digrar
08-18-2005, 11:10 PM
Nice to see that some procurement people are looking at what the soldiers are buying themselves and acting on it.
By the left or right, Sir? The Army shows off its new commando pants
By Catriona Davies
(Filed: 19/08/2005)
The modern soldier has the best in high-tech weaponry, satellite navigation and lightweight combat clothing, but until now there has been one thing missing from the kit bag: sensible underpants for hot climates.
Enter "combat underwear", the first army-issue smalls since the 1960s, designed to look after the - ahem - privates better than their civilian equivalents.
The Army unveiled its underpants yesterday as part of its new range of desert clothing, the first large-scale redesign of kit since the first Gulf war.
"These will make 'going commando' a thing of the past," said Col Silas Suchanek, the head of defence clothing for the Ministry of Defence, holding up the black trunk-style pants, but sensibly refusing to model them.
He said: "In the past, underwear has been treated as a personal item, but our experience in Iraq has been that if men didn't bring enough pairs with them and they wore out, they went commando.
"These won't be compulsory, but we think most people will be much more comfortable wearing them than not. It's a long time since we issued underwear. We used to have 'drawers' but they fell out of fashion in the 1960s."
The pants have been made from an artificial anti-microbial fabric and have been treated to prevent infections. They are also seamless to reduce chafing.
For now, the pants come only in men's style, but servicewomen will be free to wear the pants until ladies' briefs are developed.
"We will be looking at the women's issue as well but for the time being they are unisex," said Col Suchanek.
The Army's new desert kit includes partly bulletproof sunglasses
The Army also demonstrated boots with soles that can withstand temperatures of 300C (572F). There had been rumours that the old boots had melted in the Iraqi desert. Major John Stoddart, in charge of footwear, handwear and sensory protection, said: "It wasn't true that they melted but the soles did start to crumble over time, due to a chemical reaction that was accelerated by heat."
Also on show were partly bullet-proof sunglasses, goggles, water carriers with a tube straight into the mouth and filters so they can be filled with dirty water, and sleeping bags that adapt to hot or cold weather.
Much of the kit has been developed by incorporating items that soldiers are already buying for themselves.
Sgt Paul Buckley, modelling the kit, said: "The kit we are getting now is stuff that we used to buy. The Army has finally cottoned that what the lads are buying is good kit, so now the Army is buying it for us."
Col Suchanek said: "We are continually looking to take advantage of new technologies and new fabrics. It's all about balancing the best new kit with what's cost-effective."
By the left or right, Sir? The Army shows off its new commando pants
By Catriona Davies
(Filed: 19/08/2005)
The modern soldier has the best in high-tech weaponry, satellite navigation and lightweight combat clothing, but until now there has been one thing missing from the kit bag: sensible underpants for hot climates.
Enter "combat underwear", the first army-issue smalls since the 1960s, designed to look after the - ahem - privates better than their civilian equivalents.
The Army unveiled its underpants yesterday as part of its new range of desert clothing, the first large-scale redesign of kit since the first Gulf war.
"These will make 'going commando' a thing of the past," said Col Silas Suchanek, the head of defence clothing for the Ministry of Defence, holding up the black trunk-style pants, but sensibly refusing to model them.
He said: "In the past, underwear has been treated as a personal item, but our experience in Iraq has been that if men didn't bring enough pairs with them and they wore out, they went commando.
"These won't be compulsory, but we think most people will be much more comfortable wearing them than not. It's a long time since we issued underwear. We used to have 'drawers' but they fell out of fashion in the 1960s."
The pants have been made from an artificial anti-microbial fabric and have been treated to prevent infections. They are also seamless to reduce chafing.
For now, the pants come only in men's style, but servicewomen will be free to wear the pants until ladies' briefs are developed.
"We will be looking at the women's issue as well but for the time being they are unisex," said Col Suchanek.
The Army's new desert kit includes partly bulletproof sunglasses
The Army also demonstrated boots with soles that can withstand temperatures of 300C (572F). There had been rumours that the old boots had melted in the Iraqi desert. Major John Stoddart, in charge of footwear, handwear and sensory protection, said: "It wasn't true that they melted but the soles did start to crumble over time, due to a chemical reaction that was accelerated by heat."
Also on show were partly bullet-proof sunglasses, goggles, water carriers with a tube straight into the mouth and filters so they can be filled with dirty water, and sleeping bags that adapt to hot or cold weather.
Much of the kit has been developed by incorporating items that soldiers are already buying for themselves.
Sgt Paul Buckley, modelling the kit, said: "The kit we are getting now is stuff that we used to buy. The Army has finally cottoned that what the lads are buying is good kit, so now the Army is buying it for us."
Col Suchanek said: "We are continually looking to take advantage of new technologies and new fabrics. It's all about balancing the best new kit with what's cost-effective."