzz0y8ZXyf2t

[Gubler, A.]

The DoD has published pictures of SOF wearing MultiCam months ago, letters to the editor of Army News, not to mention all the frorum chit chat. This Christian guy does is pretty slow on the uptake if he thinks this is new news.

[buglerbilly]

The DoD has published pictures of SOF wearing MultiCam months ago, letters to the editor of Army News, not to mention all the frorum chit chat. This Christian guy does is pretty slow on the uptake if he thinks this is new news.

He ain't the brightest lamp in the shop, that's fer sure............

[JimWH]

So hang on, for the benefit of those of us in Chocko-Land, are we going to see any changes at our level (i.e. are we going to have to switch over to DPMU?)? It's hard enough to get the DP1 issue as is (still waiting for 2/3-3/4 of it as), I can't wait to find out how much more fun it'd be if they decide re-equip everybody. Also, since mine is a mixed battalion (ARA and GRes) and as our RSM does not have a particularly good sense of humour, I can imagine that many of us will be chewed out when we're out of uniform (for lack of having been issued with it).
Joy.

[buglerbilly]

Vertx Gunfighter Shirt Officially Released

September 3rd, 2010



RRP: USD$129.95

There has been a lot of buzz about Vertx’s new Gunfighter shirt and it is finally available, for pre-order at least.

Available in two weights; a durable nylon cotton ripstop blend and the water-resistant Storm variant, incorporates technical materials and finishes critical for use in harsh weather conditions. Its simple, clean design and articulated shoulders and arm allow for full range of motion. Durable, yet lightweight and breathable, the shirt is ergonomically designed for any situation and does not compromise freedom of movement.

While both versions are currently offered in MultiCam®, Vertx is developing Gunfighter models with solid color shells.

Like all Vertx products, the Gunfighter is designed for the operator who wants the combination of low visual profile and function of a battle garment. It was designed in cooperation with SWAT and military operators interested in a clean, functional approach to high incident tactical wear.

“The Operational Athlete of today has to be highly adaptable, always prepared for a number of situations,” said Vertx President & CEO, Bob Getto. “We work closely with law enforcement and military contacts to understand these unique needs and create wearable performance clothing that can match the versatility required for the job.”

“Vertx offers a modern take on the battle dress uniform,” said David Walsh, Brand Manager for Vertx. “A low profile, business casual appearance can be maintained without restricting any movement or comfort. This approach enables operators to perform at the highest level needed in an instant without calling direct attention to the individual wearing it.”

“The gunfighter shirt provides for such a great range of motion without the excess fabric and features associated with other tops that you don’t even know that you are wearing it,” said a SWAT officer wear evaluator. “The Shoulder pocket design is clean, you can slide your arm in and out of jackets or protective equipment and the pocket does not get snagged on the inside of the sleeve.”

Additional Storm Features

- Stand up collar protects neck from weapon slings and flying hot brass
- Low visual profile zippered bicep pockets provide fluent access to contents
- Loop Velcro™ patch on both upper arms for Unit patch
- Clean comms wire side seam pass through with Velcro closure
- Intuitive Velcro™ wrist closures to ensure snag free fit
- Anti-Microbial
- Schoeller Nanosphere® durable water repellant finish
- 100% Made in the USA and Berry Amendment compliant

The Gunfighter Shirt is available now for pre-order with deliveries beginning October 2010 from www.wearvertx.com.

[buglerbilly]

USAF to adopt MultiCam

September 3rd, 2010 | Programatics | Posted by Rob Curtis



Hot off last week’s press: The Air Force is poised to adopt MultiCam, or as the DoD calls it Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern. We were out with the JTACs earlier this year up in Afghanistan’s Kunar province where they were doing everything they could to blend in with not only their surroundings but also their host Army unit. It seemed ridiculous at the time that AF warriors had to worry about getting in trouble for wearing MultiCam, but that’s how it was.

Regardless of what the pattern is, it seems obvious that anything that looks different is going to stand out. The idea of terrain and geographically chosen camo patterns makes far more sense than a service specific camo that speaks more to the services commitment to its branding efforts than actual tactical advantage. I’m glad to see the AF coming around on this one.

Air Force Statement regarding Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage pattern:


8/24/2010 - WASHINGTON – ”We are committed to equipping Airmen with the most advanced capabilities available at the earliest time possible,” Air Force officials said Aug. 24. ”Based on feedback from Airmen, we believe the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP) provides advanced protection to servicemembers while operating outside the wire in Afghanistan. Army (officials), while beginning an aggressive fielding schedule, (are) working with Air Force (officials) to support developing a long-term joint fielding strategy later this year.”

[buglerbilly]

HMH-361 First to Use 'Cool,' New Modification In Combat

(Source: US Marine Corps; dated Sept. 3, web-posted Sept. 6, 2010)


CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan-Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Wyman, a flight equipment technician with Marine Heavy Helicopter 361, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), finishes strapping on a Micro Climate Cooling Unit System vest Sept. 4. The vest, made of a thin material laced with hoses that pumps cool liquid around the body, is strapped to the body with velcro straps on the shoulders and body of the vest., Cpl. Ryan Rholes, 9/4/2010 4:55 AM

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan --- The triple-digit temperatures that routinely plague service members here may soon become a memory for the pilots and aircrew of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, thanks to an innovative system designed to keep the Marines cool during even the hottest days.

The squadron received 77 Micro-climate Cooling Unit Systems, which are vests Marines can wear that circulate coolant around their bodies, keeping core temperatures down and concentration and energy levels up. The squadron has successfully used these vests on several missions since arriving in July.

How does it work? A micro climate unit, which is a self-contained vapor compression system mounted inside the aircraft that uses environmentally-friendly refrigerants, circulates a chilled liquid through a flexible, insulated tube, known as an umbilical cord, to a vest worn by a Marine over the flight suit and underneath body armor. After the liquid – a mixture of distilled water and cleaning chemicals – travels through the labyrinth of small tubes in the vest, it passes back through the MCU, which uses its 327 watts of cooling power to remove heat from the liquid. This system can circulate liquid as cold as 65 degrees in temperatures up to 125 degrees.

The MCU is a permanent fixture in the aircraft, but the umbilical hose and the vest both detach from the system. Marines can easily disconnect the hose at the end of each flight, or can break it away from the MCU during emergency egress situations with minimal force.

Marines can adjust the temperature of the coolant by using the control bypass assembly to control how fast the MCU circulates liquid through the system.

"Most of the time I use it I have to start with it set low and then slowly turn it up as the flight goes and the cabin gets hotter," said Sgt. William Rogers, a crew chief with HMH-361. "It can actually feel too cold if you crank it all the way when you start your flight."

The system received high approval rates from Marines with HMH-464 who tested it in Africa, and has since become a fully-approved modification for CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters. It can extend mission times from about two hours to more than five hours while working in heat-trapping helicopters, according to tests conducted by the military. This means crews fulfilling assault support requests during the hottest parts of the day can now operate more effectively for longer periods of time.

"It’s a great upgrade for operating in hot environments, especially on extended missions or when we are carrying cargo internally, which causes a lot of exhaustion," said Gunnery Sgt. Brian Cox, a crew chief with HMH-361. "I came back with a dry shirt the first time I used the system – that was a first."

Cox said the vest added no noticeable weight and did not restrict his mobility or range of motion – not surprising since it is constructed of a light-weight cotton fabric. It is still easy for me to move around the cabin," said Cox.

This highly-anticipated system is more than just a way to keep Marines comfortable while flying. In a region where debilitating temperatures can be as threatening as insurgents, the MCUS serves as a valuable tool to keep Marines’ minds off the heat and focused on supporting the International Security Assistance Forces’ mission in Afghanistan.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

MultiCam Gaiter from OTTE Gear

September 14th, 2010

Just in time for Fall in Afghanistan, these OTTE Gear gaiters are deigned for use with crampons, snow shoes and skis. Sized to fit over General Issue combat boots or light hiking boots as well as plastic or leather mountaineering boots, they are crafted from abrasion-resistant 1000D Cordura® nylon lowers with uppers made from lighter 330D Cordura® nylon. The gaiters feature Velcro openings for quick donning and doffiing and the top hem tightens with an adjustable elastic cord to ensure they stay up, even in deep snow.



The bottoms stay fast due to adjustable and durable Hypalon rubber straps to keep the gaiters from riding up in deep snow or mud. They are also adjustable due to the 2-inch wide Velcro closure. Altering the amount of overlap adjusts the circumference, allowing a fit over different boots and clothing systems. Sized Small – XX-Large and available in MultiCam.



Cost: USD$60.00

http://www.ottegear.com/catalog-detail.php?p=45

[buglerbilly]

SOCOM wants Sphinx Halfshell Tops and Pants

September 17th, 2010 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis

Well, that didn’t take long. While protoypes of the Sphinx halfshell have been shown to operators in rooms behind fences for a couple of years, the rest of the tactical world just got their first look at the uberuniform this summer. There’s a whole lot of smart in those clothes and we’re sure the suits at Arc’teryx were sweating in their Molsons as the set’s $1300 price tag came into focus. But, it seems their performance-at-any-cost approach payed off today when SOCOM put out a solicitation for 127 sets of the new Arc’teryx Sphinx top and bottoms in MultiCam. MSRP on those duds is $550 for the top and $750 for the pants.

[buglerbilly]

Ghuille suit in a can?

September 18th, 2010 | Business News video | Posted by Rob Curtis



I have to admit I thought something similar when I first saw this yesterday..........instant Ghillie suit or possibly more relevant, a way of changing your Camo quickly and effectively in very short order...........interesting product fer sure!:thumbsup

Scientists and fashion designers have teamed up over in the UK to develop a spray-on fabric. Fabrican says the stuff is a combination of short staple fibers and polymers held in solvent suspension. After it’s applied, the solvent evaporates, leaving the liquid polymer to gel and hold the fibers together on the surface of whatever it’s sprayed on.

While they show it in a fashion setting, the first thing I though of when I saw the story on Wired was what it would look like if the fibers were some kind of IR absorbing material and they were sprayed on to a uniform. Durability might be an issue, but Fabrican says the fabric is strong enough to be removed and washed after it sets up. This might not replace your concealment kit, but it might make a decent addition to a bailout bag someday.

[buglerbilly]

From Strike - Hold!.........

Army Combat Pants update.........

Its been a while since we’ve heard anything about the prototype, combat-duty-optimised Army Combat Pants (check out the original story on Soldier Systems). But we can now bring you an update thanks to an update from the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) we can now let you know that this project hasn’t been forgotten.



Much more effort and focus has, understandably, been put on the type-approval and acquisition of MultiCam-patterned, FR ACUs for upcoming troop deployments to Afghanistan – but meanwhile this program has also been ticking along in the background.

According to the latest info from Natick, this project is officially known as the FR ACU Trouser Product Improvement Program (FR-ACU-PIP). Soldier evaluation ended on 21 June 2010 in Afghanistan with 3-101. Survey data is now being compiled and evaluated. The focus of the evaluation is to determine the usability, durability and overall effectiveness of material improvements to the trouser, including-reinforced seat, four way stretch crotch, removable knee caps, alternate pocket configurations and reinforced belt loops. Once results are evaluated, the path forward will be coordinated with the Maneuver Center of Excellence to prioritise improvements.

No details yet on when this will be completed – or if/how the results will be implemented – but it is good to know that its not just camouflage which is getting improved.

Check out Natick’s website to see all the other good work they do on behalf of the US soldier as well. http://nsrdec.natick.army.mil/

[buglerbilly]

Massif’s Combat Shirt in MultiCam

September 21st, 2010



Another in a long line of companies now starting to provide Multi-cam gear..........GoreTex have also just started, video showing this shortly.........

Massif is offering their popular Army Combat Shirt in the newly adopted Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (MultiCam). This is the issue FR garment which includes the padded elbows with Super Fabric. Available in sizes XS – XXL in MultiCam with Tan torso.

RRP: USD$179.99 ($189.99 for the largest: 2XL)

Available from USCAV.

http://www.uscav.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=20281&tabid=548

[buglerbilly]

GORE video here............

http://kitup.military.com/

[buglerbilly]

Following on from a post here VERTX now have an Australia agent and distributor..............


The Australian Distributor for


Mark WRANGELL

PO Box 6745, Upper Mount Gravatt Queensland 4122
www.taq.com.au
Ph: 0427 022 095

See Post 96 above - The Gunfighter top should be available in October and I’m slated to receive some of the first units for display/promotion here. If I can be of assistance please don’t hesitate to contact me.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems..............

BalkanMonitor is back from a long hiatus and prompted by new developments in Serbia. I guess I’ll start with the probably the most interesting part.



The Serbian army has uveiled its newest uniforms and most importantly its new M-10 digital pattern BDUs during its annual promotion of new officers on Sept 11, 2010.

From my understanding this uniform is produced by the Serbian state-run firm JUMCO from Nish, Serbia and wikipedia says that the pattern was developed by Serbian Military Technical Institute where it is intended to adapt to the Serbian environment “from the air in all four seasons without snow cover”. The wikipedia entry also quotes that “The colors are very similar or same as Serbian trial version pattern M-03 (Crème, Brown, Black, Light and dark green).”

More pics of this new uniform can be found: on the Serbian Military thread at MilitaryPhotos.net and on the AirSerbia forum.

Close-up..............

[Raven22]

Unless I miss my guess, the bloke in this picture on the left next to the Royal Ranger is wearing the new DPMU uniform. They must be part of a trial over there. The uniform is still far too bright for mine. (There's a higher resolution image on the defence website)

[buglerbilly]

Here's a clearer daylight shot..............



Warrant Officer Class Two Richard Van De Leur guides the lead convoy vehicle through an Afghan National Army vehicle checkpoint in the Mirabad Valley region.
(Date taken: 15 August 2010)

[Raven22]

Ah, that's just normal DPCU.

You can easily tell the DPMU because, like all good combat uniforms, it has the colour purple on it.

[buglerbilly]

Damn! I need another set of new glasses.........:rofl

[Gubler, A.]

Aye purple. If you take a sat photo of a mountainous country like Aghanistan a lot of it looks purple. Its that exposed granite rock on the tops of mountains (in Switzerland its called a Guble...) which of course is really important to have in your DPCU if you are going to be running around on the peaks of 15,000 feet high mountains.

[buglerbilly]

Looks pretty purple to me, no idea what the toy boats are on the lake................Central Afghanistan




Northwestern Afghanistan



Eastern Afghanistan

[buglerbilly]

Rare shot of the German camo in Afghanistan............


US and German soldiers pull security in preparation for a visit by General Patraeus in the Kunduz Province, Regional Command-North, Oct. 4.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems............

I/O Bio Contact 1 Pilot Suit

October 12th, 2010

Winter is right around the corner and I/O Bio presents the Contact 1 Pilot Suit to keep you warm and snugly. Nothing feels like a union suit and the Contact 1 Pilot Suit takes the design one step further by adding thumbholes and a hood. Naturally, they have retained the shoot-the-moon drop seat to accommodate those pesky calls of nature. But probably the best feature about the Pilot Suit is that it made from Merino wool and what’s not to love about Merino? It’s naturally comfortable against the skin, hypo-allergenic, no melt no drip, and anti-microbial and anti-bacterial.

www.io-bio.com



Men's Contact 1 Pilot Suit

$159.99

Style: 10-718

One-piece undergarment, base layer

Not since Shackleton's Voyage have men been sporting their long underwear for months on end without complaint. Enter the I/O Bio Merino Contact Pilot Suit. Perfect fit and stretch, ideal hood, thumb loops and waist draw cord, completed with a bomb-bay zip in the South P(h)ole region. They're SO perfect, Ernest may just want to try again!

FABRIC
Enigma. 96% I/O Bio Merino. 4% Elastane.

WEIGHT
160g/m2

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems daily............

More on OCP Fielding

October 15th, 2010

SSD was fortunate enough to participate in a media roundtable earlier today. We picked up a few tidbits to keep our readers up to date. While the Army began fielding OEF Camouflage Pattern (OCP is the Army’s designation for Crye Precision’s MultiCam pattern) clothing and equipment to CONUS-based Afghanistan bound troops in September, equipping troops who are already in theater has kicked off. According the COL William Cole, Program Manager for Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment they recently began issuing OCP kit to in-theater troops. Additionally, he brought us up to speed on a few items being fielded. First, he clarified the Gen III ECWCS issue. Only layers three through six are being issued in OCP. The puffy layer and under layers are already in solid colors that are either worn under other clothing or a suitable shade.



Next he explained that troops are now receiving the Gen II IOTV which is more comfortable most notably due to the new cummerbund which makes it more easy to mount the side plates. COL Cole related that during his most recent trip into theater, he fitted the new style cummerbund to his IOTV. Additionally, the Army has let contracts for conversion kits to upgrade currently fielded armor to the Gen II standard and OCP camo coloring. This is quite cost effective for the Army as the retrofit kits cost less than one-third the cost of a new vest.



A decision still has not been made on the Mountain Combat Boot, but data collected during a wear test this summer in Afghanistan is being crunched.

Finally, while the Air Force is still staffing their OCP fielding strategy, BG Peter Fuller, PEO-Soldier explained the Army’s commitment to field full OCP kits to sister troops working with Army units. Way to go Army! Hopefully, we will see OCP versions of the USAF’s ABS-G soon.

[buglerbilly]

Level Peaks Technical Windproof Smock

October 22nd, 2010



For operations in Afghanistan, the Smock is an excellent shell choice. Designed by troops with a great deal of operational experience who set out to incorporate improved design features into the classic smock design, the new Technical Windproof Smock from Level Peaks is a base level product and customization is available. The Smock is made from a 50/50 NYCO ripstop shell and has the following properties:

• Nanosphere with built in mosquito repellent.
• Wind, sand, & water resistant. This aids the resistance to stain from blood, oils, and other liquids.
• Anti-bacterial to enhance the anti-odor properties.
• Coldblack – the sun reflector technology reduces the products heat by 40%.
• Lightweight, low bulk & extremely comfortable.

As you can see the materials story is impressive.

The standard features are anything but standard fare. We could literally cover two pages detailing the features of the Technical Windproof Smock. For example, there are pockets galore. Sleeve pockets, chest pockets, Napoleon pockets, and fleece lined ‘Slack Time’ hand pockets. Plus, Level Peaks uses the best materials.

You need to head on over to Level Peaks to check out not only the Smock but their other clothing offerings as well. Available standard in MultiCam and DPM 95. Also offered by contract only in MTP, Digi Cam (MARPAT), Black, Foliage Green, and Sand.

Currently Just 35 MultiCam Smocks are available, order NOW just £179.99

www.levelpeaks.com

[buglerbilly]

I'm posting this pic basically out of my personal interest. It clearly shows though that the new Multi-cam is now finally translating across to secondary gear - packs, body armour, etc in the Brit Army. The position of his ammo mags is also interesting to me as I've usually seen chest rigs rather than hip rigs when associated with an under-barrel grenade launcher............the gentleman belongs to the 1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment.

[buglerbilly]

Camelbak debuts 2 new gloves for aviators and grunts

October 25th, 2010 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis


Camelbak showed two new gloves at AUSA today. The first is a supple-palmed, fire-resistant glove meant to take everything you love about the beloved FP2 Nomex aviators glove and make it more durable. The Max Grip SD uses hair sheep leather on the palm. Other gloves in the line use supple goat skin leather, but this hair sheep leather is so soft that that I had to wonder exactly what part of the sheep it came from. They've also rounded out the shape of the fingers and buried the seams for more dexterity.For durability, Camelbak used a special weave, called a simplex weave, that will prevent the Nomex fabric from unraveling in the event the fabric frays. It's also got an antistatic yarn spun into the Nomex weave to prevent static build up when handling fuel or other sensitive items.By cranking up the durability and dexterity on these mitts, it's easy to see these jumping from the hands of aviators to the hands of shooters, just as the long-toothed FP2 has. Look for the Max Grip SD Pilot Gloves to appear in spring 2011. Once Camelbak gives these a price, we'll let you know.


The other glove Camelbak put on display was the FR Mag Force Long. It's a goatskin palmed glove with rigid Kevlar knuckle protection. These will offer more durability and more protection for the infantryman than aviators gloves. Guys I've spoken with in the field tell me that hard knuckles are great when they fit, but they don't always fit. Camelbak has two separate knuckle molds to help remedy this fit problem. They've got one knuckle in the small and medium gloves and a larger knuckle mold for the larger gloves. Look for the Camelbak FR Mag Force Long Gloves to hit shelves in spring 2011 and an as yet undetermined price.

Read more here (with more pics): http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gearscout/2010/10/25/camelbak-debuts-2-new-gloves-for-aviators-and-grunts/

[Gubler, A.]

Word on the street is that Cyre Multicam is going to be issued for all Army deployed to Afghanistan. Also increasing numbers of SOCOMD-A are wearing Multicam back in Aust and not reverting to AUSCAM.

After the stuff up that was the Russel Hill designed mid point camo (DPMU) this could be a rare case of the ADF ducking a self inflicted wound? As to mid point here is some of the text from the “sniper email” that received a bit of coverage. Written by a sniper Cpl who was attached to the DPMU “trial”:


Given as the army intends to adopt a new camouflage pattern, I feel it would be prudent to shed light on a few concerns experienced during one of DSTO’s Disruptive Pattern Midpoint Uniform (DPMU) trials.

After completing the trial for the new camouflage pattern (of which I was involved as an SME), I was made aware through contact with DSTO and the published outcome of the trial that DPMU was significantly lacking in many areas, most critically though in its ability to effectively camouflage the soldier.

Before I point out some the major shortcomings of this pattern I feel it necessary to firstly mention a crucial issue that arose on the particular cam trial I was involved in. We were informed early in the trialling process by a civilian representative of the CA that it was the CA’s intent to adopt DPMU pattern regardless of the outcome of the trial. This obviously made the trial somewhat invalid given as how even if other patterns had out-performed DPMU they would never have been considered in the first place.

The first glaring problem we discovered on the cam trial was that the requirements listed by the CA seemed disjointed to the requirements of what a soldier would expect. On a lengthy list of requirements for the new pattern to achieve, one would expect its ability to conceal the soldier to be the first quality desired, although there were numerous other priorities that were listed higher. The ability to be recognised as an Australian soldier, along with cost and the maintenance of a 5-colour pattern were both seen as higher priorities than concealment qualities. Any soldier who is operating in a war-fighting capacity would surely feel more comfortable knowing their camouflage uniform had been designed to best conceal them from their enemies, as opposed to saving money or maintaining a corporate image.

