Reply With QuoteBritish Soldiers from A Company, 3 Rifles, during a Short patrol from CP Sola, Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan – June 2012
Photos: Cpl Paul Morrison, Army Photographer - ©MOD/Crown Copyright 2012
Two Typhoons of No. 29 (Reserve) Squadron, RAF taking part in Bastille Day celebrations in France:
Afghanistan - A Coy 3 Rifles CP Sola
British Soldiers from A Company, 3 Rifles, during a Short patrol from CP Sola, Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan – June 2012
Photos: Cpl Paul Morrison, Army Photographer - ©MOD/Crown Copyright 2012
Afghanistan
British Soldiers from 1st Battalion, The Grenadier Guards, during a Short patrol from Midan Bazi, Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan – June 2012
Photos: Cpl Paul Morrison, Army Photographer - ©MOD/Crown Copyright 2012
Afghanistan
British Soldiers from Burma Company, 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 Yorks) during apartnered operation with the Afghan National Army in Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan , 18th July 2012
Photos: Cpl Paul Morrison, Army Photographer ©MOD/Crown Copyright 2012
Troops to Recieve New Combat Boots
The Ministry of Defence has signed a multi-million-pound contract for new boots for the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force
Armed Forces personnel will receive a new range of brown combat boots to replace the black and desert combat footwear they currently wear.
As part of a contract worth £80 million, troops will have the choice of wearing five different boots, depending on where they are based and what job they are doing. The five types available are:
- Desert Combat: worn by dismounted troops conducting high levels of activity in desert environments exceeding 40 °C
- Desert Patrol: worn by mounted troops, typically drivers or armoured troops conducting lower levels of activity in desert environments exceeding 40 °C
- Temperate combat: worn by dismounted troops for high levels of activity in temperate climates
- Patrol: worn by mounted troops, typically drivers or armoured troops conducting lower levels of activity in temperate climates
- Cold Wet Weather: worn by dismounted troops for high levels of activity in temperatures down to –20 °C.
Each of the five boot types comes in two different styles, so personnel can wear whichever one is more comfortable for them.
Different foot shapes of men and women
The improved brown boots, which have been developed to match the Multi Terrain Pattern uniform worn by all service personnel, will be made in two different width fittings, taking into account for the first time the different foot shapes of men and women.
The new boots have been chosen after months of trials involving 2000 troops serving across the world in Kenya, Cyprus, Canada and the UK. The brown boots will be rolled out to personnel in all three services later this year.
Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Peter Luff said:
"This contract will provide our troops with the high-quality footwear they need whilst on operations and back in the UK. Our Armed Forces will have more choice than ever before to make sure they are as comfortable as possible, whatever their role."
Warrant Officer Class One Julie Lodge from the Ministry of Defence's Defence Clothing team said:
"The boots we have now do the job well, but having footwear that is specially designed for female troops means we get an even better result, and marks a real development in the kit available to us. The new boots are very comfortable and fit so well I feel like I could run a marathon in them.
"We have had excellent feedback on the new boots from both male and female soldiers and we are buying a variety of styles to cover the full range of conditions we might encounter on operations, which means all our troops will have new boots for all seasons."
The right boot for the right job
WO1 Regimental Sergeant Major Ian Wright of the Parachute Regiment took part in the trials and said:
"The choice offered to us with this new range of boots is fantastic as it means troops can find the right boot for the right job.
"It is important that we continue to feel comfortable in the boots that we wear and reassured that they are going to provide the right protection - and these new brown boots offer that.
"They performed well on the trials and I am sure our soldiers will be delighted with them."
Black boots will continue to be worn with most non-camouflage uniforms and by units on parade in full dress uniform, such as Guards regiments on ceremonial duties in central London.
Warrant Officer Julie Lodge models the new boots for female personnel. UK MOD Crown Copyright
Front-on view of brown Temperate Combat boots worn with Multi Terrain Pattern trousers
[Picture: Andrew Linnett, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]
Side-on view of brown Temperate Combat boots worn with Multi Terrain Pattern trousers
[Picture: Andrew Linnett, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]
Last edited by vor033; 07-23-2012 at 01:04 PM.
They look like a cheap, knock off pair of Meindel boots.
Given the woeful track record of the British Army producing anything like half decent boots for the last 200yrs, is there any reason to assume these will be any better?
They do a bit. You get a choice between Lowes and Meindels when you deploy anyway, so I can't imagine too many blokes trading them in (mind you, that's just the temperate ones in the pics).Originally Posted by ZiggyMac
I'm not too thrilled about having to do away with my proven, comfortable, well worn-in Altbergs ''just 'coz they is black - innit''.
GR4 Tornados Refueling
Royal air force GR4 Tornados refueling from a KC-10 Extender from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, during an air refueling mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan, June 3.
What exactly is the need for a pair of walking boot knock-offs for remfing camp rats like her?
When I was a remfing camp rat I wore my old jungle boots (becasue I was too cheap to buy GSG9s to drive a desk/language lab in) - those things must cook your feet in the average MoD office/classrom
Them as actually need decent boots will get issued them for deployments as they have for years...
They do look cheap, but when has the Army never not tried to do anything on the cheap?
And 5 'new' types of boot? so how much will this cost the MOD? considering they are cutting thousands of soldiers in the 'cost cuttin' scheme.
Will we see lads get issued these things, then go out an by Lowa's, Meindls, Altbergs and so on?
Afghanistan
British Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) during operations in Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan – 2012
©MOD/Crown Copyright 2012
Afghanistan
British Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) during operations in Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan – 2012
©MOD/Crown Copyright 2012
We've had that sort of number for years - ski march boots, winter boots (Pro boots, Matterhorns, Meindls etc), patrol boots (BCH, Altbergs etc), urban patrol boots, destert boots, cold weather desert boots, jungle boots - one boot cannot do them all.
Hear hear and at the end of the day if you dont like them you go and get what you want in brown if anything this has opened the gates for civvie hiking boots that blokes have polished black for years.
TA soldiers on Exercise ROMAN STAR in Italy
TA soldiers from 4 YORKS are in Italy learning how to adapt to the changing nature of conflict. As the Army looks to draw down its forces in Afghanistan and retrain to combat the new security threats facing the world, training is changing to reflect the new demands. The new training exercise with the Italian Army, known as Ex ROMAN STAR, follows this month's Government announcement on troop reductions and a greater reliance on reserve soldiers to integrate with the regular Army. It is the first of a series of new overseas exercises for the reserves who will need to increase their numbers to meet the demands of the Army 2020 structure
Reservists from 4 YORKS are the first to undertake the exercise which trains them to prepare for and execute an attack on a property occupied by enemy forces. The attack includes a helicopter assault with the Italian Army providing the air assets. Building up to this, the troops will learn how to combine conventional warfare and close quarter combat with modern assault techniques, some of which have been developed during operations in Afghanistan; Crown copyright.
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