ASHLAND, OR, JANUARY X, 2014 – Massif® NAVAIR Elements™ Jacket and Pant with Battleshield X™ fabric has been authorized to wear by NAVAIR, adding sage green shade for rotary and fixed wing non-ejection seat pilots and aircrew.
“It has been less than a year since Massif and Gore announced the commercial introduction of this revolutionary new fabric for the Elements line of softshell garments, so we’re very excited that it’s now tested and approved by NAVAIR,” said Dave Bywater, VP of Government Sales at Massif. “The new fabric in these garments represents a real leap in innovation, ultimately resulting in better performance and protection for our troops.”
Massif Battleshield X fabric, featuring GORE® FR stretch technology, is a flame-resistant, water-resistant laminate developed specifically for the military and tactical markets, with a US patent-pending nylon face fabric. While nylon garments have a long history of performance in the outdoor market, it has never before provided adequate FR protection. Massif Battleshield X fabric offers a shift in flame resistance by combining filament nylon-faced laminates with exceptional FR protection. The result is an extremely durable, highly breathable fabric with a superior warmth-to-weight ratio that is highly water resistant and flame resistant.
Massif Battleshield X has been rigorously field tested in some of the world’s harshest conditions, and has proved itself over and over. In high-activity situations, Massif’s unique fabrics with Gore’s breathable stretch membrane reduce overheating and chilling from moisture retention and reduce user fatigue, keeping soldiers dryer, safer, and more effective in a wider range of situations and temperatures. What’s more, Massif Battleshield X meets the stringent requirements of ASTM F2302/ASTM D6413 and shows extremely low Burn Injury Prediction when tested on a manikin per ASTM F1930.
“Even after a more than a decade of providing garments and fabrics to the US Military, it’s still really gratifying to get another approval. It’s our mission to increase comfort and durability, improve life cycle costs, and provide the best flash-fire protection possible for our troops,” added Bywater.
The approved Massif® NAVAIR Elements™ Jacket and Pant with Battleshield X™ are available as a commercial off-the-shelf product. In addition, NAVAIR has rigorously tested and approved all products in Massif’s Fire and Ice Layering System for use by Navy and Marine Corps aviators, and fifteen of Massif’s products are included in NAVAIR’s State-of-the-Art Survival Items (SOASI) list, ensuring that Navy and Marine Corps aviators have access to the world’s most technologically advanced FR equipment.