If CA requires one pattern to fulfil multiple rolls, the observations by the SME members of the trial were that the current DPCU would be the ideal choice of the current camouflage uniforms in circulation, or one of the other styles of true mid point that were on the trial but whose results were not recorded i.e. CRYE industries Multicam (which, for the record out performed all of the other tested camouflage uniforms) or not even tested such as A-TACS or British MTP. DPCU performed better in almost every environment than DPMU save for Urban and is obviously an outcome that involves no additional cost for the Army.

Another obvious problem arises with the degradation of the IR treatment and the colours themselves fading. It was in the DSTO officer’s recommendation that DPMU be replaced after 10 washes to prevent performance degradation within acceptable limits (due to DPMU not passing DSTO’s colour fade test). The current uniform replacement system is strained enough as it is let alone having to support every single soldier Q-changing their cams after only 10 washes. It seems highly unfeasible that supply will exceed demand when soldiers require new cams after only 10 washes.

DPMU’s inherent lack of IR defeating capability is another major concern. It was observed throughout every night time test conducted on this trial that DPMU was underperforming. The midpoint cam showed such poor IR capabilities that one SME stated that the any individual wearing DPMU at night would “stand out like a neon bullseye (through NFE)”. This clearly being unacceptable in the modern and constantly evolving battle space where NFE is available over the counter. In the complex warfighting environment that many Australian combat troops find themselves in it seems irresponsible to have their best asset in night time concealment arbitrarily converted into a critical vulnerability.

In conclusion it has been proven and is this soldier’s opinion that DPMU does not perform to the current standard as DCPU. DPMU is also vastly outclassed by the modern styled and commercial off the self camouflage patterns that are being endorsed and integrated by the wider SF community as well as regular units worldwide.

DPMU was just a slight change to the legacy DPDU (desert) pattern with just some more Playboy Rabbits (aka “tea bags” or whatever they are called now) in green and beige. It retained the bright, sand base colour meaning little overall effect in colour change from desert to mid point. You can see in this collection of swatches just how much lighter it is to standard AUSCAM and Multicam.

[Raven22]

Also increasing numbers of SOCOMD-A are wearing Multicam back in Aust and not reverting to AUSCAM

They're not supposed to. The trial of multi-cam is supposed to be only for Ops - they are supposed to revert to normal uniforms on return. SOCOMD being SOCOMD though they just do what they want anyway. Can't say I blame them.

Personally I wouldn't take rumours of Multicam for Ops too seriously though - every indication I've heard is its DPMU starting mid next year. All the new Land 125 pouches are being made in DPMU. Maybe commonsense has prevailed, but I doubt it.

If they do adopt Multicam though, I hope they keep the current cut of the DPCU uniform and just change the pattern, as I think the actual Multicam uniform is over-engineered.

BTW, I already posted that e-mail in this thread a couple of months back

[Gubler, A.]

They're not supposed to. The trial of multi-cam is supposed to be only for Ops - they are supposed to revert to normal uniforms on return. SOCOMD being SOCOMD though they just do what they want anyway. Can't say I blame them.

SOCOMD are issuing pers gear in Multicam more widely than just for Afghanistan so-called “trial”…


Personally I wouldn't take rumours of Multicam for Ops too seriously though - every indication I've heard is its DPMU starting mid next year. All the new Land 125 pouches are being made in DPMU. Maybe commonsense has prevailed, but I doubt it.

The source is adamant that a decision has been made… But of course anything is possible.


BTW, I already posted that e-mail in this thread a couple of months back

Yep, I had a PM from someone asking about it so thought a refresh was needed.

[Raven22]

SOCOMD are issuing pers gear in Multicam more widely than just for Afghanistan so-called “trial”…

Yep, and they're not supposed to be. They can get away with it though of course. We had an SASR guy dressed in multi-cam rock up to my unit before Hamel to conduct some ISR planning with us. He was strutting around with a big grin on his face enjoying having all the diggers checking out his threads. The grin disappeared when I asked if he was the rep from 2 RAR. Apparently he didn't like being mistaken for just another grunt. He was a pretty good guy though.


The source is adamant that a decision has been made… But of course anything is possible.

Stranger things have happened. If its true, my rotation should be the first to be issued with them, which would be good. I would be perfectly happy just wearing DPCUs though.

[Gubler, A.]

I would be perfectly happy just wearing DPCUs though.

Come on mate, you don't get to spending 50% of your Defence budget on admin costs by keeping on using the perfectly acceptable and effective legacy equipment, policy and/or structure. I mean if the DoD/ADF was doing that it would have only 2,500 uniforms and civilians in Canberra (including ADFA/RMC/Harman) and be spending twice as much on equipment and operational units. What a horrible nightmare!

[Raven22]

The sad thing is that even now there are no stocks of popular sized DPCUs and boots anywhere in the country. Thanks, in part, to the SRP, unless you look like mini-me or lurch, don't expect to be exchanging cams anytime soon. Don't worry though, there is a committee currently investigating the future Army uniform, so we can expect some new uniforms to arrive some time in the next few decades...

[Raven22]

Well I shouldn't have doubted you Abe - you were right about Multicam. It's to be called Operational Camouflage Uniform (OCU) and issued only to close combatants in time for the next rotation.

[JimWH]

Just posted on the ABC:


Diggers to get US-style uniforms

Updated 18 minutes ago
Special Operations Task Group members enter the training compound at Tarin Kowt

New uniform: Special Operations Task Group members wearing the new fatigues (Australian Defence Force)

Australian soldiers fighting in the war in Afghanistan will wear camouflage identical to their US allies, the Defence Department has announced.

The major changes to diggers' uniforms will see the traditional khaki and brown "cams" replaced with the US-style green and sand uniforms.

Australia's Special Forces troops in Afghanistan have been trialling the Multicam uniform and now all Australian soldiers heading "outside the wire" will wear it.

The Defence Force has placed an urgent order with the US to get the uniforms, which reportedly cost around $400 each, to troops in Afghanistan.

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare made the announcement at the Land Warfare Conference in Brisbane today.

"We're doing this because the feedback from Special Forces is that this is better camouflage, both in the green zone and in the desert and in the urban areas," he said.

"And the uniforms are better quality, it makes it easier for them to do their jobs."

The camouflage is said to be better suited to Afghanistan's diverse landscape of deserts and river valleys.

Defence says the Multicam shirt and trousers have built-in elbow and knee pads, are cooler, and are designed to be worn under body armour.

Mr Clare says he asked the Defence Materiel Organisation to try and purchase a licence to begin manufacturing the uniforms in Australia.

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James says the new uniforms will make it harder to distinguish Australian soldiers from US soldiers.

"They're targets anyway. To some extent it will change the danger, it will introduce the problem of misidentification," he said.

"But quite frankly anyone who's shooting at Americans is highly likely to shoot at Australians anyway so I think in practice on the ground it'll have very little effect."

He says the danger of misidentification could only occur at a distance, as Australians will have Australian flag or kangaroo patches on their uniforms.

Mr James says in Uruzgan province, where the bulk of Australia's soldiers are based, many locals already know the Australian troops.

"In the local population it's quite clear that most locals in Uruzgan clearly distinguish between Australians and people from other nationalities, not least because of the different ways the Australians practise cross-cultural awareness, which is a particular strength of the Australian digger," he said.

Mr James says the US-style uniform is able to be worn under body armour, keeping troops cooler and is a better all-rounder when it comes to camouflage.

"The camouflage they've been wearing at the moment is better under certain conditions, in certain areas and under certain weather conditions," he said.

"The new one is probably a jack-of-all-trades camouflage pattern."

Tags: defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, army, defence-industry, unrest-conflict-and-war, afghanistan, australia, qld

First posted 1 hour 59 minutes ago

[buglerbilly]

Just to keep the threads up-to-date, via Soldier Systems, Aussie soldier in Multicam..........




Breaking News – Australians to Adopt MultiCam for Use in Afghanistan

November 19th, 2010

In a shocking decision, the Australian military announced today that they are going to conduct an extended wear trial of the MultiCam pattern for troops serving in Afghanistan. Like in the US and UK, Australian Special Operations Forces have long used MultiCam due to its increased effectiveness. Following their lead, Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced the change to the new pattern today at the biannual Land Warfare Conference in Brisbane. By “change” we mean the extension of the SF wear trial that has been going on for years.

“Special Forces soldiers have said this is the uniform they want to wear,” Mr Clare said. “The camouflage pattern provides troops with greater levels of concealment across the range of terrains in Afghanistan – urban, desert and green. It also makes it easier for our troops to do their job.”

The plan calls for all Australian troops going ‘Outside the Wire’ will be outfitted in MultiCam. What is really interesting is that Mr Clare discussed issuing the same uniforms used by his SOF which are the Crye Precision combat uniforms rather than the standard DPCU in a different camo pattern. However, he also stated that “I have also instructed the Defence Materiel Organisation to pursue the purchase of a licence to provide for the potential manufacture of this uniform in Australia if the extended trial is successful,” Mr Clare said. Could this be the groundwork for an Australian MTPesque creation?

Furthermore, does this initiative mean the demise of the short lived Disruptive Pattern Midpoint Uniform unveiled earlier this year? The whole point of the DPMU was to alter the DPCU’s pattern slightly to be more effective in Afghanistan. Designed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), it combined the colors of the two uniforms the Australian Army currently uses.

[Gubler, A.]

LOL, breaking news...

[buglerbilly]

Personally, I liked the "shocking news" comment.....................:abovelol

[JimWH]

1). Ha ha Bug, beat you to it (happens rarely enough, and frankly I need every small victory I can get today)
2). About bloody time. From what's been said, DPMU was a disaster and multicam has been a blindingly obvious choice for ages. And compared to all the other expenses associated with the A'stan deployment this really is beer money, especially when considering the morbidity and mortality it'll save us.
3). Comment's on the ABC's story are hilarious and well worth reading if you need a laugh.

[buglerbilly]

Beat me to what? You delusional cos the weekend is nearly here for you.............???

[JimWH]

Yes I am delusional, but that's another issue...
I posted a story on the decision before you did. Which is rare, because your telepathic senses normally allow you to get the jump on us mere mortals. I'm merely enjoying one small victory out of an otherwise pretty shitty day.

[Raven22]

It just waits to be seen what the definition of 'close combatant' is to see if I get issued the uniform. Unless I can weasel myself a mentoring job, I will spend most of my time mounted in AFVs, in which case I doubt I will be issued the uniform.

What I find ironic however, is that yesterday I received an SRP brief that stated that 20 000 of the old-style (slanted pockets) cams in storage would be issued to save money, but here we are introducing a new uniform.

[Gubler, A.]

20 000 of the old-style (slanted pockets) cams in storage

Old style? They used to be new... I still have a pair of original (well 1992 original) straight pocket cams.

The minister said in his speech announcing the OCU (well two weeks after we announced it) that Multicam will go to everyone who goes "outside the wire". So that would include AFV crewman. Of course if you don't get any issued just wear them anyway.

[Raven22]

I've still got a trunk full of the old style cams as well. Good for making scrim. I was in primary school in 1992 though, so mine were made after the invention of the steam engine...

The minister might have said everyone who goes 'outside the wire' would get the new cams, but the document detailing purchasing requirements says it will be issued to 'close combatants' only. Knowing the blokes who will make the decision, I can seen them not letting armoured crewmen get them on principle.

[JimWH]

Surely then it's just a matter of intimidating the grunts into giving you theirs. Shouldn't be too hard, you have an armoured vehicle for ferk's sake. [We in the RAAMC have developed more sophisticated methods of getting stuff out of the grunts. The corps' easiest way of scrounging kits is to offer to exchange whatever it is we want for them being allowed near our showers. Seriously, candy from a baby.]

[buglerbilly]

The corps' easiest way of scrounging kits is to offer to exchange whatever it is we want for them being allowed near our showers. Seriously, candy from a baby

Its OK boys you can trust us Medicos, get 'em off and get in the shower Big Boy.................:abovelol:abovelol:abovelol

[JimWH]

You see Bug, you laugh now, but because most of the corps are chockos, we go out bush with fuck all, and need to steal/scrounge about a third of the stuff we need. And the shower trick works wonders (apparently the trick is you trade them a shower for a short brimmed giggle hat, which can then be traded for just about anything else).

[ADMk2]

1). Ha ha Bug, beat you to it (happens rarely enough, and frankly I need every small victory I can get today)

Sorry mate, posted the news about 7 hours earlier in the "Future Soldier Part Deux" thread...

:)

[amtp10f]

It just waits to be seen what the definition of 'close combatant' is to see if I get issued the uniform. Unless I can weasel myself a mentoring job, I will spend most of my time mounted in AFVs, in which case I doubt I will be issued the uniform.

What I find ironic however, is that yesterday I received an SRP brief that stated that 20 000 of the old-style (slanted pockets) cams in storage would be issued to save money, but here we are introducing a new uniform.

It's lucky for Navy that they got the change to the new grey cams before SRP was vomited on Defence.

Mind you, the Navy cams make sailors look like elephants with leprosy...

[buglerbilly]

Sorry mate, posted the news about 7 hours earlier in the "Future Soldier Part Deux" thread...

:)

AND there I was waiting to gloat back at him..........

[Raven22]

Surely then it's just a matter of intimidating the grunts into giving you theirs.

Pfft, who needs to intimidate the grunts. Getting a hold of multicams isn't the issue - all that takes is an order to a Q-ie. The problem is I can't wear multicams when all my diggers are wearing DPDU/DPCU.



[We in the RAAMC have developed more sophisticated methods of getting stuff out of the grunts. The corps' easiest way of scrounging kits is to offer to exchange whatever it is we want for them being allowed near our showers. Seriously, candy from a baby.]

Bah, a real soldier can get those thing off the RAAMC without swapping stuff. On Ex Hamel I spent two very, very boring weeks just across the road from the new hospital 2 HSB set up at Camp Mackaleny. Camp Mack has proper flush toilets and showers and all the mod cons, but of course we real soldiers weren't allowed to use them because we didn't have medical degrees or whatever the reason was. Didn't worry us much at the start, although about a week in it absolutely pissed down rain and flooded out the shitters we had built (there were turds floating down the road - very uncool). We tried to get over to Camp Mack to use their porcelain thrones, but we kept getting 'shit blocked' by the picquet, which always seemed to be the same bitchy corporal and who will forever be known as the 'shit-blocker'. Since we were very, very bored, we made it our game to see the most creative ways to get into Camp Mack and use their shitters anyway. Orders were drawn up, rehearsals conducted, and pretty much every way we could think of to get inside was attempted. Fences were cut, illnesses were faked, ambulances were stowed away in - it was quite a bit of fun for a while. We got bored of it in the end though, and just walked in the front gate. There wasn't much a single clean-skin picquet is going to do to stop a bunch of 'over it' diggers in body armour, helmets, webbing and with rifles and pistols.

It was pretty depressing being next to those blokes though. We'd be sitting on gun picquet at night in the rain, observing noise and light discipline, and eating the 23rd H ration pack in a row and we'd see them across the road eating fresh rats and working out at the fully kitted out gym they brought along with music playing and lights on everywhere.

[JimWH]

sorry mate, posted the news about 7 hours earlier in the "future soldier part deux" thread...

:)

damn it!

[Gubler, A.]

Just got around to reading the Minister's press release on the topic on in it he mentions ordering DMO to acquire a license for Australian production. So Multicam looks pretty set for a solid future in the Army.

[Raven22]

Just got around to reading the Minister's press release on the topic on in it he mentions ordering DMO to acquire a license for Australian production. So Multicam looks pretty set for a solid future in the Army.

It'll likely become an operations-only uniform like DPDU. I can't see it replacing DPCU unless we do a Britain and come up with our own Australia-only version of multicam that makes us clearly Australian (which apparently is very important, although we fought through two world wars, Korea and Vietnam with same uniform as our principal allies without any dramas).

BTW, slightly off topic, but I was reading the new Army rag today (which has a write up and pictures of the new SCE that LAND125 is supposed to deliver that I am sure Bug will post soon), and I read by far the most pathetic excuse to change the uniform ever conceived. Using the magic powers Abe taught me I've added it below:



And the RSM-A wonders why people have no faith in the uniform review...

[CaptainCleanoff]

Here's the SCE two page spread...

[Raven22]

It's good to see for one of those pictures they picked a model who wasn't smart enough to put his belt through all his belt loops...

[Raven22]

Apparently the long term plan with multicam is to develop a version that keeps the multicam colours but uses the normal 'bunny ears and jellybeans' pattern in some form or other so it remains distinctly Australian. I don't know how you can do that and still call it multicam, but it will be interesting to see what it might look like (although I know Abe will point out that he has already posted this possibility).

There's also talk that the clothing review will develop a separate 'close combat' version of the uniform as well. Ie, in barracks everyone will wear the normal cams, but out field the warfighters will wear an enhanced uniform that includes a lot of the enhancements in more modern combat uniforms (like built in tourniquets, shoulder and belt padding, stretch fabric and light-weight wicking fabric for under body armour etc). I don't know how that fits in with the whole 'lets save money' thing though.

[buglerbilly]

PenCott™ multi-terrain camouflage pattern as the US Army’s next-gen camo?

Showcasing PenCott’s multi-environment versatility, three colorways were submitted for clothing whilst a fourth colorway was specifically developed for individual and tactical equipment.

Woodland



Transitional (Afghanistan-type scenario?)



Desert



Experience in raq and Afghanistan (and elsewhere) has proven beyond any shadow of doubt that the currently issued Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) used on uniforms and personal equipment is significantly less effective in most terrains than other options, and also less effective than many other countries’ camouflage patterns.

So, in July of this year (2010) the US Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO-Soldier) issued a Request For Information (RFI) asking industry to submit camouflage patterns that the Army could consider for its next-generation “Family of Camouflage” – thereby effectively nailing the coffin lid shut on the “Universal Camouflage Pattern”.

The RFI specifically stipulated that patterns should have a common design geometry with adaptations colored for “woodland”, “desert” and “transitional” environments for clothing – with a fourth multi-terrain pattern adapted for use on web gear, rucksacks, armoured vests and other personal equipment.

Hyde Definition Ltd. recognised the issues with existing camouflage patterns several years ago, and first launched PenCott™ Multi-Environment Camouflage Pattern in late 2008. The PenCott pattern uses complex, hybrid, digital-fractal geometry to more effectively disguise the wearer – the result being that the wearer disappears into the textures and background “noise” of the environment.

The requirements of the PEO-Soldier RFI therefore played directly to the core strengths of PenCott. In fact, Hyde had already researched, developed and released the required “woodland”, “desert” and “transitional” variations of the PenCott Multi-Environment Camouflage Pattern.

Read the full story here> http://www.hydedefinition.com/family.htm

[Raven22]

Further to my last post, it seems the timeline for introducing a new Australian version of Multiciam is impressively short. Apparently the new camouflage pattern will be decided by March 2011, so fabric manufacture can begin and useful numbers of the new uniform can be produced before the end of 2011. The new camouflage pattern and new cut uniform will then be rolled out across Army, starting with Ops and high readiness units first obviously. It seems the big cheese himself (the CA) is behind the push for Multicam with the full support of the Minister. Who said the big brass couldn't make a good decision?

[Milne Bay]

Further to my last post, it seems the timeline for introducing a new Australian version of Multiciam is impressively short. Apparently the new camouflage pattern will be decided by March 2011, so fabric manufacture can begin and useful numbers of the new uniform can be produced before the end of 2011. The new camouflage pattern and new cut uniform will then be rolled out across Army, starting with Ops and high readiness units first obviously. It seems the big cheese himself (the CA) is behind the push for Multicam with the full support of the Minister. Who said the big brass couldn't make a good decision?

It would be interesting to know if Stephen Smith is a mover or facilitator in this arrangement. When John Faulkner and Greg Combet moved out of Defence I thought that we were losing two very good ministerial leaders. I wondered at the time how Stephen Smith would perform. Hopefully this is an early indication of a good minister in action.
MB

[Raven22]

Actually, the Minister I was talking about was the Minister for Defence Materiel not the Defence Minister himself, so unknown his involvement.

[JimWH]

Hang on, so we're all going to end up n Multicam? All that effort to fade my DPCUs will have been for naught!

[Gubler, A.]

Further to my last post, it seems the timeline for introducing a new Australian version of Multiciam is impressively short. Apparently the new camouflage pattern will be decided by March 2011, so fabric manufacture can begin and useful numbers of the new uniform can be produced before the end of 2011.

Let’s hope it isn't just current pattern in Multicam colours because that will lose a lot of Multicam’s effectiveness. Multicam needs to be the large patches of colour to work and will not be as effective if reduced to one background colour layered under splotches. The brush strokes of Multicam could be changed to make them ‘fatter’ and look more like splotches. In the kind of opposite to the way the British made it look more like DPM by making the brush strikes thinner to look like their pattern.

[Gubler, A.]

Hang on, so we're all going to end up n Multicam? All that effort to fade my DPCUs will have been for naught!

Saltwater wash will do that pretty quickly...

[Raven22]

The brush strokes of Multicam could be changed to make them ‘fatter’ and look more like splotches. In the kind of opposite to the way the British made it look more like DPM by making the brush strikes thinner to look like their pattern.

Apparently they are doing exactly what the Brits did - keep the same general pattern and colours as Multicam but make it unique so that we avoid the claim that our uniform is the same as the US and UK. That would mean the end of the Auscam pattern then. If a Multicam derivative does end up replacing DPCU and DPDU it will make the Navy in their new uniform even more ridiculous, which is always a good thing.


Hang on, so we're all going to end up n Multicam? All that effort to fade my DPCUs will have been for naught!

I dare say a Reservist in your profession will be priority Z for the new uniform, so you will be wearing DPCU for a long while yet. You can then wax lyrical to the new guys about when we used to wear DPCU and how much harder the Army was then...

[JimWH]

If a Multicam derivative does end up replacing DPCU and DPDU it will make the Navy in their new uniform even more ridiculous, which is always a good thing.
Let's not say things we can't take back... there's almost no physical way the navy could look more ridiculous than they do now.


I dare say a Reservist in your profession will be priority Z for the new uniform, so you will be wearing DPCU for a long while yet. You can then wax lyrical to the new guys about when we used to wear DPCU and how much harder the Army was then...
I think 'Z' is probably a bit ambitious to be honest. Though no doubt sooner rather than later some RSM will try and chew us out for being out of uniform, being no doubt completely oblivious to the fact that a not inconsiderable amount of our DP1 has to be scrounged.

But for all that it would be a shame to see DPCU go. It is well suited to our local environment, and indeed the areas immediately surrounding us, which we do spend a fair bit of time playing in. And we do have a considerable investment in the stock.
But, these things happen, and Multicam is no doubt a better camo for A'stan (and many other environments) than anything we have currently. And if we're going to invest in kitting out people for ops, we may as well go the whole hog.

