The US Army has awarded ADS Inc of Virginia Beach, VA a contract for the new Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble (FREE). ADS will lead a team of over ten U.S. technical garment manufacturers and technical textile companies to produce and supply the versatile, multi-layer, 17-component system for fielding this year.
The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office, Product Manager, Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM-CIE) awarded this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract consisting of a base year and three additional option years. If all contract options are exercised the total contract value will exceed $1 billion.
FREE is designed specifically for aviation and combat vehicle crewmen, and utilizes advanced textile technologies in a range of garments, from lightweight base layers to weather-protecting outerwear. Contractors include Barrier-Wear, Massif, Darn Tough Vermont, Polartec and London Bridge.