[Gubler, A.]

Apparently they are doing exactly what the Brits did - keep the same general pattern and colours as Multicam but make it unique so that we avoid the claim that our uniform is the same as the US and UK. That would mean the end of the Auscam pattern then. If a Multicam derivative does end up replacing DPCU and DPDU it will make the Navy in their new uniform even more ridiculous, which is always a good thing.

There is also a legal element to this. The Cof A can't own Multicam but we can own a slightly stylised version of it. That way the Government can control production of it - at least in regimes that respect copyright law.

Another great element to this is hopefully Air Force will keep on issuing DPCU and DPDU so they can join Navy in the silly looking camo uniform basket as Army steps out in Multicam-Charlie.

[Raven22]

There is also a legal element to this. The Cof A can't own Multicam but we can own a slightly stylised version of it. That way the Government can control production of it - at least in regimes that respect copyright law.

From what I understand the UK license of MTP allows them to produce as much as they like for their own use, but they're not allowed to export it. I imagine an Australian license would be similar. The biggest issue might actually be the fabric. Apparently there is currently no company in Australia that can produce some of the fabrics in the Crye G3 uniform, so if we want to use that as the basis of the new uniform we will have to wait a year or two until an Australian manufacturer improves their facilities.


Though no doubt sooner rather than later some RSM will try and chew us out for being out of uniform

Jim, as a subbie you need to learn this phrase for dealing with the RSM - 'Thanks RSM, I'll take that under advisement'. Then strut away to the mess with your hands in your pockets and whistling a tune.


And if we're going to invest in kitting out people for ops, we may as well go the whole hog

Apparently the Chief's reasoning is that if the Multicam uniform is being issued to special forces in Afghanistan because it is better than any Auscam derivatives, then he couldn't in good conscience not issue it to the conventional forces that operate in the same environment with the same dangers just to save a buck.

Of course, in the end going to a single pattern uniform will probably save money, as it gets rid of the necessity to issue a different uniform just for ops, and allows all CBA, webbing, packs, cold weather gear etc to be made with a single pattern. If you consider that every soldier deployed to the MEAO gets issued 4 sets of DPDUs, and each set costs ~$200, and there are roughly 4000 soldiers deployed each year, then it costs a few million dollars each and every year for the privilege of having two uniforms. Add in the cost of different patterns for all the other equipment and it will save a lot of mucking around.

[amtp10f]

there's almost no physical way the navy could look more ridiculous than they do now.


There's nothing wrong with making sailors look like elephants with leprosy...

[Gubler, A.]

From what I understand the UK license of MTP allows them to produce as much as they like for their own use, but they're not allowed to export it. I imagine an Australian license would be similar.

Aye and the key thing would be that Cyre can't go off selling the MTP and Aussie Multicam pattern or products on the open market without approval from HM Govt or CofA (respectively).

[Gubler, A.]

There's nothing wrong with making sailors look like elephants with leprosy...

Personally I think RAN-CAM was a complex psychological warfare gambit by Navy leadership to ensure that the ADF, DoD, public, etc. stoped focusing on the black hole loss of the Seasprite program because they were all in uproar over how ridiculous the Navy’s new uniform was. Draw people’s attention away from a $1 billion loss with a smoke and mirrors job in the foreground by dressing the pussers as a bunch of clowns. It seems to have worked.

[JimWH]

Jim, as a subbie you need to learn this phrase for dealing with the RSM - 'Thanks RSM, I'll take that under advisement'. Then strut away to the mess with your hands in your pockets and whistling a tune.

You live you learn. Thanks for the advise.
Now all I need to do is work out a way of getting same said RSM of the back of OR's in my RAP.

[buglerbilly]

Random photograph..........from Strike-Hold! Friday photo...........




An Australian soldier looks on as a joint patrol approaches a suspected weapons cache in the Urugzan Province of Afghanistan Nov. 14.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jennifer Spradlin, 16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems.............

New Combat Shirt from Poland

December 6th, 2010

Polish company, SPECOPS has introduced a new combat shirt with a torso made from POLARTEC Power Dry FR material. Available in two versions, the standard model features NYCO IRR-treated shoulders and an FR version made from Tencate’s DEFENDER-M. For both models the shoulder pockets feature PALS webbing to accommodate small pouches. The elbows are reinforced with SUPERFABRIC ceramic laminates and are compatible with d3o shock-absorbing inserts.



www.specops.pl

http://www.specops.pl/

[buglerbilly]

And just to make sure the US Forces get a new camo each year we have the current effort to look at new Camo patterns...........this is a proposal from Roggenwolf (great name!).............

The Big League

Updated: 20:52:08 Monday, 15 November 2010 (GMT)

On 29 June 2010, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) indicated a need for a family of camouflage patterns suitable for uniforms and personal equipment. It is anticipated that a family will include three camouflage patterns for uniforms, and one for personal equipment.

Needless to say, Roggenwolf stands ready to step up to the plate. As a result of ongoing research & development, we already have many camouflage patterns available for trial.

Among these is the 'Warg' family of camouflage patterns, which may be suitable to meet the need identified by U.S. Army Product Manager, Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM‑SCIE) and Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC).

Like most Roggenwolf camouflage patterns, Warg can be adapted to more than one operating environment. It is believed that the Desert-080C0F0B17 ('Jinn'), Transitional-04070E0D1B ('Ettin'), and Woodland-030D0C151C ('Woodwose') palettes may be particularly suitable to the needs of the U.S. Army.

http://www.roggenwolf.com/

You need to look at the link to see the patterns!

[buglerbilly]

Detailed report on the new programme for US Army camo schemes.............its EDITED and there is a lot more info at the link to Soldier Systems original report.....................

Family of Camo Patterns Solicitation

Let’s start out by revisiting the baseline requirement. The Army’s Phase IV of its camouflage project is seeking a Family of (camo) Patterns (FOP) consisting of woodland, desert and, transitional (sometime called universal) color schemes. Additionally, a pattern for personal equipment (such as body armor, ammo pouches and rucksacks) may be required to work effectively with the other camouflage patterns. The FoP must provide camouflage in the visual, NIR, and SWIR spectrums in each of the respective environments. Each of the individual patterns will not only be evaluated in the environment it was designed for but will also be assessed for its capability into the transitional environment.

Now that we have established that the Army is fully committed to this thing I have to say that they have come up with an excellent plan to determine the best pattern. The Army has developed a plan of action that allows them to look at a rather large number of candidate FoPs and down select to the most promising three commercial and two government FOP quickly. Then, the majority of time dedicated to this undertaking can be used to assess the candidates under more realistic conditions.

It is very important for you to know that the Army is conducting an unprecedented analysis of the Global Military Operating Environment (more on this later). All of the FoPs will be assessed against terrain, climate, and seasonal factors on a global scale rather than isolated environments. This has never happened before. Not by the US. Not by anyone.



Read more: http://soldiersystems.net/2010/12/14/family-of-camo-patterns-solicitation/#more-17786

[buglerbilly]

Army Launches Program to Field New Camo

December 14, 2010

Military.com|by Christian Lowe



Less than five years after the Army fully outfitted Soldiers with uniforms printed in what it claimed was a single camouflage scheme suitable to all environments, the service launched a new search for a "family" of camo patterns that will help hide troops in deserts, forests and the places in between.

During a meeting with civilian companies interested in pitching their designs Dec. 9, officials from the Program Executive Office Soldier explained that recent tests showed the Army's so-called "universal camouflage pattern" fell "significantly" short of keeping Soldiers hidden compared to other patterns.

"We're looking for a family of patterns because that seems to make the most sense," said Col. Bill Cole, the top uniform buyer for the Army. "But if someone comes to us with a universal pattern that can meet the requirements, we'll go with it."

The search for a new camouflage scheme comes on the heels of a recent revamp of Army camo worn by troops in Afghanistan

In February, the Army announced it would field uniforms and issued kit in the so-called "MultiCam" pattern to all Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan or those with more than six months left on their deployment. Officials realized the current UCP made Soldiers stand out against the varied backgrounds of Afghanistan, which can include wooded forests, rocky outcroppings and scrubby deserts -- all in the same patrol.

"The [MultiCam] allows the Soldiers to get far closer to potential enemies before being observed," said Command Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston in August. "I believe [Soldiers] are safer" wearing the MultiCam.

But now the Army brass is prepared to abandon the current pattern in favor of three different uniforms designed for more specific environments. The service wants to see one pattern for wear in woodland or jungle environments, one pattern for desert and arid environments and a so-called "transitional" pattern that could be worn across all environments if needed.

Officials also want a fourth pattern that blends with all three patterns and can be printed on gear such as body armor, magazine pouches and hydration systems so that the service doesn't have to buy the more expensive organizational clothing and individual equipment more than once.

"It is difficult and expensive to manufacture the OCIE," Cole said. "Trousers and jackets are cheaper and they wear out quicker."

Three companies will be selected next summer to compete against two Army-designed camo patterns that will be compared to patterns already in use, including the Navy's AOR-1 and AOR-2, MultiCam and the Marine Corps' woodland and desert camo, officials say.

The Army plans to conduct field tests on the various patterns in a wide range of environments through the spring of 2012 with an eventual award to one camo pattern "family" in November 2012.

It is unclear how the Army would field the three uniforms for a deployment such as Afghanistan. Cole speculated that Joes could be issued the transitional pattern to wear on day-to-day missions and have sets of the desert or woodland-patterned duds for times when missions or the environment dictate.

"I do not want to predict yet what the answer would be," Cole said. "I can tell you that we would not issue all three patterns to troops in training on a regular basis just because of the cost implications involved."

The program to outfit over one million active, reserve and National Guard Soldiers with new camo uniforms could cost billions and it is unclear whether the Army will fund such an expense when a winner is chosen in late 2012.

But whichever family of patterns wins, officials argue they'll do everything they can to keep the decision as objective as possible.

"This is not a fashion statement. It's based on performance and operational requirements," said Tim O'Neil, a camouflage expert and consultant to the Army program. "This will not be about how cool the new camouflage looks."

© Copyright 2010 Military.com. All rights reserved.

[buglerbilly]

PrimaLoft Insulation Technology to protect US Marines in coldest regions

December 14, 2010



PrimaLoft Insulation Technology, the research and development leader in high performance insulations used to enhance combat conditions for soldiers, has announced that the United States Marine Corps (USMC) has purchased 6,000 additional sets of the USMC Extreme Cold Weather Parkas, Trousers and Booties insulated with PrimaLoft to equip US Marines stationed in the coldest areas of Afghanistan and across the globe. This new buy brings the total number of system sets currently fielded to Marines to 50,000.

Developed in partnership with the US Marine Corps, PrimaLoft insulation provides Marines with critical tactical advantages over the enemy during the most challenging extreme cold weather conditions. The Extreme Cold Weather Parka, Trouser and Booties insulated with PrimaLoft are packable, lightweight, weather resistant, and very warm for extreme combat conditions. Notably, this technology works in conjunction with the USMC sleeping bag system also outfitted with PrimaLoft insulation and allows Marines to carry a less bulky sleep system, while increasing protection under diverse environmental conditions.

"PrimaLoft takes great pride in our work to provide the best possible insulation technology to meet US Marine Corps mission readiness needs," said PrimaLoft Vice-President and General Manager Joe Rumiesz. "We began working with the DoD 25 years ago, and we continue to advance our unique technology to address the specialized gear needs of our men and women in uniform."

The US Army originally commissioned Albany International Corp. to develop a water resistant synthetic alternative to down. Today, PrimaLoft is the premier supplier of insulation to the United States Army, Marine Corps and Special Operations Forces providing them with a tactical advantage over the enemy under exceptionally wet and cold conditions in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Our brave troops are fighting hard every day to keep America safe. This equipment being delivered by PrimaLoft will ensure that our soldiers have the equipment they need to carry out their mission," Senator Schumer said. "The freezing weather in Afghanistan can make winter in Upstate New York seem tropical, our troops need this gear and thanks to the ingenuity of the workers at PrimaLoft, they'll have it."

"This is great news for PrimaLoft and the Albany area," US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said. "This purchase will ensure our Marines are protected in the most hostile and extreme weather situations, and continue to preserve jobs in the Capital Region."

"Congratulations to PrimaLoft for creating products that help protect and prepare US Marines for critical missions in the harshest of climates," said Congressman Paul Tonko. "The innovations being created at PrimaLoft are enhancing the readiness for our men and women in uniform and are contributing to our economic recovery here in the Capital Region."



Source: PrimaLoft

[buglerbilly]

New Zealand Defence awards $200 million clothing contract to YASL


New Zealand Defence Forces Kiwi company during a Haka named Gyro V Haka, as part of the Powhiri Ceremony.

15:40 GMT, December 14, 2010

Auckland apparel company Pacific Brands Holdings (NZ) Ltd has won a new five-year contract to supply clothing and personnel support items to the New Zealand Defence Force.

“This is the best possible value for money for the Defence Force and the taxpayer,” Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said, announcing the selection of the company, which trades as Yakka Apparel Solutions Ltd (YASL).

“Ensuring Defence Force people have the right equipment to get the job done wherever they are is a top priority.

“YASL has offered innovations, especially around the use of technology, and at the same time provided significant savings.

“The Defence Force currently spends around $22 million per year on clothing and personnel support items for ts people. The new contract can provide immediate savings of around a million dollars per year,” he said.

In an open tender process the Defence Force assessed companies on value for money and a range of non-price attributes. They included experience in military clothing manufacture and research and development capabilities.

YASL’s tender relies largely on the same range of sources, suppliers and services as under their previous contract, with a number of enhancements in key areas.

The clothing contract is for a term of five years with two, two-year rights of renewal. The total estimated value of the contract is around $200 million [US$150.57 million; €112.6 million - Ed.].

“We are committed to promoting a healthy Defence industry in New Zealand by buying New Zealand-made items where it is prudent to do so. This choice emphasises that commitment,” the Minister said.

[buglerbilly]

From Kit Up!...........

How Bad Was Universal Camo in Tests? B-A-D

by christian on December 29, 2010



I’ve been doing a deep dive on one of the papers included in the briefs from the Army’s camouflage industry day, and what it says is pretty profound.

It’s an executive summary of the Army’s Phase II testing of various camo patterns in Afghanistan and the results of surveys conducted with troops who deployed there.

There are three main points to be made here and I’ll let the paper do most of the talking itself, but I wanted to summarize a couple things for our readers and put them into some perspective.

First, and most egregious, is that the Army’s current camouflage fared horribly in both surveys and the photosimulation tests (pattern in picture). The Army used 17 patterns, including Marpat (desert and woodland); DCU; BDU; AOR-1 and 2; Universal AOR (does anyone know what this is?); MultiCam; Woodland Scorpion (which is essentially MultiCam) and Desert Scorpion — and of course UCP.

Each of these was combined with a series of PPE patterns, including a match, coyote, Ranger Green and khaki.

Here’s the killer blow:

The results for the UCP uniform with matching PPE, which is the currently fielded combination, are consistent with the anecdotal feedback that lead to the Congressional interest in an improved camouflage pattern for OEF: UCP is in the bottom 10 overall across all four backgrounds and did not perform well in any of them.

Ouch…so now we know precisely why Col. Bill Cole told me UCP wasn’t even going to be used as a baseline.

ASC Paper PIP Technique
http://www.scribd.com/doc/46036323/ASC-Paper-PIP-Technique

This has the smell of a major scandal if you ask me. How much money, how much R&D manpower, how much political capital was poured into such a poorly performing pattern? And this wasn’t JUST Afghanistan, remember. The PIP tests were done on a variety of backgrounds that could be found in any AO. So you can’t argue the failure only applies to Afghanistan.

Second, and not surprisingly, as the enclosed PDF shows, MultiCam did the best with all combinations of all 17 patterns tested in the PIP. We all knew this, but it does raise an interesting point which our friends over at Soldier Systems have touched on previously.

Based on the overall scores, all four of the MultiCam variants were in the top 10, as was the Woodland Scorpion with MultiCam and matching PPE.

We seem to be going on a long and arduous path with this Phase IV camo search — essentially paying millions of dollars to develop three camo patterns for uniforms and another “universal” pattern for gear like body armor and pouches. The Army is doing this despite the results of this testing. It seems the service has already found a pretty darn effective pattern in all but the most specific environments.

But, and that’s a big BUT — here’s the kicker:

The results for Background 4 demonstrate the difficulty in obtaining a pattern that performs well over a wide range of background types: none of the top 10 performers in Background 4 were within the top 10 for Backgrounds 1-3. In fact, many of them were in the 8 bottom 10 in those three backgrounds.

Now this is precisely what Tim O’Neill told me back during the Gore blogger summit last month. There is just no such thing as a universal camo, and until Guy Cramer gets his superphasotron cameleon stuff working, there never will be. As the Army study shows, MultiCam did best across the environments, but not as well as AOR-2 in woodland/cropland and was in the bottom in sandy desert terrain behind the lowly DCU.

Overall the MultiCam with MultiCam OCIE came in at 80 percent across the environments. And despite the desert failures, a solid B ain’t bad.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/12/how-bad-was-universal-camo-in-tests-b-a-d.html#ixzz19eglHOxf

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems..........

SpecOps Introduces Roggenwolf Camo to Line

Polish brand SpecOps has been working with Australian camo developer ROGGENWOLF to introduce uniforms in the WARG pattern. The uniform design is the SpecOps MBS-1 type uniform cut, in both WARG-forest and WARG-desert camo versions.





This uniform will be run against A-TACS, MULTICAM, HYDE-DEFINITION and MIRAGE camo patterns for the upcoming Polish Army camo trials in 2011.

[buglerbilly]

Hyde Definition Releases Snowdrift Alpine Camo

by christian on January 11, 2011





Way too much colour in this for any Alpine-type, white-out conditions....................

We recently wrote about Army overwhites and the Marine Corps’ cool snow camo that informed sources say some OGA types are wearing in the Osama hunting regions of the Af/Pak border this winter.

Well, Hyde Definition has released a new pattern that takes aim at the Corps’ contender (made by mad scientist and camo savant Guy Cramer) by delivering greater depth and layers than other snow camo options.

The traditional approach to “snow camouflage” has been to use a plain, solid white coloured over-garment; however, this does not take in to account the extent of shadows and other textures that actually exist in a snow-covered environment.

The PenCott pattern works by dithering the different contrasting colours and tones into and against one another to give the illusion of several more colours, and to create a combination of blurred and contrasting edges and shapes. Complex patterns like this are harder for the human eye to process, and recognisable shapes such as human limbs, or the lines of pockets and seams, become more difficult to make out.

The PenCott pattern is multi-directional, multi-scalar and includes both a micro-pattern and a macro-pattern for close range concealment and long range disruption. PenCott also includes an innovative midi-pattern (middle range), and false edges at the high-difference boundaries of the dark patches, to further confuse the eye.

Though Hyde Definition provided these photos to Kit Up! for our post, the company said they are computer renderings and have not been printed on uniform material.

But from the looks of it, the camo appears to do what the designers intended. Still, the camo geeks here at Kit Up! wonder if there might not be a tad too little white in the mix. From personal experience, hunters have had great luck with simple, solid overwhites for wary winter waterfowl which have extremely good eyesight and have the advantage of looking straight down on a potential predator.

Snow is the one medium in the natural environment that’s pretty darned solid and universal in color, and unless there’s science to counter this, logic would say that you can get away with a lot of that color in your snow camo since it tends to cover all others. Likewise, if you have too little of it, you’re going to stand out.

The Hyde release mentions the Finnish M/05 snow pattern and the German WWII “pine needle” overwhites as precursors to their more nuanced pattern. But on the face of it, those patterns seem like they would afford more camouflage in a snowy environment than the PenCott Snowdrift colorway.

But again, that’s just the Kit Up! nerds’ unscientific opinion on the matter. We’d love to hear from the experts on this…

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1AlpHwAA8

[buglerbilly]

Electronic Yarn Is Washable.

Analysis by Amy Dusto

Tue Jan 11, 2011 03:05 PM ET



A washing machine may no longer stand in the way of a pair of biosensing underwear. Scientists at the NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas have created yarn that contains conductive materials which can be woven, knitted or sewn into textiles. The yarn is reusable even after a wash.


Biosensing Underwear:

Any cyclist can tell you the importance of wearing a helmet to save a noggin' from damage during a crash. Bikers add leather gear to the equation for the open highway. And Firefighters wear heat-resistant pants and jackets when battling fires.

Soon U.S. military personnel may find that wearing underpants could save their lives. Not just any ol' Hanes or Fruit of the Loom brand -- although arguably wearing tighty whities in certain battlefield circumstances might be more prudent than not. However, what I'm talking about are briefs that have carbon-based electrodes screenprinted onto the fabric, which acts as a biosensor to measure blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs.

The innovation comes from nano-engineer Joseph Wang of the University of California, San Diego. In an interview with Reuters Television Wang said:

"This specific project involves monitoring the injury of soldiers during battlefield surgery and the goal is to develop minimally invasive sensors that can locate, in the field, and identify the type of injury."

And even beyond this, the waistband could contain medication, such as a pain-relief drug, that it could release in the presence of certain injuries.
To do this, the scientists use a powder made of conductive materials– “guest particles,” in research-speak– that gets soaked or sprayed as an aerosol into a matrix of nanotubes. Then they put magnets on each end of the matrix, which is over a thousand times thinner than a human hair, and spin it until the nanotubes form a fiber thick enough to weave into a textile and keep the powder in. The final nanotube yarn can be incorporated into other fiber and textile products, including clothing, and washed without losing a significant amount of the powder. Perhaps the original matrix of nanotubes could even be sprayed with virus-built batteries that are in development, making a shirt or backpack into an on-the-go cell phone or an iPod charger.

So far, the yarn holds up in tests. The researchers tried washing it in a standard washing machine as well as soaking it for three hours at high temperature. In neither case did they detect loss of the powder. This immediately seems like great news for the average consumer who wants a shirt-operated music player or a light up skirt, but nanotube yarn that withstands the elements is also great news for engineers. The applications are not all for tiny superconductors or batteries either; as Paul Marks describes in this New Scientist article, one example might be for aircraft:

Theoretically the thin conducting skins that could be woven with this material could also have applications in stealth aircraft, as the material would be an ultralight radio-frequency radiation absorber that could foil radar.

I recently met a group of engineering and art students from the Maryland Institute College of Art and Johns Hopkins University who were enrolled in a joint course focused on designing smart textiles. They spent a semester learning how to weave sensors into fabric and fibers to make projects that respond to sound, light, pulse, and other environmental cues. You can read my reporting on the class here. With the next generation of designers and engineers like these already inventing applications, I expect to see nanotube yarn weaving its way into consumer goods and military devices alike in the next few years.

Photo: Nicholas Eveleigh/Getty Images

[buglerbilly]

Chameleon Camo is Here — Maybe

by christian on January 21, 2011



You might have seen a post from our friends at Soldiers Systems Daily back in December about a new concealment system developed by camo savant Guy Cramer that literally changes its color with the background of the wearer.

SSD had few details at the time, basing their post on Cramer’s release on his Hyperstealth company web site. But Kit Up! got a chance to talk to the mad scientist himself at the ADS booth during SHOT Show.

First of all, Cramer is teaming with ADS Tactical to develop and market a family of camouflage patterns for the Army’s Phase IV camo program — that’s just an FYI for Kit Up! readers who might already know that…but just in case you didn’t.

So, we asked Cramer about this “chameleon” camo he calls “SMARTCAMO” and whether it’s for real. Of course he confirmed the product is very real and that he was indeed approached by the Army to take down a video he’d shown at a camouflage symposium in Brussels that purportedly demonstrated the technology in action. He said the camo changes color and brightness based on the background where the wearer is traveling. It’s not a mirror or glass window kind of thing where you’d see the tree and rock face the person or vehicle is passing by, it just allows the wearer’s camo to go from desert to forest to transitional, for example, as he’s moving between environments.

While Cramer wouldn’t fully reveal to Kit Up! what the specific technology is, he did hint at a few specifics on how it works:

First — The technology is “composite” based and does not leverage so-called “nano-technology.” Not sure if this is actually what he’s doing, but when he said that I pictured fiber optics interwoven between fabric.

Second – the technology can be used to make uniforms that are “fabric” based — we’re not talking some kind of plastic oversuit or membrane. Cramer said literally it feels just like a normal ACU, for example.

Third — the technology does use power and logic. In other words, the uniform has to be hooked up to a battery and it does use some kind of computer processing to make it work.

Fourth — And in truly an amazing development, Cramer said the SmartCamo can change its IR signature feedback based on the background as well. I didn’t know this was necessary, but he explained that uniforms and objects stand out differently in the IR spectrum in different environments.

But here’s the kicker, Cramer said he can build a uniform with this technology in it today for troops…and no, there isn’t a major weight problem either. So why doesn’t the Army just jump on this now? Well, because at this point, each uniform would cost about $1,000, Guy admitted.

“That’s obviously way too much for anything but the most specialized units,” he told us.

He said the Army is particularly interested in this technology in the short term for ground vehicle camo. Cramer said he could put the SMARTCAMO to work on MRAPs and Humvees today, applying panels to the truck which incorporate the technology. In vehicle applications, power and processing wouldn’t be as much of a problem as it would in a man-portable uniform situation, he said.

Helicopters are next, he added.

Now look, this is single sourced from the inventor himself — I have not confirmed any of this with the Army or anyone else yet. But Cramer has a successful track record on pattern development and fielding and is taken very seriously in the industry. Some of this seems a bit far fetched…but I have no evidence to prove it’s FALSE…

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/01/chameleon-camo-is-here-maybe.html#ixzz1BiVP9BRZ

[buglerbilly]

U.S. Air Force to issue new camouflage uniforms to deployers

09:53 GMT, January 28, 2011

WASHINGTON | U.S. Airmen deploying to Afghanistan in 2011 will see a new uniform issued to them as part of their deployment gear beginning in March.

While Airmen have been faced with a slew of uniform changes in recent years, this new uniform is not a matter of image or heritage but instead has resulted from a joint initiative that ensures all outside-the-wire deployers in Afghanistan, regardless of branch of service, have the best ground combat uniform in order to enhance combat effectiveness.

According to Lt. Col. Shawna McGowan, the Air Force future programs branch chief, Air Force leaders collaborated with Army experts to develop a solution to meet evolving camouflage and fire-retardancy demands in theater.

The new uniform, called the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, or OCP, is the same uniform recently fielded in Afghanistan to U.S. Soldiers, Colonel McGowan said.

"At first, Airmen receiving the (Airman Battle System-Ground, or ABS-G) uniforms with mission responsibilities outside the wire in Afghanistan will have priority for the OCP."

But the plan is for the OCP uniform to eventually become the only ground-combat uniform worn by Airmen in Afghanistan both inside and outside the wire, she said. This also will minimize the number of bags Airmen will carry into and out of the theater.

"The OCP uniform is scientifically developed to blend in with Afghanistan's terrain, which will make our Airmen safer and more effective on the battlefield," she said. "The new material is also flame resistant and lighter weight than either the ABS-G or the (Airman Battle Uniforms, or ABUs)."

The material also contains a bug repellant to protect our deployed Airmen, she added.

And, the colonel said, not only is this uniform better than its predecessors, but working jointly with the Army to use a tested uniform is the fiscally responsible thing to do.

"It's not only a joint use of the best ground combat uniform available," Colonel McGowan said, "it saves fiscal resources and also aligns with the National Defense Authorization Act language that encourages collaborative efforts between the services."

Since the OCP is replacing the other uniforms, there also will be a savings that will come from not needing to store and supply both the ABS-G and ABU, she said.

This won't be the first time Airmen have worn this camouflage pattern in Afghanistan though.

"Some Air Force personnel who are assigned to Army units were already issued the OCPs in the Army fielding initiative that began in August," said Colonel McGowan, who restated that these uniforms will be issued to individuals, and they won't be covered out-of-pocket by Airmen.

Individual units won't even be authorized to purchase these uniforms for the foreseeable future, the colonel said.

"The only authorized OCP uniforms are those purchased and issued by Air Force Central Command," Colonel McGowan said. "While some units are interested in procuring the OCP for training, future deployments and such, they won't be authorized to do so because those orders would take away from supplies that are prioritized for the most at-risk deployers."

The colonel emphasized that patience and teamwork are critical during any individual equipment transition and while actions to field the OCP as quickly as possible are ongoing, Airmen should be reassured they will have them as soon as they can be fielded.

She also discouraged individuals from purchasing their own uniforms as that could result in them receiving non-tested, non-compliant uniforms that ultimately could put lives at risk. With any new uniform, 'knock-offs' are readily available and Airmen need to use sound judgment and not spend personal funds on potentially non-compliant OCP assets, she said.

"Essentially, any unauthorized purchase of the OCP uniforms could result in putting Airmen at risk either on the front lines or at home," the colonel said.

Fuck off lady! Wot a load of bollox, there are heaps and heaps of companies, reputable companies, making OCP camo uniforms and gear in the USA and the number increases each week passes, look at the recent SHOT Show 2011 announcements............they should do what all Forces SHOULD do and that is make sure everything offered is compliant, its NOT a task that should take more than a few weeks..............fuckin idiots, getting the same crap of "naughty Forces person you know you're mature/intelligent/honest enough to buy the right gear".............:doh

She said switching to the OCP and having AFCENT as the sole issue point for these uniforms will meet the ultimate goal of ensuring that Airmen are equipped with the best, most advanced uniform available today.

----
Tech. Sgt. Jess Harvey
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / AFNS

[buglerbilly]

Ninja Suit

February 1st, 2011

This is a Long Underwear outift not a Mall Warrior POS...............

One of the more interesting things we saw at the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter Market was the Ninja Suit. Available in a variety of materials and configurations, Ninja Suits can be had in Merino Wool, which is offered in Black and Charcoal in addition to Red, if you are into the retro look of Red long johns. Considering the inherent FR and anti-microbial properties of Merino and the fact that the Ninja Suit has an integral 7-panel hood, it looks to make a case for a base layer for those who spend a lot of time in cold, wet conditions. Outer layers can be shed and the suit worn by itself to dry out in more secure conditions and you always have full coverage in the event of an emergency. You don’t have to take it off even to relieve yourself as it has a full horizontal zip around the waist along with drawstring as well as a front fly and chest zip. It also features thumb loops at the wrist.



www.myninjasuit.com

[buglerbilly]

782 Gear Flash-Lite FR Shemaughlava



http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productid=20893&tabid=548&cm_mmc=SocM-_-youtube-_-product-_-20893

[buglerbilly]

Why MultiCam/OCP Works

by christian on February 3, 2011



At yesterday’s round table with PEO Soldier program managers, one of my colleagues asked a journalisticly simple question about the new OEF Camouflage Pattern uniforms being hurriedly fielded to Joes (and now Airmen) in Afghanistan — but one that truly encapsulates the issue with MultiCam/OCP.

PEO Soldier Brig. Gen. Pete Fuller said issuing MultiCam uniforms “was like giving candy to a kid. Everybody wants it. And they want it now.”

REPORTER: You said the “kids” down range are excited about MultiCam — why are they so excited about it?

PEO’s BILL COLE: They just feel that in the terrain they’re operating in Afghanistan it’s just a much more effective camouflage pattern for them.

PEO’s FULLER: I think the kids are seeing hey, you listened and you did something. So, regardless of what the charts say, the kids are saying you’re listening to me, and you got me something and I think it’s cooler looking because it’s greener than this [UCP] and this [UCP] didn’t really match in Afghanistan.

It all boils down to confidence, Fuller said.

“The kids look like they’re well camouflaged in Afghanistan wearing this pattern,” he added.

Well, besides that fact that MultiCam looks cool as hell, it’s way more effective than UCP in varied environments. And now that more Joes are wearing it in the field, we have more evidence of that fact. Just look at the following pics to see for yourself.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Cole also said -- just an FYI -- that the Army had just this week issued aviator uniforms in OCP, including all the survival equipment printed in that pattern]

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/02/why-multicamocp-works.html#ixzz1Cwyb4wYn







Compared to what they had before...................

[buglerbilly]

More on HyperStealth’s SMARTCAMO

February 3rd, 2011

Not long ago we mentioned HyperStealth’s SMARTCAMO unveiled at the international camo symposium in Brussels, Belgium last fall. In our article we referenced a mysterious video that the US military had asked creator HyperStealth to restrict from general viewing. During SHOT Show we were allowed to see the video which demonstrates HyperStealth’s technology. While we are not going to get into the ins and outs of exactly what we saw or its strengths and weaknesses, we will say that HyperStealth successfully demonstrated a fabric technology that had been made into a uniform component and could adjust coloration and intensity based on ambient conditions. While the video did not demonstrate the capability, inventor Guy Cramer stated that the technology would also work in the IR spectrum.

SMARTCAMO is not truly adaptive in that it does not mimic the scene around it ala the camo seen in the “Predator” films. However, it is definitely a step in the right direction although it still needs some further refinement. At this point one of the biggest hurdles is cost. According to Cramer, a uniform with this technology is going to run about $1,000 each. Not good for general purpose forces but right in there for certain specialized applications. Another issue is that it is powered technology so they still need to pair it with a robust battery system that will last an entire mission. And lastly, the system needs a sensor system to detect the background in order to alter the fabric’s shade. While Cramer assured me that they have already worked on these issues, SMARTCAMO does lend itself perfectly to vehicular use due to their onboard power and ability to integrate sensor systems.

One final note. When asked if uniforms manufactured with SMARTCAMO could be laundered without damage, Guy Cramer informed us that not only could they be laundered but that they could also be used for maritime operations.

HyperStealth has informed us that the US Army, US Navy, USSOCOM, the UK MoD and the Canadian DND have asked to participate in a Multinational Effort to develop the SMARTCAMO technology. Additionally, ADS Inc. is partnering with HyperStealth to eventually offer the finalized SMARTCAMO technology to authorized military, governmental, and law enforcement organizations.

www.hyperstealth.com

[buglerbilly]

New Balance Introduces Merino Wool Clothing

February 7th, 2011



Wool really makes sense for military garments but a couple of things have happened over the years that have pushed it to the back of the line. In the late 1980s new, man-made fabrics began to come on the military scene that out performed the issue wool garments which dated back to before WWI. Troops were more than happy to ditch the itchy long johns that their great grandfathers had worn into battle on the Western Front. But then came the IED. Unnaturally (pun intended), the answer was to develop new man made FR performance fabrics since the recently adopted polypropylene and polyester fabrics used in military base layers are very flammable. This was a very costly undertaking. So where was wool, nature’s performance fiber through all of this? Quite frankly, it wasn’t quite ready to make a return.

Traditionally there have been several criticisms of the use of wool:

-Comfort (that itchy feeling)
-Limited domestic availability of Merino wool (considered the best wool for next to skin use, not itchy)
-Shrinkage
-Smell
-Lack of domestic treatment due to EPA guidelines

Despite these generic criticisms, the benefits of Merino wool are myriad:

-Warm even when wet
-Comfortable in a wide range of temperatures as well as against the skin
-Antimicrobial
-Inherently FR (No Melt, No Drip)

We are now at the point where we have almost an entire Army that has never used wool undergarments, and those that have probably don’t have the fondest of memories. Truthfully, current military attention towards wool has been driven by troops with an interest in the outdoors, as commercial wool garments have gotten better and better of the past few years. This has been combined with a concern by those who keep the Army’s purse strings, as they are constantly seeking more economical ways to accomplish the mission.

To mitigate the common criticisms of wool, New Balance has combined Merino with FR Rayon to increase performance and durability. This also increases the FR properties of wool. Then, they have treated the resulting fabric with X-static to further enhance wool’s natural anti-microbial properties to reduce stink. Additionally, there is finally an environmentally green US-based wool treatment facility. Treatment is critical to improving the comfort and performance of the wool. While the US Merino herd is small, as with all things “domestic textile”, the military is a prime customer. In fact, all of the components have just recently aligned in order to allow New Balance to produce a Berry compliant product.

New Balance has developed several garments including Base Layer long and short-sleeved T-shirts, Briefs, light and mid-weight Long Underwear Pants, and a Performance 1/4-zip Shirt. Initially, the plan was to have the Merino products available by July, but user feedback from the test items has been so strong that New Balance is looking to accelerate their schedule.

Units interested in New Balance military products should contact:

http://www.adsinc.com/new-balance

[buglerbilly]

Introduction of Personal Clothing System

An Equipment and Logistics news article

7 Feb 11

UK Armed Forces will be issued with the new Personal Clothing System (PCS) to replace Combat Soldier 95 (CS95) uniform it has been announced today, Monday 7 February 2011.


The new Personal Clothing System, pictured, will begin to replace the existing Combat Soldier 95 uniform from early 2011
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

The new clothing system will start to be issued to units from early 2011 in accordance with Front Line Command (FLC) fielding plans and will start to be issued to new recruits from October 2011. The roll-out will be complete to most personnel by April 2013.

The PCS consists of combat uniform (CU), ancillary items (AI) and waterproof clothing. Combat uniform replaces the camouflage lightweight jacket, trousers and windproof smock while ancillary items and waterproofs replace the t-shirt, Norwegian shirt, fleece and waterproofs of the current CS95 system.

All camouflage items will be in Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP). Other items will be in Khaki.

Since the introduction of CS95 in 1995, combat body armour has now become mandatory wear for personnel both training for and deploying on operations. As a result, while the principles of CS95 still apply, the design of the clothing items needs refreshing to reflect the changes and lessons learnt from operations.

This also allows changes resulting from developments in material technology to be incorporated. All camouflage clothing items will also change to MTP camouflage. Combat footwear is not part of the PCS but a separate competition to replace the combat assault boot is underway, allowing delivery in 2012.

MTP camouflage, introduced for operations in April 2010, incorporates elements of Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) shapes to create a unique British camouflage that will replace both Woodland and Desert DPM for use in training and on operations. While the Woodland and Desert camouflages are very good in their very specific environments, MTP is the best-performing across the widest range of environments, while only being marginally less effective than Woodland and Desert DPM in those areas.

MTP will be controlled to ensure it is only available for military issue; it will not be released for the manufacture of items for commercial sale.

The design principles of CS95 as a layered system of clothing allowing flexibility for temperature regulation remain extant. This has been retained in the PCS; however, it recognises the increased requirements for protection, both in the integration with body armour and incorporation of extremity protection and fittings for potential combat identification systems.

The PCS consists of three distinct elements that will be delivered separately.

The MTP camouflage outer layers consist of:

• Lightweight Jacket. A shirt that can be worn over a thermal or sweat-wicking layer. It can be worn either tucked into trousers or loose depending on environmental conditions.

In order to allow body armour to be worn over the top (in temperate conditions) buttons have been removed and replaced with Velcro and a zip. Chest bellows pockets have been replaced with map pockets with pen and notebook/compass stowage.

Bicep bellows pockets have been added to arms to allow stowage of ready access items when body armour is worn. In addition, pockets have been added to the outside forearms and elbows to allow for additional fragmentation/bump protection to be fitted if required.

The collar can be secured up when wearing body armour to reduce chafing. The bicep pockets have 'touch and close' panels to allow combat ID badges to be fitted if required.

A blanking plate protects the touch and close fastening while also allowing non-tactical badges (eg tactical recognition flashes) to be fitted while being removable in the field.

• Combat trousers. Thigh map pockets have been angled to allow easier access. A secure pocket has been added to waist pockets to allow stowage of small items. The draw cord has been removed. A seat panel has been added to reduce wear in the crotch. Map-pocket buttons have been shrouded to reduce snag hazards.

• Windproof smock. The design of the existing windproof smock has been retained as an outer garment principally for when body armour is not being worn. A mesh drop liner and armpit vents have been added to help with thermal regulation.

Buttons have been shrouded to reduce snag hazards. Behind the waist pockets, fleece-lined handwarmer pockets have been added. The windproof smock incorporates the same bicep pockets as the lightweight jacket.

• Rank slides. No change to the current design. Only low-contrast, all-arms rank slides are to be worn on MTP. Regimental/high contrast rank slides for wear in camp are to be on plain/regimental backgrounds.

• Helmet covers. No change to the existing range of helmet cover design, although an update is in development.

Ancillary items will include insulation and sweat-wicking layers, consisting of:

• T-shirt. Base layer, providing both thermal insulation and sweat-wicking. Based upon the current operational hot-weather t-shirt.

• Underwear. Sweat-wicking, anti-microbial unisex undershorts based upon the existing operational underwear.

• Thermal shirt. A micro-fleece base layer shirt with zippered collar (replacing the CS95 Norwegian shirt).

• Thermal smock. A micro-fleece-lined mid-layer, with windproof and showerproof outer, to provide increased insulation under the windproof smock (replaces the CS95 fleece).

• Under Body Armour Combat Shirt (UBACS). A sweat-wicking torso with lightweight jacket sleeves and a zippered neck for wear under body armour in hot weather environments.

Various different designs of waterproof garments are currently being assessed as part of the ongoing development of the PCS with an expected fielding date of 2012. All items will be in MTP.

A review of the need for specific female designs is underway and results will be trialled accordingly. These will be rolled out separately once designs have been finalised.

Units will change to the new CU over three years from Spring 2011 in accordance with FLC fielding plans. In order to control expenditure, task issues to units will be spread over three financial years before units will be allowed to demand items direct. Issuing to recruits will begin in the second half of 2011. Unit CS95 stocks will be withdrawn and reissued to units later in the fielding plan to minimise waste.

Ancillary items will be available for issue from mid-2011. They will be issued in bulk to recruits along with issues of CU. Personnel previously issued with CS95 will only receive the new ancillary items for operations or to replace CS95 equivalent items that have worn out. Current CS95 ancillary items are fully compatibe with the PCS CU and will remain in use as long as stocks are available.

Hot weather CU and ancillary items will be issued to personnel deploying on Op HERRICK 15 and to other operations or overseas training exercises from mid-2011. Hot weather clothing will be of the same design as the temperate combat uniform but in a lightweight, breathable cloth. The permanent treatment of hot weather clothing with insecticide is being developed.

[McFriday]

Merino Wool??
I wonder how long the positive properties of fine Merino have been known to say, Spain, Australia, NZ, Britain and Japan?

Good to see the US R&D folks are still World Leaders in the benefits of natural fibres, even when blended.

Dupont, Monsanto et al must be losing their grip of their spin doctors if a natural fibre is getting good press for potential military use. LOL

They've still a little way to go in the US if sheep [plural] can be called a herd, it could be a progression from flock to mob to herd I suppose. Just doesn't sound right does it?

I wonder if the US R&D/purchasing people realise there is a major, experienced, reliable exporter [or two] among their close Allies that could help out if the supply [herd] is limited or a little short on quality?

Here's hoping they succeed in getting their Merino based garments very widely used and also that the US lets us export Peppins wool to them if their herd really is too small.

If we did, it would probably be through a Chinese broker or wool wash. Ahh, progress.

I apologise in advance if I've offended any fan of nylon, dacron, rayon or flubber but I'm an unabashed fan of Merino wool garments, especially the non itchy, non smelly, water repellant, non flammable types we neanderthals have been using for over 30 years.

Cheers,
Mac

[buglerbilly]

Level Peaks MultiCam Technical Windproof Smock In Stock

February 10th, 2011

Despite high demand, Level Peaks has finally gotten the Technical Windproof Smock back in stock. They go quick, and demand will be even higher with the MoD just announcing the new Personal Clothing System. Many troops will not receive PCS for some time and will be looking for a high quality alternative. As you may recall, the new Multi Terrain pattern adopted last year by her Majesty’s forces was developed in conjunction with Crye Precision. While MTP is uniquely British, you can see the similarities with MultiCam. Wearing the two patterns together is almost seamless. It’s nothing at all like pairing the old Woodland DPM with the US Woodland. In fact, MultiCam and MTP blend in splendidly. Since, MTP is tightly controlled by the MoD commercial products are nonexistent further complicating matters for those who want to upgrade their kit now rather than waiting for the QM Stores to catch up. On the flip side, the design of the Smock is excellent and is a great product for those outside of the UK who use MultiCam.



A Quick Review of the MultiCam Technical Windproof Smock:

- Made from the finest materials
– Nanosphere with built in mosquito repellent.
– Wind, sand, & water resistant. This aids the resistance to stain from blood, oils, and other liquids.
– Anti-bacterial to enhance the anti-odor properties.
– Coldblack – the sun reflector technology reduces the products heat by 40%.
- Lightweight, low bulk & extremely comfortable.
- Not to mention sleeve pockets, chest pockets, Napoleon pockets, and fleece lined ‘Slack Time’ hand pockets.

In addition to MultiCam, the Smock is also offered in DPM 95. Level Peaks will also produce the Smock in MTP, Digi Cam (MARPAT), Black, Foliage Green, and Sand under contract.

www.levelpeaks.com

[buglerbilly]

New Chinese Digicam and Body Armor Vest

by christian on February 15, 2011



A tipster sent us a link to a post on some new Chinese body armor and an intriguing digital camouflage pattern their troops are wearing.

We posted a story several months ago where some new digital patterns were spotted at a Chinese military parade – even incorporating the patterns on vehicles. Kind of reminds one of Lt. Col. Tim O’Neil’s experiments at West Point back in the day where he and his students painted roller-sized camo patterns on an old M113 armored transport.

Anyway, I can’t tell which service of the PLA this soldier comes from, but the pattern sure looks like a desert/arid one. Though my critique is that it lacks a micro-pattern. All the data I’ve seen is that in order for fractal patterns to work best, they need to incorporate both a macro (large splotches) and micro (smaller splotches) pattern in order to trick the eye and blend better into backgrounds.

I’m no scientist, just an observer and a bit camo obsessed. But like most things coming out of Chinese industry, it seems a cheap imitation and lacks a sort of Western sophistication. But I’m willing to hear counter arguments on this.

Also, the post on Defence Talk mentions the new armor vest the soldier is wearing. Interesting on the face of it to see MOLLE webbing on there. Another good idea ripped off from the West. But if you read the text that accompanies the post, it mentions some interesting industrial data that hits at the core of body armor effectiveness (which includes the weight penalty).

A note on the Chinese hard plate, since they don’t have access to the material to make boron carbide ceramic, their higher-end plates use aluminum oxide ceramic but because the Chinese military is typically cheap-stick, most of their hard plates use ballistic steel, which is up to 3 times heavier than the ceramic plates.

This is very interesting. How could a society so tapped into the Western market not be able to obtain B2C? I can see the reason to go cheap with steel in such a large military. But still, they can’t make Boron Carbide plates? Seems strange to me but a significant advantage for Western militaries.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1E52I6iHk

This is a pic from early last year.....

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems...............

EOD Warrior

February 16th, 2011



Yes, this is essentially gear porn, but it gives you an idea of what the best dressed EOD techs are wearing and how they are equipped; with ZERO POINT kit naturally. This particular specimen was found in the ADS Inc booth at SHOT Show. We’ve reviewed a couple of bits of bits and pieces from Zero Point in the past and this post serves as a great teaser for a couple of upcoming articles featuring even more kit you can’t live without, whether you are EOD, or not.

www.zeropointusa.com and don’t forget, all ZERO POINT products can be purchased through ADS.

[buglerbilly]

Marines Sport Dual Camo in Sangin

by christian on February 18, 2011



I just finished up a story for Military.com News about the last Taliban stronghold in Sangin, Afghanistan, when I ran across this photo.

I think I’d heard something about this a while ago, but it seems as if grunts from 3/5, which has been doing a lot of the fighting there, have opted to wear their woodland helmet covers while retaining the desert Marpat for everything else.

We reported that Marines would be given the option to mix and match back in December.

If you search through the archives of combat photos from Sangin, you’ll see that there are a lot of irrigation ditches and such that go from white/tan canals to lush green fields in one body length. So it makes sense to kit out with this mix and match.

We’d love to hear from anyone who’s in the AO — or has just gotten back — about the history and logic of this intriguing setup. Reminds me of the Brits who mixed and died their uniforms when they were in charge in Sangin.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1EM4tIUDA

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Ssystems..........bloody good gear this according to one of my Knife collecting buddies in the USA..........he's got a bunch bought for him as the Sherrif of a small town and has kitted his Deputies out with the same.........

Arborwear Stretch Tech Pant

February 23rd, 2011



It’s literally been years since we last wrote about Arborwear. We hadn’t spoken with anyone from Arborwear in quite some time and they’ve always been considered a bit of a specialist brand. After all, the company was started by lumberjacks. But, we ran into Arborwear Team Captain Bill Weber at last month’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in SLC and it became blatantly obvious how much we have missed out on. They have just gotten better and better. They make a lot of great clothing but one thing that caught my eye was the Stretch Tech Pant. I’ve always loved the Tech Pant with its comfortable fabric and cut that moves with you. This new Stretch Tech Pant doesn’t disappoint.

They come equipped with two front pockets and two rear pockets along with a side cargo pocket and utility pocket. The bottom cuffs feature 18″ zippers and Velcro tabs to fit over boots. Available in Teflon-coated Charcoal four-way stretch fabric they include Black Kevlar knee patches which are darn near indestructible. Waist sizes 28-44.

www.arborwear.com

[buglerbilly]

As a slight aside, Soldier Systems had a pic of a 82nd Airborne soldier extracting his chute from some trees.............the Camo uniform is what is interesting to me..............unusual pattern?

[buglerbilly]

You want camouflage, THIS is camouflage!



http://www.huntech.co.nz/

[buglerbilly]

Safariland Introduces A-TACS to Their PROTECH Tactical Line

March 17th, 2011

NOT sure where this pattern lies in the scheme of things but it appears to be popular with some of the US Federal and Police forces................Danner have a set of boots in this camo pattern........

Safariland, a BAE Systems line of business, has announced a partnership with Digital Concealment Systems, LLC to exclusively offer the A-TACS® (Advanced Tactical Concealment System) camouflage pattern within the body armor category.



“We are excited to add the A-TACS line of camouflage offerings to our PROTECH brand,” said Dan McNeil, Category Director for Armor Tactical products. “Our partnership with A-TACS is another step in the right direction of providing products that meet and exceed the requirements of law enforcement officers and agencies serving our communities every day.”

A-TACS will be available as a color option for all of PROTECH’s tactical carriers and soft tactical armor accessories such as yokes, throats, collars, biceps, groin protectors and pouches.

For more information on PROTECH’s offerings visit www.safariland.com/bodyarmor.

[buglerbilly]

You now get matching gun furniture for your latest Camo..................via the Firearm Blog :razz

Safariland A-TACS Shotgun Stocks

Safariland is manufacturing SPEEDFEED I and SPEEDFEED III shotgun stocks in A-TACS camo for Mossberg and Remington shotguns.





They are available for the Remington 870, Remington 1100, Remington 1187 and Mossberg 500/590. The MSRP is $149.95.

[buglerbilly]

Australian SAS Gets Wrong MultiCam Uniforms

by christian on March 25, 2011



Chalk it up to that pesky metric system, but it looks as if some Australian SAS troopers slaying bodies in The Stan were close to having to squeeze their junk into combat uniforms built for slighter chaps.

According to an article in The Australian, apparently the Australian MOD screwed up and didn’t make the US/AUS conversion in sizes, so almost 100 uniforms came in a bit slighter than the snakeaters could accommodate.


The mistake was made during the trial of the new US-made “Multicam” combat uniforms when the Defence Materiel Organisation placed the order using Australian clothes sizes, neglecting to translate them into the equivalent US sizes for the American manufacturer.

As a result, about 100 SAS uniforms arrived in smaller sizes that did not resemble the robust SAS physique. The army had to redistribute them to non-special forces soldiers whose less-toned body shapes better resembled the wrongly-sized uniforms.

As one Australian TV reporter put it to the Minister of Defense: “No one made the difference between Australian sizing and American sizing, so they’re too small for the big blokes of the SAS.”

To the best of our knowledge these are Crye Precision combat uniforms. We’ve pinged the company for their take on this but have not received a reply.

You’ll remember that based on an earlier “trial” by the SAS in Afghanistan, the Australian MOD elected to purchase 5,000 Crye combat uniforms in MultiCam for all Australian troops to wear who go “outside the wire” in the AO. The MOD said that batch of uniforms — with a $2 million AUS pricetag — was not affected by the size conversion snafu.

[Editor's Note: We found some awesome shots of Australian SAS operators in Afghanistan while we were searching for art for this story. We decided to include a gallery below of what we found...I'm glad they're on our side...]





Some appropriate comments from source:

Fitz175 · 2 hours ago

That bloke with the M-14 EBR is CPL Ben Roberts Smith who recently received the Victoria Cross ( the equivalent of your Medal of Honor) for being an extreme ass kicker since he single handedly charged down an MG nest then took out a fortified enemy position.

M=bob · 1 hour ago

is it just me, or does that m14 have a scope and a holographic sight?

Jimmy · 7 minutes ago

It's a 3x magnifier for the EO Tech

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/03/australian-sas-gets-wrong-multicam-uniforms.html#ixzz1HfCaDVCn

[buglerbilly]

SEALs to Keep Combat Uniform

by christian on March 25, 2011



We’ll be posting a story on Military.com this afternoon about the delayed decision and issue of the Navy’s new working uniform in Type II and III camouflage.

What we can tell KU readers now, however, is that Navy leadership has decided that the SEALs — and those “in support” of SEAL teams — will be issued the more high-tech combat uniform and will not be subjected to the “garrison” cut of what might eventually become the final NWU Type II and III design.

If this is a bit confusing, we understand. Be sure to read the story we wrote on the progress of the Navy Working Uniform Type II and Type III at Military.com and the further (informed) speculation of the controversy over which design will be picked in our post at Kit Up!

Now it seems the SEALs have won their fight to keep the big arm pockets, angled chest pockets and articulated cut of their NWUs, while Riverine, EOD and Intel specialists could still be subjected to the clout of the Seabee community, which wants a more garrison style along the lines of the Type I NWU (though still in the Type III woodland scheme, not the blue and gray “fleet” camo).

We’ll be disclosing some other information about legacy Navy uniforms in the Military.com story to be posted this afternoon — we’re giving Navy HQ a chance to respond to some follow-ups. So be sure to check out the News at Military.com this afternoon for an update.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1HfHO5Rnr

[buglerbilly]

Navy’s New Working Uniform Delayed

March 25, 2011

Military.com|by Christian Lowe



The Navy's top officer said March 23 the service has delayed fielding a new uniform designed for Sailors who are deployed to land-based combat zones.

In remarks to reporters at a breakfast meeting in Washington, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said he's still waiting on proposals for which design to field in the Naval Working Uniform Type II and Type III camouflage patterns. The CNO also indicated a desire to abandon the old tri-color desert uniform worn by Sailors and SEALs for years.

"I'm trying to get the number of uniforms we use as lean as we can because, even though it may not sound like a lot of money in the general scheme of things, uniforms are hugely expensive," Roughead said. "You eventually get to the point where the term uniform is obsolete because everybody wants their own and it's no longer a uniform."

Though Roughead wants to guard against customization, he conceded that SEALs and Sailors who support them such as Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen and explosives disposal teams have a requirement for a so-called "fighting uniform" specifically designed for their missions.

"Clearly the uniform that the SEALs are wearing has some very special features that I believe need to be in limited distribution," he said.

In August, Navy uniform officials told Military.com that the service was conducting tests on two different designs of a Navy Working Uniform in two new patterns -- Type II, which resembles the Marine Corps desert pattern and Type III, which closely mimics the Corps' woodland scheme. The uniforms are intended to be worn by Sailors in combat zones on land-based assignments and would be the day-to-day uniform for those in the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and Naval Special Warfare community.

Sailors around the rest of the fleet will still wear the Type I NWU in the gray and blue pixel pattern.

Officials said the final design of the Type II and III uniform was to be decided last fall with fielding of 70,000 uniforms beginning in the spring of 2011. But Roughead indicated he's still receiving proposals on which way to go and for whom to field the uniforms.

"We're in the process now of determining what the rest of the force will use," Roughead said. However, Navy spokesman Lt. Matt Allen told Military.com that fielding of the NWU Type II and III is "on track for distribution to appropriate units."

Sources say the debate pits the Seabees, who want a "garrison" design for the uniform with vertical blouse pockets and a more traditional cut, against the Naval Special Warfare community and those who support them -- including Riverine and EOD units -- who want a more combat appropriate design.

Roughead acknowledged the debate but said it goes beyond the Seabees and SEALs, saying, "I wish it was as simple as only two groups."

Roughead also said that despite what uniform officials had disclosed last year, the service may be poised to abandon the tri-color "desert combat uniform." Navy officials had previously indicated that the Type II camo scheme would only be fielded to SEALs and that Sailors deployed to Afghanistan, for example, would still be required to wear the ‘90s-era DCU.

"I'll be getting some proposals on which way we want to go with, particularly the desert uniform we've been wearing now for decades," Roughead added. "My objective is that the rest of the force will be in a [single] uniform."

Roughead said he plans to make a final decision by late May.

© Copyright 2011 Military.com. All rights reserved.

[buglerbilly]

UPDATE: Uniform Size Problem for SAS Not Crye’s Fault

by christian on March 30, 2011



We got a note from Crye Precision clarifying the controversy over the uniform sizing snafus for the Australian SAS that we wrote about last week.

According to a senior company official, Crye had nothing to do with the purchase of the uniforms for the SAS that were mis-sized. This was apparently done by the third party and Crye simply provided the uniforms they’d been asked for.

But our source also gave us some good gouge on how things are going with the much larger order of about 5,000 MultiCam combat uniforms — we’re told they are the brand new G3 model and that they were fully delivered to the Australian MOD by the end of February (sorry US customers)…Our source tells us:

In my experience, they have taken a great deal of care in every aspect of the procurement process. They have been extremely thorough and when it comes to sizing, they have ordered a far wider variety than most customers…14 sizes of shirt (out of our stock 28 size options) and 24 sizes of pants (out of our stock 40 size options). Many customers will only choose a fraction of that but the MOD has taken time to be more selective and, in turn, will most likely benefit from our more tailored sizing offerings.

Crye has also left open the door for small runs of custom sizes for those odd shaped blokes and Sheilas. But suffice to say, the company itself claims they didn’t cause the “cock up.”

Hope this helps clear things up with those who’re wondering whether the MOD screwed up and also why the supply chain for G3 uniforms might have been jammed up.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1I8M0v9Lf

[Raven22]

I was fitted for the new Multicam uniforms today. You feel pretty mercenary when wearing them. The pants are ridiculously over-engineered, but the shirt is comfy as hell.

Got issued the new TBAS today as well. Surprise surprise, the stuff rocks. The Tier 2 stuff is light, comfy as hell and gives excellent range of motion to the user. For once we've actually picked the right bit of kit. All the pouches that go with it are pretty good as well. Why they don't just buy SORD/Platatac stuff in the first place instead of getting ADA to make a near copy I will never know, but it is pretty good. The only exception is the magazine pouch that is a combination of a normal pouch with a flap over the top and a shingle. They should have just made it one or the other (and give the user both). The next tranche of the TBAS will come in Multicam as well, instead of just the khaki colour currently.

[ADMk2]

I was fitted for the new Multicam uniforms today. You feel pretty mercenary when wearing them. The pants are ridiculously over-engineered, but the shirt is comfy as hell.

Got issued the new TBAS today as well. Surprise surprise, the stuff rocks. The Tier 2 stuff is light, comfy as hell and gives excellent range of motion to the user. For once we've actually picked the right bit of kit. All the pouches that go with it are pretty good as well. Why they don't just buy SORD/Platatac stuff in the first place instead of getting ADA to make a near copy I will never know, but it is pretty good. The only exception is the magazine pouch that is a combination of a normal pouch with a flap over the top and a shingle. They should have just made it one or the other (and give the user both). The next tranche of the TBAS will come in Multicam as well, instead of just the khaki colour currently.

SORD and Platatac don't "grease the wheels" well enough to make it worthwhile to some (perhaps ex- now) members of the Clothing SPO to pick their stuff...

Harsh I know, but not undeserved for all that...

Good to hear the Digs are getting good kit at last and some sensible decisions (boots etc) have finally been made, however torturous the process was to actually get there!!!

[Raven22]

Some of the kit actually is SORD/Platatac. For instance, the medical pouch is commercially available SORD, the big bag the whole system comes in is commercially available Platatac (and is awesome - I'll have to find a way to 'lose' it).

It does make a mockery of the whole no non-issued ammunition pouches thing though when you get issued the exact same pouch that previously you were not allowed to wear. There is an interesting loop hole though. You can't use non-issued ammunition pouches, but you can use unit funds to buy commercially available ammunition pouches and issue them out through the Q-store. Voila - all of a sudden it is an issued pouch.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.........

Italian Future Soldier System to Feature TenCate Defender-M Fabric

April 6th, 2011

TenCate Protective Fabrics EMEA has announced that it has an initial order from the Italian manufacturer Aero Sekur S.p.A (Aprilia, Italy) for the delivery of enough of their Defender-M fabric to produce 600 uniforms for use in the Italian ‘Soldier of the Future’ program called Forza NEC (Network Enabled Capability). Aero Sekur is responsible for the clothing and NBC components of Forza NEC. Each kit includes two combat suits, one over-garment, three types of boots, one sniper poncho, one NBC protective suit, and an NBC mask and filter. This photo shows the NBC ensemble.

http://www.tencate.com/



TenCate Protective Fabrics EMEA Marketing & Sales Director Ramon Overdijk commented to Reuters, “Fire-resistant TenCate Defender(TM) M proved to be the decisive factor during the wide-ranging selection by the Italian Ministry of Defence of a fabric that is both fire-resistant and comfortable, so lightweight. TenCate is able to provide the fabric in a variety of camouflage patterns or supply it in several solid colours. This makes the fabric versatile in its use for the protection of several branches of the armed forces, such as the army, special units, air force and navy.”

TenCate’s Defender-M is used in the US Army’s FR ACU as well as the USMC’s FROG ensemble.

[buglerbilly]

Crye Uniform Order to be Woodland

by christian on April 11, 2011



We reported last week that MarSOC had issued a notice of intent on FedBizOpps to procure nearly 1,000 sets of Fire Resistant Organizational Gear ensembles from Crye Precision.

We weren’t sure what pattern these uniforms would be in and the FBO documentation didn’t say. The notice was updated two days later to reflect that the Corps wanted them in woodland camo and wanted them made in a specified material…

The uniforms that will be provided by Crye Precision, Inc will be a Defender M material in NATO woodland print with modified pockets and drawstrings. The uniforms will also contain knee and elbow pad inserts.

We pinged Crye and got a note last week that the notice on FBO was the first the company had heard of MarSOC’s request. Our Crye source told us they had supplied the leathernecks with “a custom variant of our G3 Combat Shirt and Pant using the NATO Woodland pattern.” Sounds like the same thing to us, but doesn’t Propper make FROG for the Corps?

We’re working to clarify the issue, but suffice it to say, MarSOC is poised to buy a bunch of Crye combat uniforms in woodland — can you say Afghan army/commando training mission?

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1JGZhbEt8

[buglerbilly]

Via Tactical Fanboy blog...........

Ghost Army Tactical Multicam “Penumbra” Snipers Tactical Boonie Concealment Cap

May 23rd, 2011



Ghost Army Tactical is now working on their own line of gear, including the “Penumbra” Boonie. Each Penumbra is made from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop US Army Issue Multicam low IR Glow material. 550 Para cord attachment points cover the hat, allowing for the addition of gillie suit scrim, while loop Velcro panels allow for the attachment of patches, IR glint tape, and an IR distress beacon attachment. Heavy duty abrasion resistant nylon mesh covers the top of the hat, keeping the wearer cool while keeping sunlight out. Each “Penumbra” is custom made to order and is manufactured in the USA.

“Penumbra” – Ghost Army Tactical Store
http://www.ghostarmytacticalstore.com/ghostarmytacticalmulticampenumbrasniperstacticalbo oniecap.aspx

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog...............

Talos Halfshell Top from Arc’teryx LEAF

May 26th, 2011



The long anticipated companion to the Talos combat pant from Arc’teryx LEAF is finally available through Tactical Distributors. Manufactured from 50/50 NYCO sleeves and collar paired with a Cyberknit torso, the Talos Halfshell top is a nop melt no drip garment. It features inset bicep pockets, a mandarin collar and a torso designed to be tucked in.

Act now and get 10% off when you purchase the top and pants together.

www.tacticaldistributors.com

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog...............

Crye to Develop New Camo Pattern for Australia

May 30th, 2011

Last Fall, Australian Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced that they would be adopting MultiCam uniforms for their troops deploying to Afghanistan. He also made mention of a deal in the works with Crye Precision to develop an Australia specific derivative similar to what Crye did for the UK when they produced Multi Terrain Pattern (MTP).

According to Defence Materiel Organisation chief executive Dr Stephen Gumley, the first 5000 sets of the new MultiCam uniforms are being issued to troops in Afghanistan. Australian SF have been using MultiCam for several years but this is a first for conventional Australian troops who most recently had been trialling a uniform in the so-called DPMU pattern based on the distinct Auscam pattern but with Afghanistan specific coloring.

Earlier today, BRIG Mike Phelps (Director General, Integrated Soldier Systems Division, Land Systems Division, Defence Materiel Organisation) announced that they had issued contracts with Crye in the amount of $US4.7 million for a license to manufacture in Australia and $US3.1 million for Crye to develop a uniquely Australian camouflage pattern. He went on to add that the first prototypes should be available in five weeks.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.............

ABS Now Available in OCP

May 30th, 2011

The Airman Battle Shirt is now available from Massif, the government supplier in MultiCam (OCP) in addition to Air Force Digital Tigerstripe. This is great news for units looking for the functionality of the ABS, a component of the Airman Battle System – Ground which is normally issued to deploying Airmen. However, the AF recently decided to adopt the Army’s organizational clothing ensemble in order to streamline its transition to OCP for Afghanistan-bound troops meaning that they receive an Army issue of clothing and equipment including FR ACUs and Army Combat Shirt. Based on the ACS, the ABS adds forearm pockets to the design.



www.massif.com

[buglerbilly]

More on this....................

Aussies Ask Crye for New Camo Pattern

by christian on May 31, 2011



In yet another sign that Caleb Crye and his team are taking over the world, it turns out the Australian army is following in its British brethren’s footsteps and contracted with Crye Precision to field a new camo pattern for the ADF.

Our friends at Soldier Systems had the scoop first…

“We have just in the last week negotiated an arrangement with the Crye company for them to design an Australian version of their pattern in the various materials,” Dr. Stephen Gumley, ADF chief of materiel, told a Senate estimate committee.

Brigadier Mike Phelps, director-general of integrated soldier systems, said contracts had been signed with Crye earlier this month, paying $US4.7 million for licences to manufacture in Australia and $US3.1 million for Crye to develop a uniquely Australian camouflage pattern.

“The multicam pattern is a proven pattern. It works in-theatre,” he said. “The US use it, the UK use their own unique variant.”

We reported last year that the ADF had decided to outfit all its forces in Afghanistan with Crye combat uniforms in MultiCam after their defense officials deemed the uniform and pattern so successful in tests with Australian SAS troops. We also updated our readers on some snafus in ordering sizes for the SAS units, but Crye told us the orders for the overall force were right on.

It now seems that the ADF is so confident in Crye’s workthat they’re jumping on the bandwagon and joining the Brits in their pursuit of a Crye-designed camo pattern. But it is still unclear to me which pattern this Crye design will replace…the desert Auscam or jungle (which they seem pretty satisfied with) — or will it be a third pattern?

It is also interesting to see how this might affect the Army’s pursuit of a camo pattern family. With Crye inking these high profile deals with major NATO allies, does it push their pattern further into the Army’s lap, or does it potentially take MultiCam (or a variant thereof) out of the running?

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/05/aussies-ask-crye-for-new-camo-pattern.html#ixzz1O13JITDj
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

SF Snipers Dig Tyr Rigs

by christian on June 1, 2011



Sure I was at Bragg to learn about SF snipers, CIF team members and the overall Army Special Forces lay of the land these days, but hey I like gear just like the next guy…and fortunately the sniper school instructors do too.

I picked over all their rigs and one of the things that popped out was this web gear rig with some attractive accoutrements.

One of the lead instructors showed me his Tyr Tactical COMA Sniper Harness and the costumized pouch setup Tyr had designed for them.

The COMA MSS Sniper Harness is an extremely lightweight versatile load carriage platform that was developed with the direct feedback from US Special Operations Snipers. The COMA features TYR’s uniquely designed low profile shoulder harness that allows for exceptional load carriage and comfort. The Lower Back Panel is easily adjustable for the height of the wearer and has additional padding for lower lumbar support. The Lower Back Panel also has a low profile storage pocket to provide additional space for food, batteries, etc. that are essential but not immediate action items that can be accessed when not wearing the harness actively.

I spoke with Tyr’s top honcho Jason Beck about his sniper gear and he told me that he likes to work closely with the SF sharpshooters and CIF door kickers on refining his designs. He has what he calls a “combat development trailer” that he brings with him to Range 37 and sits with the instructors on their down time to literally hand make the kits.

The COMA rig is super light, really comfortable and ultimately configurable, the snipers said. It was their go to rig for all their field evaluations and held their Glocks, mags, water, ballistic computers and radios. In all fairness, though, it’s important to note that Beck did provide 16 sniper instructors with free sample rigs.

One of the instructors I spoke with also raved about his Pico plate carrier. Beck said the COMA has been designed so that the harness cummerbund can mate with the Pico, so you can interchange the rigs if you’re going hot.

The Lower Back Panel allows for the adjustability and removal of the cummerbunds so that the harness can better fit the operators needs or to be removed and fitted to the PICO Plate carrier. The cummerbunds that are already set up for your load carriage can be simply removed from the rear of the COMA Harness, remove the buckle kit and stored in the Lower Back Panel and placed on your PICO Plate Carrier. This allowed for less overall weight to be carried and the ability to expand or contract your load carriage needs based on the mission requirements.

Jason was kind enough to send me the list of the sniper loadout on the COMA. He also said that any Kit Up! readers who want to shop with Tyr can receive a 15 percent discount using coupon code: kituptyr11.

SF Sniper Instructor Loadout:

■ COMA Sniper harness
■ COMA back panel
■ Upright 5×7 GP pouch (x2)
■ MSS pouch
■ Trimble recon pouch
■ Single open top SR25 pouch
■ Single SR25 mag pouch
■ Leatherman MUT pouch
■ Small 5×5 GP pouch
■ Micro SOF IFAK

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/06/sf-snipers-dig-tyr-rigs.html#ixzz1O6kSEpoN
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog................

PenCott Teasers

June 21st, 2011

We’ve raved about Slangvel’s custom caps in the past. Check out these M43s in PenCott Camo.



We also told you that Italian combat uniform producer Special Operation Division would be producing uniforms in Hyde Definition’s patterns. Here’s your first look at the GreenZone pattern.

[buglerbilly]

Soldiers Tell Top NCO They Want MultiCam

June 21, 2011

Military.com|by Christian Lowe



Last week, the U.S. Army celebrated its 236th birthday by formally announcing that it would abandon the black beret with all but a select few uniforms. At the time, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler III said the beret was the top uniform complaint from Soldiers he'd surveyed in the field.

But during an interview with military bloggers on June 20, Chandler admitted that in addition to the beret complaints, he was hearing that Soldiers wanted to do away with their current camo uniforms and adopt the pattern now being worn by their counterparts in Afghanistan.

"A lot of the Soldiers brought up that they just want to have the MultiCam, or Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage pattern, as the standard design for all uniforms," Chandler said.

The Army did a radical about-face in 2009, adopting the MultiCam pattern developed by New York-based design firm Crye Precision to replace its so-called Universal Camo Pattern for Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. The Operation Enduring Freedom Camo Pattern, or OCP, is popular due to how it blends into the varied backgrounds across the combat zone.

Chandler's predecessor, Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Preston, told Military.com last summer he believed the service was right to shift away from the universal camouflage pattern adopted in 2005 to the MultiCam scheme.

"The OCP allows the Soldiers to get far closer to potential enemies before being observed," Preston said. "I believe [Soldiers] are safer" wearing the OCP.

The Army launched a follow-up program early this year to see whether MultiCam or a family of patterns designed for different climates would be a better fit Army-wide than the UCP.

The $10 million effort led by Program Executive Office Soldier will lead to a pattern for desert and arid climates, one for jungle and woodland zones and another so-called "transitional" pattern that will work in a wide range of potential combat zones. The Army will also select a fourth pattern to camouflage its tactical gear -- such as body armor covers and magazine pouches -- that can blend with all three.

Though Chandler emphasized cost savings as a factor in several uniform modification ideas, he dodged questions about the cost of fielding a family of camo patterns while the service is already buying OCP uniforms and gear for Afghanistan-bound troops and Soldiers seem to want the pattern for universal use.

"We're not going to do that," Chandler said of adopting MultiCam uniforms for all Soldiers. "We're looking at a new Army uniform through a very deliberate process with using some technology in industry to figure out a better pattern that works in more than just Afghanistan."

© Copyright 2011 Military.com. All rights reserved.

[Gubler, A.]

Our friends at Soldier Systems had the scoop first…!

Hahahahah. If by 'scoop' they mean 6 months after this forum... And even now they don't understand what is going on with the uniform.

[buglerbilly]

Hahahahah. If by 'scoop' they mean 6 months after this forum... And even now they don't understand what is going on with the uniform.

Yeah I know but they are American so as far as they were concerned it was a "scoop".............HA!

[buglerbilly]

Big Boys Do Crye: MultiCam for Australia

Posted on 25/06/2011 by N.R. Jenzen-Jones

Nic Jenzen-Jones



Please note: a number of serving Australian Army officers and soldiers were interviewed for this piece. Their names have been withheld at their request.

Anyone want to comment on any of this?

Last November the Minister for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare, announced that Australian troops operating in Afghanistan would be issued with Crye Precision MultiCam uniforms, following a successful trial. Australian special operations units had been wearing the pattern for some time, and the decision to expand its use to all troops in the theatre was a direct result of the positive feedback received by SOTG members. In late May of this year Chief Executive of the Defence Material Organisation, Dr Stephen Gumley, announced that the DMO had reached “an arrangement with the Crye company for them to design an Australian version of their pattern in the various materials”.

There have, however, been concerns about the final design, colouration and testing of the pattern, and some concerns from local industry and politicians.

The rise of MultiCam

The current, US-issue MultiCam pattern is already in service with a number of militaries, law enforcement organisations and private companies. The US Special Operations Command have been using the pattern for years now, and MultiCam had previously featured in various iterations of the US Army’s futuristic Future Force Warrior/Land Warrior program (cancelled in 2007).

Some of the first ‘real world’ adoptions of the camouflage came from the private sector, however. Blackwater tested MultiCam with some of its teams early on and featured the pattern in its ‘Pro Shop’ also (leftover product). Private contractors I have spoken to and worked with have also recognised the utility of MultiCam in Afghanistan, despite the tendency to avoid camouflage patterns.

The pattern is also in use with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Response Teams and a number of other US law enforcement agencies, some units of the British military (whilst awaiting the roll-out of their very own licensed Crye pattern, MTP) and the Australian Federal Police.

The UK has also adopted a variation of MultiCam. The Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) investigated the effectiveness of ten different camouflage patterns under the PECOC (Personal Equipment Common Operating Clothing) program. The assigned team conducted a wide range of tests, used computer modelling, developed several experimental techniques and tested the pattern in the UK, Cyprus, Kenya and Afghanistan. MultiCam, already in use by UK special operations forces, was the stand out of the test group. Crye was then asked to develop an exclusive pattern for the UK MoD. As one Crye representative said: “MultiCam won all their trials so they wanted us to develop a pattern for them that performed like MultiCam but had a distinctly British identity. UK-MTP is the result”. The pattern itself, properly called Multi-Terrain Pattern, features the familiar MultiCam colour palette in a design featuring brush-like strokes reminiscent of its predecessor, British Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM).

MultiCam for the ADF

The new Australian pattern will be developed for the ADF by Crye at a cost of US$3.1 million. Additionally, Defence will be licensing the rights to manufacture uniforms in the existing pattern, for a sum of US$4.7 million. The Australian pattern will be known as ‘Australian MultiCam Pattern’ (AMP). At this stage it is unclear whether AMP will feature the current MultiCam palette in a distinctly Australian pattern, in a similar approach to the UK’s MTP, or will also feature a colour range modified for Australian terrain. It is also unclear how widely uniforms in the new pattern will be distributed, and whether they will be issued for use in Australian terrain. Previous proposals, however, have not fared so well.

Around late March and early May of last year, a number of sources began reporting on the Australian Army’s field testing of a new ‘mid-point’ camouflage uniform, designed to “better meet the range of environments deployed troops are encountering”. Disruptive Pattern Midpoint Uniform (DPMU), or ‘vomit cams’ as two of the serving soldiers I interviewed referred to it, was a DSTO (Defence Science and Technology Organisation) project to develop an ‘Australian’ pattern camouflage in a colourway optimised for semi-arid regions. There were allegations made during the testing of this pattern that it had essentially been pre-selected for distribution, regardless of the outcome of the field testing. It was also stated that other patterns (the “US and UK solutions”) were undergoing testing at the same time as DPMU, however the AMP pattern was not mentioned at this stage.

Australian troops I spoke to have mixed feelings about the idea of introducing a new ‘Australian MultiCam’ to replace the DPCU pattern. The utility of the current-issue MultiCam pattern for overseas deployments – referred to in Australian service as Crye Precision Camouflage Uniform (CPCU) – has been widely acknowledged by Australian troops. As one serving Australian Army officer put it: “The MultiCam pattern is excellent for Afghanistan because of the relatively small distance between desert areas and green zones there, and the fact that we often have to operate in both of those areas as part of one operation”. However, the same officer went on to say that whilst the utility of the pattern for work in Afghanistan was widely acknowledged, there was an uncertainty as to how well the current colour palette would suit the Australian bush. DPCU, based on aerial photographs of Australian terrain and designed specifically for the country’s bushlands, is held in high regard by many of our troops. A serving digger interviewed stressed that DPCU is ideally suited for use in Australia and that, in his opinion, MultiCam (as it stands) should be reserved for troops deploying overseas. While it is unlikely, due to issues of cost, that two sets of uniforms (and spares) will be issued to all Australian-based ADF personnel, it may be that MultiCam is issued in anticipation of overseas deployment. It will be interesting to see how the balance will be struck.

The Crye uniforms currently being issued have gained a lot of their popularity with troops not just from the MultiCam pattern, but from the design of the uniforms themselves. Of course, there have been a few hiccups, notably in sizing. Nonetheless, several serving troops and officers I spoke with pointed out a number of design features that were very popular. The rip-stop fabric, location of pockets, knee and elbow padding, and cooler fabric designed for use under body armour were the stand-out features. It should be noted that these features are not exclusive to Crye’s range of products, and could be incorporated into uniforms produced in Australia using a licensed Crye pattern, or any other camouflage design.

Australian industry concerns

There has been some outcry (see comments section here) about the non-competitive adoption of a foreign camouflage pattern. The Shadow Defence Minister, David Johnston, has also asked for comment on the matter. Unfortunately for Australian designers and producers, MultiCam has a noted track record and enjoys a high-level of support from the troops. Of course, if the new AMP pattern turns out to be very similar to DPCU but featuring Crye’s colour palette (in the same vein as the UK’s MTP), one could reasonably ask why such a relatively minor change couldn’t have been conducted by an Australian company. Additionally, a shift towards Crye patterns by the US, UK, private sector companies and now Australia has the added effect of diminishing differences in appearance between various Western militaries.

One thing is for sure though, Crye Precision continues to represent what Western militaries believe is the vanguard of camouflage design, and will no doubt continue to be financially successful as a result. For the new AMP pattern to be successful it will require proper theoretical and operational testing in the environments it is expected to serve. If we decide to issue such a pattern to troops stationed in Australia, then it is my sincere hope appropriate tests are conducted in Australian terrain. Wise doctrinal guidance outlining the scope of deployment for the new pattern will also be necessary, and it will be interesting to see whether we arrive at a pattern designed to replace DPCU, or a pattern designed specifically for expeditionary use.

Addendum: We may well see an announcement of further details at Defence and Industry 2011, in Adelaide next week (28th – 30th June).

This piece has also appeared at KitUp!

[Raven22]

Big Boys Do Crye: MultiCam for Australia

. If we decide to issue such a pattern to troops stationed in Australia, then it is my sincere hope appropriate tests are conducted in Australian terrain. Wise doctrinal guidance outlining the scope of deployment for the new pattern will also be necessary, and it will be interesting to see whether we arrive at a pattern designed to replace DPCU, or a pattern designed specifically for expeditionary use.



As far as I've heard, the intent is still to have the Australianised Multicam uniform completely replace DPCU, with a time frame of around five years. I hope if this does happen though, they don't use the Crye uniform as the base, as I can't say I'm a fan. The shirt is good, with the under-armour front, but the pants are rubbish. Over engineered, too many pockets, too many different types and cuts of fabric etc. My preference would just be to use the new pattern on an updated DPCU cut, introducing different 'combat' shirts and 'barracks' shirts. The barracks shirts would just be normal, with the combat shirts introducing the under-armour front and a few other niceties (pockets sized to fit a CAT, Israeli bandage, cas card etc, IR strips built in etc). The basis of issue would be, say, two each for combat roles and one combat/three barracks for non combat roles.

I don't think there will be any dramas with the new multicam pattern passing Australian trials either. My limited experience is that the current multicam pattern is no worse than DPCU in Australian conditions. The Australianised version should be better still.

[buglerbilly]

Special Operations Apps’ Camouflage App and Direct-to-Garment Printing to Revolutionize Camo and Combat Uniforms

CamoScience Creator: "The best camo is the most specific camo."

06:34 GMT, June 27, 2011 HOLLYWOOD, Fla. | IMI 1st DIGITAL MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE -- CamoScience — the Special Operations Apps' smart-device breakthrough — and new Direct-to-Garment printing technology, the major focus at this week's 1st Digital Manufacturing Conference, may herald a revolution in military camouflage uniforms, according to K. Dominic Cincotti, president of MW Research and Development, Inc., and the creator of Photo-Stealth.

"In a matter of days — using new technologies and military intelligence already in hand for mission planning — precision camouflage uniforms for special operations and other combat/military units can now be created," Cincotti said, "with site-specific patterns and designs derived from photography of the actual operating environment gathered by satellites, drones, or the CamoScience app itself."

"The best camo is the most specific camo," Cincotti said.

"CamoScience, the photo application that turns site-specific photography into Photographic Camouflage patterns and designs, can now be coupled with advances in Direct-to-Garment printing — delivering uniforms at lower costs, in radically faster production runs, with the ability to execute and produce mission-specific uniforms in a fraction of previous production time," Cincotti said. Much of the discussion at the 1st Digital Manufacturing Conference revolved around these new capabilities.

Dr. Alan L. Hudd, managing director of the British Direct-to-Garment innovation firm Xennia Technology, addressed the conference on "Building manufacturing processes and products drop by drop." Dr. Hudd outlined the inkjet proposition as a manufacturing technique and creating new products through a technology push and market pull. Dr. Hudd's speech also described technology requirements and complexities, and discussed inkjet and new functional materials as part of the developing application processes.

Mark Hanley, president of I.T. Strategies in Hanover, Mass., spoke on the prospects for inkjet technology's success in digital manufacturing, how worldwide digitization drives digital manufacturing, and the relative strengths of the inkjet process.

"We are seeing the advent of just-in-time camouflage, using completely digital processes," Cincotti said, "that includes customization to specific areas of operation, no material waste, and a tremendous savings on labor and resources. We no longer need to stockpile millions of uniforms with a generalized, ineffective camo pattern because we are unsure of where the next threat will emerge.

"We can create uniforms on-demand for the precise environment," he said, "and adjust production runs accordingly. The very same digital intelligence and GEOINT the military gathers for mission planning can and should serve as the basis for the camouflage design of vehicles and uniforms — to truly blend in."

Cincotti noted that the operation against Osama bin Laden, and others like it, are the kind of SOF missions that would benefit from the Photo-Stealth camo and the CamoScience app. "Just as they used GEOINT to create a replica of the bin Laden compound, so too can we create uniforms — and vehicles — camouflage-specific to that micro-environment, using the same type of intelligence" he said. "And now we can produce the uniforms with Direct-to-Garment printing faster than they can make the site mock-ups."

In the field, the CamoScience App delivers designs and patterns in a real-time, three-step process, he said.

• Select from over 20 design templates.
• Take photos.
• Edit or augment reality features.

"All three steps occur within the mobile device," Cincotti said. "Then you transmit or email the designs, and we start production."

To develop CamoScience, the MW R&D Apps Team paired with NASA veteran Dr. Craig Hunter. Dr. Hunter and his brother Todd founded Hunter Research & Technology and are renowned as the minds behind The Theodolite App for the iPhone 4, the best-selling navigation application. CamoScience™ is a new type of hybrid app, blending Hunter's advanced understanding of app development and the groundbreaking site-specific Photographic Camouflage created in 2007 by Cincotti.

The IMI 1st Digital Manufacturing Conference, entitled "Opportunities for Manufacturing Rebirth," examines the current digital manufacturing technologies, application opportunities, challenges, improvements to enhance implementation, economics and other factors in expansion of digital manufacturing. The conference opened Wednesday and concludes today at the Marriott Hollywood Beach.

Special Operations Apps was launched last month, with the release of the CamoScience app by MW R&D. Nine more Special Operations Apps are slated for release this year, with more currently in development.

CamoScience is a photo application native to the Apple iPad 2/iPhone 4, with its Android counterpart soon to be released.

Special Operations Apps — a company affiliated with, but independent of MW R&D — designs and fields apps specifically for warfighter mobile devices, touchscreens, laptops, and smartphones.

Cincotti, who founded MW R&D, has developed more than a dozen patent-pending CCD technologies. As MW R&D president, Cincotti is credited with creating Photographic Camouflage, camera-derived camo design that is an orders-of-magnitude advance over paint and pattern concealment. Using site-specific, digitally enhanced GEOINT imaging, Cincotti has developed a cluster of intellectual properties, including Photo-Stealth, Photo-Real, T.R.I.G.G.E.R., RO.U.T.E.S., MW Gripz, Photo Veil, 3D Hot Targets, P.I.R.A.T.E., and P.I.R.A.T.E. 3D.

CamoScience passed beta testing earlier this year, debuted in late February, and is in final testing phases.

Within days of the CamoScience announcement in February, the U.S. Army released a solicitation for a service-wide Camouflage Improvement Effort (Solicitation Number W911QY-11-R-0008), which has as its objectives development of a family of camouflage patterns that offers improved concealment and reduced detection capability over current patterns and acquisition of the data rights for a portion or all of the best performing camouflage-pattern families.

The digital process to create the Photo-Stealth camouflage has been in place since 2007, Cincotti said, but the textile process currently used to manufacture military camouflage uniforms is essentially the same process used in the Vietnam era. "We needed the Direct-to-Garment know-how that we have now. Textile camo production needed an overhaul for the digital age."

CamoScience™, was developed from two of MW R&D's patent-pending technologies, Photo-Real and Photo-Stealth, new camouflage processes introduced in 2007, designed initially for the unique requirements of U.S. Special Forces.

Photo-Stealth consists of layered, site-specific Photo-over-Photo Camouflage patterns, and Photo-Real consists of Photo-over-Colors patterns derived from site-specific photographic images of the intended operating environment or prevalent geographical features. Both breakthroughs use state-of-the-art inking infused onto specially developed vinyls, directly adapting the visible wavelength to the site-specific environment, with algorithmically fine-tuned images "averaged" and merged into the camo design scheme.

"We have already produced Photo-Real and Photo-Stealth designs for vehicles utilizing completely digital inkjet printing technologies," Cincotti said. "Now with Direct-to-Garment advances, the final hurdles that had prevented textile applications have been overcome. So, finally, we can now apply camera-derived camo to uniforms.

"We also believe that CamoScience and Direct-to-Garment printing has huge potential for commercial applications," Cincotti said, "especially since camouflage products are more popular than ever. Hunters and outdoorsmen know that these processes will produce better camo, and they're part of a worldwide market that has moved to digitization and one which craves individual customization."

At Special Operations Apps, Cathlena Spencer, who the led the commercial-application team for CamoScience serves as Chief Technology Officer. Mark Tocci, a former Ranger and patent-pending inventor, is Vice President of Business Development. David Mullins, a former Special Forces operator, leads in-house subject matter experts. Cincotti, in addition to his duties at Special Operations Apps, continues as president of MW R&D.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog................

Crye All Weather Combat Shirt

July 6th, 2011



Crye’s All Weather Combat Shirt is based on the same design of the current G3 Combat Shirt but rather, built from a 4-way stretch woven laminate treated on the exterior with NANO STX for extreme weather resistance. A wicking, midweight, high-performance flame resistant DRIFIRE knit torso is paired with reinforced, 4-way stretch laminate sleeves to provide a warmer base than the standard Crye Precision Combat Shirts. Large easy access zip vents allow a massive amount of ventilation when needed. The All Weather Combat Shirt features stretch woven upper back coverage for added weather protection and a zip collar that allows easy donning and doffing. The elbows accept the Crye Precision removable AirFlex Elbow Pads. Made in the US from US materials (this means Berry Compliant). Offered in MultiCam, Black, Ranger Green, and Khaki in sizes XSmall – XXXLarge, Reg and Tall lengths.

And you can order it from Level Peaks before you can get it anywhere else.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.............

Mission Pac Adds Outer Garments

July 7th, 2011

Australian firm Mission Pac has added 100% Cotton Outer Garments to their line up of merino wool under garments.

Mission Pac has reminded me of these excellent properties of Cotton:
“This natural fibre, like merino wool, provides increased breathability, increased comfort levels , and improved flash-over properties compared to poly-cotton and other synthetic fibres.”



They are offering Patrol Shirts, Patrol Pants, Bush Hats, and a lightweight Smock designed loosely on the original SAS Smock in Auscam (DPCU), AustDesert (DPDU), Multi-Cam (MCP), Danish Desert, Tan and Navy Blue.

Editor’s Note: I LOVE 100% cotton ripstop! (remember jungle fatigues?) I LOATHE the craptastic 50/50 NYCO that the Army introduced in the early 90s for the “Enhanced” Hot Weather BDU. The NYCO was developed so that Soldiers could starch their uniforms and make them last longer. It was not introduced to enhance the comfort of the uniform in hot environments. Just remember, cotton isn’t for EVERY environment. So, huzzah to Mission Pac for putting this together! You guys rock.

www.missionpac.com

[buglerbilly]

Certain Billets to Receive OCP First

July 08, 2011

Air Force News|by Capt. David Tomiyama



KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- As the green of the Battle Dress Uniform fades into Air Force history, a new 'green' is beginning for certain Airmen deploying to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

More than 180 joint expeditionary tasking Airmen assigned to provincial reconstruction teams are wearing the OEF Camouflage Pattern or "multi-cams," as their everyday uniform during their nearly year-long deployment to Afghanistan this summer.

While many individual Airmen already have been issued the Joint Service Solution Uniform, the Airmen in PRTs are the first Air Force personnel to don the OCPs. The uniform gives Airmen unique benefits and features that the Airman Battle System-Ground and Airman Battle Uniform cannot deliver. These features are important to PRT JET Airmen due to the high number of "outside the wire" tasks they perform to support the International Security Assistance Force mission to bring security, governance, agricultural support, reconstruction and development to Afghanistan and its people.

"OCPs have a more advanced camouflage pattern that blends in with the Afghan terrain, making our Airmen safer and more effective on the battlefield," said Lt. Col. Shawna McGowan, the Air Force future programs branch chief. "The material is also flame resistant, lighter weight than the ABS-G or ABU, and contains a pre-applied bug repellant."

OCPs were issued in April to PRT JET Airmen during the two month-long Combat Skills Training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind. Some Airmen began wearing the uniform as early as possible to get used to the unique pattern and features. Feedback has been positive.

"OCPs are significantly lighter and breathe easier than ABUs," said Senior Airman Sandra Welch, a PRT Khost photographer deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "ABUs and Arizona equals extreme heat, OCPs and Afghanistan is a much cooler combination."

All of the issued uniforms and equipment for Airmen deploying to Afghanistan are in the OCP pattern. These include the seven-layer extended cold weather clothing system, advanced combat helmet, combat shirt, improved outer tactical vest, ruck sack, assault pack and elbow and knee pads.

While unit patches went away with the BDUs, Airmen who don OPCs will be able to attach unit identifiers to their uniforms. OCPs mirror the Army Combat Uniform with Velcro name tapes and rank on the chest and Velcro unit patches and an American flag on the shoulders. JET Airmen stand out from their Soldier and Sailor counterparts wearing OCPs due to their "spice brown" colored name and service tapes and enlisted ranks.

The first JET Airmen to wear OCPs were part of a military working dog team aligned with the Army's 10th Mountain Division in January. Air Force-led PRTs can have as many as 38 JET Airmen. These Airmen come from a wider array of career fields to include personnel, logistics, communications, medical, public affairs, services, intelligence, security forces and maintenance.

In a memo dated Sept. 29, 2010 by Lt. Gen. Gilmary Hostage III, the commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, OCPs became the ground-combat uniform to be worn by all Airmen performing missions outside the wire in Afghanistan.

© Copyright 2011 Air Force News. All rights reserved.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog..............

New Dutch Camo and Uniform?

July 12th, 2011

According to several internet postings, the accompanying pictures is reportedly of a new camouflage pattern and uniform for the Dutch Army.



Unveiled at a recent Army shooting competition, the garrison and field variants are reportedly to see fielding beginning in 2014 as an extension of the Soldier Modernization Program (in Dutch, VOSS for the English Improved Operational Soldier System). It is anticipated that this variant, intended for woodland and urban environments, will not see any further alteration. The pattern is of the so-called fractal design, which uses patterns within patterns. Additionally, there is an arid pattern under development. As you can see, the Soldiers are in front of a TenCate sign. According to reporting, the uniforms are made from TenCate’s Defender-M fabric, which is the same fabric story as the Army’s FR ACU and USMC’s FROG.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog..................

Just a Reminder

July 27th, 2011

Here, we see Soldiers from the US Army’s 1/158th Long Range Surveillance and Australian 51st Far Queensland Regiment, Norforce and the Pilbara Regiment as a joint Australian/U.S. surveillance unit at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011.


Australian Defence Force photo by ADF Lance Corporal Mark Doran/Released

Since it looks like PEO Soldier programs are on the chopping block, we thought this photo would be a great reminder to all as to why there is a (US) Army Camouflage Improvement Effort. All we see these days are photos out of Afghanistan with Soldiers sporting the effective OCP. Don’t forget, it’s a big world out there and in most of it, UCP is still the uniform of the day.

Stay the course. Select and field effective camouflage for our troops.

[buglerbilly]

Hot Couture: Army Wants Smart Shirt That Adapts to Weather

By Lena Groeger August 1, 2011 | 3:00 pm



Soldiers encounter all sorts of weather conditions on the battlefield: blistering winds, broiling heat, drenching rain. Through it all, they face one constant problem: What to wear? Soon, their fashion dilemma could get a little easier.

According to a recent call for research proposals, the Army is on the lookout for a fabric that could adapt to temperature.

http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/solicitations/sbir113/army113.htm

This “environmentally responsive” material would keep a soldier not too hot and not too cold, constantly adjusting to outside conditions as well as body heat. Think of Marty’s super self-drying jacket in Back to the Future II — only in camouflage.

Right now, soldiers tote around multiple layers that offer different levels of cold and wet weather protection. While versatile, all those clothes are still pretty heavy and take up a lot of space. Combining many layers into one would mean less weight and more freedom to move. But it’s a tricky feat to pull off: not enough warmth could mean hypothermia or frostbite. Not enough cooling power could mean heatstroke or dehydration.

So how exactly would the Goldilocks fabric work? According to a paper referenced in the Army announcement (.pdf), one possible mechanism would be to use the principle of a “bimetallic thermostat.” Basically, you use fibers that contain two metals bonded together in a tiny spring. As the temperature drops, one metal changes its length more than the other one — resulting in a “curl” in the fiber. If you have a whole shirt made of this stuff, it would actually change thickness as it got colder, providing more insulation and warmth.

http://armyscienceconference.com/manuscripts/G/GP-016.pdf

Whatever method is used, the Army’s got a specific idea of what they want the smart shirt to do. First, it’s got to measurably increase “clo” values in colder temperatures. One clo is the difference between being naked and wearing a typical business suit; who knew there was an actual quantifier for that? Second, it’s got to be army-laundry tough, withstanding at least 20 washes. And finally, it must be hypoallergenic and “inert in nature” — yes, I too would be wary of chemically unstable Under Armour. The first model doesn’t have to be flame-resistant; that’s an extra feature that will come later.

But soldiers in training or combat aren’t the only ones who could put a smart shirt to good use. The Army imagines all sorts of other applications in civilian markets, such as outdoor recreation or law enforcement. Eventually, this magic fabric might even make its way to your local Macy’s – which would be pretty cool. Literally.

Photo: DVIDSHUB

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.............

Austria SF to Adopt New Patterns

August 9th, 2011



It’s been over two years since we last mentioned that the Austrian Army was looking at new camo patterns. Starting in 2009, they began to investigate new camouflage for their Jagdkommandos. They’ve narrowed the field a bit and their new digital Mehrfarbentarnmuster (multicolor camo print) not only offers visual camouflage but also generates noise in electro-optical surveillance equipment such as night vision gear. In the photo above is the current monochrome uniform with three of the candidate patterns. As you can see, they are a curious combination of pixels and stripes.



According to Austrian Defence Minister Norbert Darabos, they are committed to fielding new camouflage. The final decision on which pattern(s) the Jagdkommandos will receive should be made later this fall with units fully equipped by fall of 2012.

[Raven22]

I had a look at the modified Australianised Multicam pattern for the first time today. They've kept pretty true to the original Multicam pattern, as I couldn't tell the difference initially between the two. It should be good to go for trials and a D as to whether it replaces Auscam or not.

As I said before, if they do choose the new Mulitcam pattern, I hope to hell they don't choose the Crye design of uniform to replace the current DPCUs. I've never known a less robust combat uniform. A massive number of the uniforms have already been damaged beyond repair, and the troops have only been wearing them for a couple of months.

[Gubler, A.]

I had a look at the modified Australianised Multicam pattern for the first time today. They've kept pretty true to the original Multicam pattern, as I couldn't tell the difference initially between the two. It should be good to go for trials and a D as to whether it replaces Auscam or not.

As I said before, if they do choose the new Mulitcam pattern, I hope to hell they don't choose the Crye design of uniform to replace the current DPCUs. I've never known a less robust combat uniform. A massive number of the uniforms have already been damaged beyond repair, and the troops have only been wearing them for a couple of months.

Interesting on how un-Australian the Australian Multi Cam pattern appears to be. AFAIK the only purchase from Crye is the camo pattern not any clothing designs. I would imagine to keep costs down and local industry onside they will just be changing the pattern being printed not the material used and the cut of the uniform. That is of course with whatever stuff 'Diggerworks' LAND 125 come up with... Velcro headbands?

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.................

Commercial Army Combat Pant

PEO Soldier has finally dispensed with the awkward “Flame Resistant Improved Army Combat Uniform Trouser” and finally called it what it is, an Army Combat Pant (ACP). What’s even better is that they are taking the next step from the pre-solicitation released in late June and have a released a full solicitation for a Commercial Army Combat Pant. This methodology leaves the details open to the vendor and gives general guidelines on the construction of the pants to the vendor. Proposals are due by 25 August 2011 at 3:00 PM EST so if you have a product to offer you’d better get your submission together.


This is a photo of a prototype.

It is going to make a great companion for the Army Combat Shirt and this is a big win for the Soldier.

Make the jump to read all of the details

ITEM DESCRIPTION/MISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Throughout the Army, Warfighters require clothing that is durable, functional and provides the protection they require to accomplish their missions. From conducting convoy operations to urban combat or dismounted operations in harsh mountainous terrain, the difference between mission success and debilitating injury or death is often balanced on the quality and configuration of the clothing and equipment the Soldier is using. The environmental conditions under which the Army Combat Pant (ACP) will be used will range from tropic to arctic and from arid desert to open ocean, including all weather conditions in these environments. The ACP shall be flame resistant, durable and comfortable, while providing improved knee protection capabilities over the current Flame Resistant Army Combat Uniform (FR ACU) Trouser. The ACP shall have demonstrable improvements in the durability of the Seat, Crotch and Knees over the current FR ACU Trouser through either improved materials or design.

Baseline Salient Characteristics (Minimum thresholds):

a. The Army Combat Pant shall be constructed of Flame Resistant materials which provide protection equal to or greater than Flame Resistant Army Combat Uniform fabric and meets or exceeds fabric flammability test requirements specified in GL/PD 07-12 Revision 4, Table III. The finished garment shall meet or exceed performance requirements for the current FR ACU ensemble when tested in combination with the current FR ACU coat as specified in ASTM F1930 and GL/PD 07-12, Revision 4. Reference Attachment 0001 for a copy of GL/PD 07-12, Rev 4.

b. Provide the same general appearance as the current FR ACU trouser.

c. Capable of being printed in multiple camouflage patterns to include but not limited to the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), and Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Patterns (OCP), while meeting all required shade standards and Near Infrared Signature requirements.

d. Provide belt loops capable of supporting, and compatible with all military equipment.

e. Belt loops shall be of a quantity sufficient to cause the belt to support the downward stresses of the pant without permitting bunching or sagging and without hindering the attachment of items of equipment and holsters. Belt loops shall be of a sufficient width to perform the above without breaking, and large enough to allow the passage of a riggers belt through the loops single handedly.

f. Shall have a means of tightening the waist band to customize fit when the belt is not worn that does not create a pressure point when in the prone position.

g. Shall have a single button waist and zippered fly closures.

h. Has a ruggedized seat with greater durability than the current FR ACU Trouser.

i. Shall have a 10 pocket configuration consisting of 2 hip, 2 back, 2 cargo, 2 calf, and 2 knife w/ closure.

j. Rear and Cargo pockets shall be secured with buttons closures
.
k. Fly and Crotch construction shall be durable. Crotch Construction shall exceed current FR ACU and ACU Trouser burst and tear strengths both wet and dry, and shall allow for increased movement in this area. Crotch design may include a gusset with FR stretch fabric.

l. Requires integrated removable hard-shell knee pad with flap capable of covering knee pad insertion point to prevent soil and debris from entering the pant when knee pad is not in use. Knee pad pocket shall have an opening suitable for the rapid drainage of water.

m. Knee pads shall be capable of vertical and horizontal adjustment for customizable fit.

n. Have a cinchable pant leg cuff.

o. Total weight with knee pads installed will be equal to or less than 2lbs 3 oz. for size Medium Regular or equivalent.

p. Size range must be sufficient to fit the 95th percentile of all soldiers.

Desired Salient Characteristics (Exceeding Objectives):

a. The construction and materials should attain the following characteristics: low noise detection signature; color and shade integrity; heat and moisture management. The material make up of the pant should provide demonstrable increases in durability to the Seat, Crotch and Knees either through increased material durability and/or design improvements.

b. Permethrin factory treated FR ACP shall meet the stated Permethrin requirements: Dosage – Permethrin level 0.52 percent weight on weight and not to exceed 0.1375 mg/cm2. Efficacy – Percent Bite Protection greater than 70% (threshold) and or equal to 90% (objective) percent initially and after 0, 20, and 50 launderings.

c. Additional knife or pen pockets with secure closures.

d. Built-in repair kit that has the capability to repair snags, rips or tears in field environment without the need for additional specialized equipment and without affecting the safety of the user.

e. Fly and Crotch construction should incorporate methods which enhance ease of release for donning and doffing in emergency situations, and use current industry practices to ensure reproducibility for other items. Crotch Construction must utilize innovative design that reduces crotch failure due to stress and enhances user mobility, comfort and durability

f. Integrated knee pads must provide shock attenuation based on test pendulum impact rig (based on the EN1621 motorcycle protection test) of 25kN or below.

g. Total weight with knee pads installed will be less than 2 lbs 2.5 oz. for size Medium Regular or equivalent.

h. Size range should be sufficient to fit 95th percentile of all soldier without creating an undue logistical burden.

Tags: Army Combat Pant

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 11th, 2011 at 2:47 PM

[Raven22]

Interesting on how un-Australian the Australian Multi Cam pattern appears to be. AFAIK the only purchase from Crye is the camo pattern not any clothing designs. I would imagine to keep costs down and local industry onside they will just be changing the pattern being printed not the material used and the cut of the uniform. That is of course with whatever stuff 'Diggerworks' LAND 125 come up with... Velcro headbands?

One of the proposals for the replacement uniform is to buy the Crye G3 design and modify that as required. I hope they just modify the current DPCU uniform.

[Gubler, A.]

One of the proposals for the replacement uniform is to buy the Crye G3 design and modify that as required. I hope they just modify the current DPCU uniform.

I can't see the Cyre wear under-vest shirt thing being adopted for the army. The fatties at Russel Hill will look terrible in them. Man boobs to the fore. Unless they get that bomber jacket they were talking about in the clothing review.

Edit: Google has everything:

[Raven22]

I can't see the Cyre wear under-vest shirt thing being adopted for the army. The fatties at Russel Hill will look terrible in them. Man boobs to the fore. Unless they get that bomber jacket they were talking about in the clothing review.


The under-armour shirt would only be used as a combat shirt. The barracks shirt would remain a traditional button-up design with breast pockets.

You are right about the crye under-armour shirt not being flattering to fatties though. I have seen a female major wearing one, and it is one of the worst sights I have ever seen. Lets just say her belt was parting her gunt like Moses with the Red Sea. If I was her boss I'd forbid her to wear it (and tell her to get her fat arse to the gym.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog...............

New DCCU from Taiwan

August 15th, 2011



Thanks to reader JLC, we can offer these photos taken at the at Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) in Taiwan of this new digital pattern and uniform designed by Taiwan Military Armaments Bureau called the Digital Camouflage Combat Uniform (DCCU).

[buglerbilly]

Hyperstealth’s Desert Dune pattern hits Iraq

by Jack Murphy on August 19, 2011



Before deploying in 2010, I did some research looking for a uniform with an effective desert pattern. ACU’s just don’t cut it, as the Army has had to reluctantly admit only after Congressional intervention. The Marines have a pretty decent desert uniform but wearing that might constitute perpetrating a fraud in the eyes of a Marine (I was Army) so I ordered a few uniforms from Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp.

The uniform is from their SPEC4CE series and is called Desert Dune. The cut is similar to the ACU and other modern US military uniforms with pockets on the sleeves and ankles. One noticeable difference is the lack of velcro, most of it being replaced with old school buttons. The pattern itself is a four color digital type which worked very well out in the hinterlands.

The lightweight fabric used was MUCH appreciated come summer time in Iraq. This uniform was much more comfortable then ACU’s, DCU’s, and a Multicam uniform I had from Propper. The trade off is that the lightweight fabric is more prone to rips and tears. In the Iraqi summer heat I was happy to accept that and engage in a little Suzy homemaker stitching post-mission when needed.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this uniform to soldiers currently deploying overseas if they can manage to get

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/08/hyperstealths-desert-dune-pattern-hits-iraq.html#ixzz1VXYSgNgw
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog...........

Leo Köhler Adds MultiCam to Their Offerings

August 20th, 2011

A BIG thanks to our friends at the French website MultiCam Insider for this info. “The German firm Leo Köhler is entering the MultiCam market with three new products (guerilla vest, combat shirt and pants).” Interestingly, they are marketed as KSK items and can be found at ASMC.de.



www.leökoehler.com

[buglerbilly]

MARSOC adopts woodland Crye Precision uniform

by Jack Murphy on August 22, 2011



Back in April Kit Up! reported on MARSOC placing a large order with Crye Precision, 950 uniforms per year for five years in fact. Now we see the first pictures of MARSOC Marines using them in theater. Looks to me like we’ve got one shooter and one designated marksmen in this picture. The woodland pattern Crye uniforms are previously reported upon, but still interesting. More than likely the Marines want to match their host nation counterparts in appearance as much as possible. This is something we wanted to do in Special Forces for many years but were forbidden to do so until relatively recently. Of course many SOF personnel blew off the regs anyway but sometimes you have to wonder… At any rate, it’s good to see that policy reversed and that the Marines are utilizing some of the best kit available to get the job done overseas.

Kit Up! contributor Jack Murphy is a former Ranger, Special Forces Soldier and is the author of the military thriller Reflexive Fire.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1Vo6WCRgJ
Kit Up!

[Gubler, A.]

Is this the real reason the Australian Army is moving to MultiCam?

Check out Saif Gaddafi's knee - looks like he is wearing Auscam...

[buglerbilly]

Bigger pic...........

[buglerbilly]

MARSOC Crye Uniforms Not Holding Up

by Christian on August 24, 2011

Sound familiar to anyone?!





In an update to Jack’s post on the new Marine Corps Special Operations force Crye combat uniforms patterned in woodland camo, an operator in the zone sent us some pictures and an AAR on their performance.

While our reader is an admitted “die hard fan” of the Crye uniform, he tells us that the stitching that holds the stretch points together isn’t holding up.


We were issued one set of crye a few weeks prior to deployment. As far as they go, there is a mixed bag of feelings on who likes them and who doesn’t. In regards to the design, it is excellent, the strech points, knee pads, additional pockets, etc. But in terms of durability, they are a little lacking….Whatever material was used for the stitch around the “strech” points binding to the actual camo pattern fabric, was very week, and guys were getting major sized holes after only 2-3 missions in country. So many have gone back to the standard issued woodland fieldpant. …





Die-hard fans of the crye design, like myself, constantly take, or tailor the crye pants on our own time/own dime. So this ONE pair that we get issued gets taken to the tailor following every one or two missions (as seen in the seat of the pants picture attached). Or the man just trys his hand at needle and thread, and attempts the repair on his own.

According to our source, the material used in the Marine version of the uniform is lighter than the standard setup issued to SF and SEALs. He posits that it’s the material that’s just not holding up and said it was the Corps’ call on the material, not Crye’s.

He also forwarded some issues with the knee pads and insert design…


A lot of guys like the “regular” issued pants because of the breathability of the knees. The crye kneepads get terribly hot, and often are taken out once a team gets “firmed” up. Also, a lot of kneepads go missing following inserts and patrols through the farm fields. Either the plant stocks rip them out, or a knee is taken in soggy mud and the kneepad becomes suctioned off.

I’d be interested to hear whether Joes are having the same issue with their combat pants (I know the 101st was testing out a new model last year) with the knee pads being too hot or suctioning off.



Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/08/marsoc-crye-uniforms-not-holding-up.html#ixzz1W2PeqYZV
Kit Up!

[Raven22]

That sounds about right. I'm down to my last pair of wearable pants. It'll be back to DPCU soon.

[buglerbilly]

Figured it was the case..............:shakehead

[buglerbilly]

DIY Combat Shirt

by Jack Murphy on August 25, 2011



So you’ve got a bunch of woodland and desert uniforms kicking around in the bottom of a your tough box since the Army decided to adopt ACU’s? Before you sell them off as surplus to Old Sarge’s outside Ft. Bragg you might want consider slashing them up and turning them into on-the-cheap combat shirts. Speaking of Ft. Bragg, this post might be a down right necessity for a few young Privates reading this who have been spending a little too much time down at Sharkys…

Here is my first hint:

Good!
Bad!





When you take your BDU/DCU blouse to the sew shop (or do it in your barracks room for the truly adventurous) make sure that they keep that segment of fabric running across the back that connects the two sleeves. The reason for this is because without it the stretchiness of the t-shirt it will create a sagging effect due to the weight of the sleeves. While not a big deal in of itself, this starts to become a pain when the straps of your plate carrier or body armor start to ride up onto your shoulders and begin to chaff against your skin. I know, I know, you can always just go to the gym and work on building those traps up instead, but for most of us it’s a good idea to connect the sleeves as you see in the first example.

In this case the DCU shirt was done by the Turkish sew shop in Iraq, the BDU top was done by a sew shop outside Ft. Campbell. It’s helpful if you bring an example for the person doing the sewing to work from. Of course, it’s also a good idea to get those pockets moved up onto the shoulders and have some velcro thrown on there as well…c’mon, all the cool kids are doing it.

I know we usually report on $700 pants and $1000 dollar tops but I hope that this post helps out some of the regular Joes who can’t afford the latest and greatest High-Speed kit. Bring your choice of uniform top and t-shirt to the sew shop, I used some old Under Armor shirts we were issued back in the day but your mileage may vary. I know guys who just used regular issue t-shirts and it seemed to work fine. Feel free to hit me up in the comments section if you’ve got any questions!

Kit Up! contributor Jack Murphy is a former Ranger, Special Forces Soldier and is the author of the military thriller Reflexive Fire.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/08/diy-combat-shirt.html#ixzz1W670kIHb
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.......

A-TACS Signs Up Tactical Performance Corp

Digital Concealment Systems, LLC, developers of the A-TACS pattern has signed Tactical Performance Corp on as a licensee. They produce a variety of innovative uniform and tactical designs in their own factory, that are available primarily overseas. Their clothing in particular is worth taking a look at due to the interesting design features. Below are some extracts from a press release from DCS describing Tactical Performance.



Since 1991, Tactical Performance Corp. (TPC) has been designing a building high-performance tactical equipment and apparel for law enforcement an military units worldwide.

More Gear=More Options

From plate carriers and chest rigs, to all manner of utility and specialty pouches, bags and packs, some of TPC’s A-TACS Nylon product offerings include…

Plate Carriers in A-TACS – Cut from 1000D Nylon Cordura, Molle (sic) compatible with integrated drag handle, plate compartments and A-TACS printed loop. Can be integrated and worn with optional A-TACS Recon Belt.

Chest Rigs in A-TACS – Cut from 1000D Nylon Cordura and featuring 4 triple M4 mag pouch with 2 large pockets that can accommodate M249′s box magazines and padded lining and straps.

Hydration Carriers in A-TACS – Cut from 1000D Nylon Cordura and featuring insulated lining and slot for inserting hydration tube. Molle (sic) Compatible.

Molle-Compatible Utility and Mag Pouches in A-TACS – Cut from 1000D Nylon Cordura

Universal Drop-Leg Holster in A-TACS – Cut from 1000D Nylon Cordura featuring an integrated mag storage pouch and is easily adjustable to fit a variety of weapon sizes.

Recon Belt in A-TACS – Cut from 1000D Nylon Cordura featuring Four (4) D-Rings for harness attachment & 2 D-Rings (under) for lanyard, Removable pad with extra mesh, Two (2) Leg Rig attachment openings and 2″” 2 ply PP TAPE BELT is included.



Clothing, Outerwear and Accessories

ARMA Dimension Jacket in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and lined with Polyester Mesh, YKK Inverted Zippers, removable hood, A-TACS printed loop on shoulder pockets, Reinforced 2 ply sleeves and elbows, 2 large pockets in front, 2 pockets in each sleeve and 2 pockets in back, Adjustable cuffs with A-TACS printed loop closures.

Assault Force Jacket in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and featuring a mandarin-style collar, full front zipper/hook and loop closure, reinforced elbows, six pockets including (2) shoulder, (4) front chest with hook and loop closure, shoulder pockets feature A-TACS printed loop for total concealment.

TCS Combat Shirt in A-TACS – Sleeves and Collar are cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and the body is cut from 100 percent cotton, Pockets on sleeve feature A-TACS printed loop for rank, flag or unit patches.

Assault Force Trousers in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and featuring 10 pockets including two large cargo pockets, double reinforced knee and seat, extra-wide belt loop with two D-rings and button closure.

ARMA Dimension Trousers in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and featuring innovative Body contour multi panel construction for functionality, reinforced knee and seat and 10 pockets with hook and loop closures.

Shooters Cap in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and featuring 1″ SQ LOOP on top & back for IR patch & 1″ loop on back for ID patch, etc. and Underbrim receptive material for VisorLites

Snipers Boonie Cap in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop and featuring A-TACS fabric webbing and a ragged brim for specialized sniper applications.

Mitch (sic) Helmet Cover in A-TACS – Cut from 50/50 NYCO Ripstop.

For additional information on these and other TPC products in A-TACS, or to purchase, visit them at www.store.tactical-performance.com

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog............

CNO Issues Wear Guidance for NWU Type II / III

We’ve written a couple of articles about the development and fielding of the Navy Working Uniform Type II and III designed to replace the Woodland and Desert Combat Utility Uniforms for Sailors who require them. The big hiccup in full implementation has been wear guidance from the Chief of Naval Operations and he issued it yesterday in NAVADMIN 259/11.

Here are a couple of highlights:

-The NWU Type II is DIGITAL DESERT and the NWU Type III is a DIGITAL WOODLAND pattern. These were developed for Naval Special Warfare by USSOCOM and have been referred to as AOR 1 and 2 respectively but will incorporate the Navy’s unique Anchor, Constitution, and Eagle (ACE) into the design in a similar fashion to how the Marine Corps has included the EGA in MARPAT.





-The only difference between Type II and III is pattern and not the style of uniform. The uniform style is a compromise between a combat and garrison style.









-Sizing is NOT the same as the CUU.

-NWU Type II and II are organizational clothing. The basis of issue will be 3 blouses, 3 trousers, 2 eight point covers, 1 Goretex Parka, 1 fleece, 1 helmet cover, 1 sun hat, brown fleece watch cap, and brown belt.

-Yes, there will reportedly be a “waterproof, breathable” parka offered in the new patterns. At one point in the message it is referred to as a “Goretex Parka.” It will likely be in the current APECS cut but we have not seen any examples yet in either camo pattern.

-The Type III will replace the current Woodland CUU for everyone and serve as the standard garrison uniform. Only those assigned to NSW or working in direct support if them will be authorized the NWU Type II. This includes Coast Guard personnel assigned or attached to NSW.



-The wearout date for both the Woodland and Desert CUUs will be 1 June, 2012. Non-NSW units with an operational requirement for Desert uniforms after June of next year will have to ask the CNO permission. What is unclear is whether they will use the NWU Type II, continue wear of the Desert CUU, or get an entirely new hybrid uniform in the cut of the NWU but with the 3-color desert camo pattern. I think the NAVADMIN is vague for a reason. It gives them almost a year to decide what to do.

-Naval personnel performing duties outside the wire in deployed environments will continue to wear a mish-mash of FR clothing articles from a variety of sources.

-Sorry JB, but security forces will continue to wear the NWU Type I unless assigned to NSW.

-Some traditions never die. SEABEEs will still be allowed to embroider their logo on the pocket.

-The Navy is really worked up over which way the eagle faces. They mention it six separate times.

-Finally, one change implemented by this NAVADMIN that will affect all Sailors is that the blue fleece liner in the APECS parka can now be worn as a stand alone outer garment.

[buglerbilly]

WTF is Up With the Army’s Pants?

by Christian on August 31, 2011



Dude, seriously?

I mean I get it that the Joes put these things through the ringer. But didn’t we have these problems with the ACU introduction and the Army claimed it fixed them? According to PEO Soldier who sent us a statement on this, yes.

The new OCP uniforms are hot off the assembly line and made with Defender M flame-resistant fabrics. They’re heavy weight and seem tightly stitched.

But a source tells Kit Up! that the material just wasn’t holding up. This time it’s not the stitching or the crotch design, it’s the full-on fabric that’s the problem. PEO has recently completed a crash program to source a new fabric that’s about 40% stronger than current Defender M. They went outside the DLA track and are making about 100,000 uniforms until DLA can catch up.


After receiving feedback from the field that showed the recently-issued flame-resistant pants printed in the new Operation Enduring Freedom camo pattern weren’t holding up to the rigors of the Afghan environment, the Army quietly solicited samples from industry for fabrics that were strong enough to stand up the beating.

After a series of lab tests and field trials with Soldiers at Fort Bliss, the Army selected a rip-stop fabric made with Rayon from Union City, Ga.-based TenCate.

“We found that this was about 40 percent stronger on average than our current fabrics in the OCP uniforms,” said a defense official with knowledge of the program.

But don’t expect your new duds until at least October…gotta wait til the new fiscal year frees up some moolah.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1Weghyhn4
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

A bit more on this..............

Combat Pants Rushed to Afghanistan

September 01, 2011

Military.com|by Christian Lowe



The Army’s top gear office just completed a rush program to replace the combat pants worn by Soldiers in Afghanistan

After receiving feedback from the field that showed the recently-issued flame-resistant pants printed in the new Operation Enduring Freedom camo pattern weren’t holding up, the Army quietly solicited samples from industry for fabrics that were strong enough to stand up to the Afghan environment’s beating.

After a series of lab tests and field trials with Soldiers at Fort Bliss, the Army selected a rip-stop fabric made with Rayon from Union City, Ga.-based TenCate.

“We found that this was about 40 percent stronger on average than our current fabrics in the OCP uniforms,” a defense official said.

According to a written statement issued by PEO Soldier, this is the third time the Army has revamped its so-called Army Combat Uniform design after noticing it wasn’t holding up in regular field use. The service strengthened the stitching in 2005 and reinforced the crotch design in 2010.

But officials say this is the first time the service has tackled the fabric strength. Army flame-resistant combat uniforms are currently made with TenCate “Defender M” fabric.

Military.com’s “Line of Departure” blog reported August 30 that problems with the durability of Army uniforms in Afghanistan are widespread. Photos show Soldiers loading mortars during firefights with pants torn from crotch to knee.

“These uniform issues have frustrated us for three years,” the defense official said, who requested anonymity based on the sensitivity of the subject on Capitol Hill.

The Army was forced to ask for a Congressional waiver to purchase the new uniform material from Austria, which makes the Rayon material. The Rayon is shipped to the United States where it’s woven into thread and then made into the so-called “Improved Defender M” that winds up in the FR uniforms.

“The new performance specification significantly increased the tear and tensile strength requirements and made other improvements in color fastness, flame resistance and comfort,” the PEO Soldier statement said. “The only rip-stop fabric to meet the new p-spec so far is Tencate's Improved Defender-M fabric.”

The Marine Corps has conducted a similar search to address durability problems with its combat uniforms as well, the official said.

When the Army learned in July that it would take 10 months for the Defense Logistics Agency to make uniforms for Afghanistan-bound troops, officials went outside normal acquisition policy and ordered 100,000 uniforms in the Improved Defender M, using the rules that apply to test programs to speed up the replacement of blown out pants, Army officials say.

The Army expects to begin fielding the newly-strengthened uniforms early in fiscal 2012, which begins in October. Only Afghanistan-bound troops will receive the new pants. Soldiers will also be able to replace torn or ripped trousers with the new ones.

Officials say there is no plan to build blouses out of Improved Defender M.

© Copyright 2011 Military.com. All rights reserved.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Sustems blog.............

Vertx Smock Sneak Peek

September 7th, 2011

Vertx has had a smock in development for some time but production models should hit the market in Fall. Just in time for winter in Afghanistan! As you can see from the articulated design, stowaway hood, and pocket layout, this is very much a modern take on a traditional item. But Vertx has updated more than just the basic concept. Vertx will be offering their take on the smock in a synthetic material called Storm which is the same fabric used in the Gunfighter Storm Shirt. It features a 40D face fabric and is anti-microbial. Naturally, it’s MultiCam.



www.wearvertx.com

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog.........

Smokin Series V2.0

September 7th, 2011



In an update to the Smokin Series, 782 Gear has added more moisture wicking Polartec® fabric cuffs to the Smokin’ Sweater, Pullover, and Chaps to give them full coverage, enhance comfort, and keep out drafts. These lightweight, compressible pieces feature a slick 1.1 oz. nylon shell, ideal for layering, moving easily underneath outer layers. Insulated with Climashield® offer some serious cold-weather protection. Made in the USA and available NOW at a 782 Gear dealer near you.

www.782Gear.com

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog...............

NBOW – 782 Gear

September 9th, 2011



Available in both FR and non-FR versions, this new Combat Shirt and Pant are debuting here on Soldier Systems.





The torso and monkey paw cuffs of the Combat Shirt uses the Polartec Power Dry FR with sleeves and yoke made from the new lightweight TenCate fabric recently adopted by the US Army. Alternatively, if FR is not required, 50/50 NYCO will be used in place of the TenCate fabric. The cuffs can be turned under when not needed. The torso fabric extends up into the armpit area to enhance breathability and range of motion. It also features inset zipped sleeve pockets with Velcro patches and a left forearm poacket as well as a mandarin zipped collar.





Despite a low profile silhouette the pants still offer 11 pockets. Optional cord loops after the ability to dummy cord critical items and a semi-elastic waistband make for comfort when layers are added or subtracted. A flush hammer loop to the left rear handles knives or other tools. Flat rear and front thigh pockets help reduce bulk.





These will make a great alternative combat ensemble for those who do not use the standard Army and Marine uniform options. I’ve not even touched on all of the features so be sure to look for more info at www.782gear.com.

[buglerbilly]

DSEi 2011: Stealth poncho will make Italian soldiers invisible

September 14, 2011



A stealth poncho designed to reduce the IR and radar signature of snipers in the field is on display at the DSEi exhibition in London.

The poncho is part of a new military clothing range designed and manufactured by Aero Sekur for the Italian MoD's Forza NEC, or Future Soldier project.

The poncho is designed to virtually eliminate the heat signature of the soldier wearing it. Produced out of a combination of several different fabrics, the poncho can be quickly tucked in to a pocket when not needed.

Mark Butler, CEO at Aero Sekur, told Shephard: 'Soldiers with all the radio equipment and systems they carry these days means they are the source of EM emissions. Wearing the poncho reduces his risk of detection.'

Aero Sekur has also developed new CBRN suits and gas masks as well as a new combat suit which is both light weight and rip-proof. Rather than separating the elements like body armour and utility pockets, the Aero Sekur solution combines both elements reducing the weight carried by the infantryman as well as giving him freer arm movement to use his weapon.

The company is also developing a series of micro sensors for what the company calls 'body mapping.'

The sensors would mean that commanders would not only know where their soldiers were in the battlespace but also get an impression of their condition through the monitoring of heart-rate and other functions.

Other sensors could be attached to the soldier's uniform and measure levels of radioactivity, bio-hazards or gas and warn the soldier to don his CBRN suit.

'Today's modern soldier is an expensive asset,' said Butler, 'They are highly trained and highly mobile and with the public acceptance of casualties these days it is essential to give them best equipment and technology possible.'

The company is also working on an inflatable enclosure system which will form part of the 'fly-away' maintenance package for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The system is being designed to give engineers access to different parts of the aircraft.

Tony Osborne, London

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog................

BackJack Tactical

September 14th, 2011



One of the coolest things that happened at Outdoor Retailer was an out of the blue meeting with Steve Jensen of Cropper Medical. They are the manufacturer of BioSkin Bracing and have come up with a lumbar support system called the BackJack Tactical that is designed specifically for military use.

Cropper Medical has been making human performance gear for nearly 20 years and they tout 37 professional sports teams wearing their supports including the last 5 Super Bowl winners. They took this know how and applied it to offload some of the weight of body armor from the discs of the spine.

BackJack is Cropper Medical’s first entrant into Tactical Military products and was developed in conjunction with a retired Special Forces 18D to help alleviate the epidemic back pain in the military. In 2009 Ft Polk’s JRTC, conducted testing on it and found that 89% of the Soldiers that wore the device said it relieved their pain and they would use it if it were issued. Next, a unit deployed to Iraq wore the kit and rated a 45% reduction in low back pain with the kit on. 100% of the Soldiers surveyed said they’d wear the kit if it were issued. Although exposure has been limited, Soldier acceptance has been high, to say the least.

The device works by pulling bilateral hand pieces engaging a cinching mechanism which pushes the lumbar panel into the area of pain, the low back. This direct pressure on the low back is what makes this kit so effective at not only relieving pain but preventing pain. Wear it under the Armor, Ruck, or just around the office to get some relief. I tried it and it is comfortable.

Available in UCP an OCP (MultiCam). Visit www.backjacktactical.com or contact sjensen@bioskin.com directly.

[buglerbilly]

Aussies Facing Same Pant Problems

by Christian on September 19, 2011



Australian “diggers” fighting over in Afghanistan are facing the same problems as US troops on the durability of their trousers.


The Diggers are generally happy with the Multicam clothing. It is more comfortable and more suited to mixed terrain than previous combat clothing, but the pants with stretch sections and built-in knee pads are not up to the job in many cases.

They are tearing along seams where stretch fabric around the crutch meets non-stretch fabric and the rips are then spreading across the cloth itself. Some soldiers can no longer wear them, others have patched them up and some are happy to wear shredded pants.

The Australian media is trying to pump the idea that this is a problem with the “American made” products. As you all know, these ensembles are made by Crye precision.

Australian papers report:


“It is expected that the Multicam uniforms made in Australia will be made from the fabric used for the standard combat uniform – which is stronger than the fabric used in Multicam at the moment,” the spokesman said.

So we asked Crye for the gouge and a top official there said the problem isn’t how or where they’re made, it’s the material requirement.


The Australian DOD is proactively offering a series of new performance benefits to its operators in terms of personal equipment/apparel. One of those new enhancements is that they have given the user a similar level of FR protection to that which the US Armed Forces currently maintains. Just as the US Forces have learned, providing this protection has come at the cost of some durability. However, because of the concerted efforts of our militaries and industry here and abroad, FR fabrics have significantly improved over the past 5 years since the requirement first came to the forefront. We have tracked along with the materials that have resulted from this effort and incrementally incorporated them into our own products.

Just as we reported here about the Army’s pant problems, so too it seems the Aussies are having the same issues with FR material durability.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/09/aussies-facing-same-pant-problems.html#ixzz1YU9Rwcyq
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

Darpa Underwear Will ‘Harvest’ Soldiers’ Energy, Give Them Killer Abs

By Mark Riffee September 29, 2011 | 12:00 pm



Soldiers: Your underwear of the future will do more than prevent crotch rot. It’ll protect you from injuries, monitor your vitals, and even “harvest” your energy. That is, if a new project from Darpa’s Defense Sciences Office works out as planned. That’s an illustration, to the right, of what Darpa thinks its “Warrior Web” onesie might look like.

So far, the project is still in the draw-a-cartoon-with-a-six-pack-in-tights stage — a long way off from the “adaptive, compliant, nearly transparent, quasi-active joint support suit,” which can “mitigate musculoskeletal injury caused by discrete dynamic events while maintaining soldier performance,” dreamed up by Darpa. An introductory meeting of potential researchers is set for mid-October.

Musculoskeletal injuries (a blanket term for anything from pain caused by overuse to stress fractures and joint derangements) are a real problem in the military. According to a 2010 study, there were 743,547 injury-related musculoskeletal conditions amongst military personnel in 2006. In 2004, 44 percent of military fatalities resulted from unintentional injuries. These Achilles tendon strains, torn meniscuses, and sore labrums slow our soldiers down, rendering them less effective and placing them in more danger.

But protecting their knees is just the start of what Warrior Web aims to do. Darpa says it’s looking for experts in the following fields for the Warrior Web:

• Joint support and musculoskeletal injury mitigation

• Dynamics of soldier action and external load

• Biomechanical and joint modeling and testing

• Efficient and compliant actuation

• Energy regeneration and harvesting

• Dynamic structural stiffness tuning

• Adaptive sensing and control for biomechatronics

• Materials, fabrics, and structures to enhance the human-to-equipment interface

Wait — “musculoskeletal injury mitigation”? “Energy regeneration”? Is this glorified pair of long underwear supposed to reduce inflammation and heal stress fractures while it pumps B-12 (or maybe amphetamines) into the blood stream? Sounds, uh, ambitious. And if I were a soldier, I’d be wary of modeling any garment that is going to “harvest” anything from me.

This isn’t the military’s first crazy-suit pipe dream. (In 2003, MIT bragged that they would soon show us a nanotech-made muscle suit that can heal and deflect bullets. In 2010, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon each showed off hydraulic-powered exoskeleton suits designed to help soldiers carry heavier loads while putting minimal strain on their joints and ligaments. And of course, let us never forget the super-strength cyborg penguin suit of 2008.) So Warrior Web may not be an entirely original concept, but it’s certainly the most ambitious. After all, it’s basically underwear with strengthening and healing powers.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems blog............

Army Combat Pant Prototype

October 3rd, 2011

This is Propper International’s version of the Army Combat Pant. It is made from 3 different TenCate FR fabrics including a heavier duty seat reinforcement as well as the stretch panels around the knees and above the seat. One distinct difference we know that the Propper version has from Crye’s offering is a zippered fly rather buttons. Additionally, the button at closure at the top is located on the front flap rather than the rear and buttons into a fully enclosed hole.



Here you can see the reinforced rear.



The Propper pant utilizes Cry’s proprietary kneepad design.



The kneepad is removable and and the pant features an internal flap that plugs the hole from the inside when the kneepad is not worn.



The pant leg incorporates several cloth adjustable take up tabs.



The height of the kneepad is also adjustable via an internal shockcord that is held in place via a barrel lock contained in the external upperthigh pockets.





Here you can see the low profile take up tabs on the sides of the nonpadded waist band.



Word is that Crye Precision, Massif and Propper International will face off for the final contract for the Army Combat Pant.

[buglerbilly]

Wild Things Tactical Adding Impact to Softshell

by Christian on October 4, 2011



The Duo wrote back in August about the company Wild Things Tactical and their high-end snivel gear, including softshells, hardshells and fleece for cold-weather combat zones (like right now in Afghanistan).

I’ve been test driving their SO 1.0 insulated softshell jacket and as someone who goes way back with high-end mountaineering gear, this jacket ranks up their with the most technical, best fitting piece I’ve ever seen. It’s no surprise that the bubbas with SEAL Team VI helped design the jacket.

Well, according to a top company official, looks like the DevGru frogmen will be test driving a new variation of the combat shirt out in The ‘Stan early next year. Wild Things is looking to team with Providence, R.I.-based G-Form to add lightweight padding to its combat softshell — an “under-armor” shirt that combines water and wind repellent shoulders and arms, with an athletic, breathable mid-section.

WTT says they’re going to bond the G-Form padding to the combat shirt in the chest area and back to mitigate blunt force trauma from potential ballistic impacts. They also plan to fit the padding to the shoulder area to relieve stress from plate carrier loading. We had a chance to tug and twist the G-Form padding at the Modern Day Marine show, and it was extremely lightweight, formfitting and pliable.

Company officials say the new combat softshell will be sent overseas with some frogmen later this year and could be available by May, 2012.

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2011/10/wild-things-tactical-adding-impact-to-softshell.html#ixzz1ZrC7AQWI
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