Adam, owner of the Israeli tactical gear maker Smamit passed away January 31st of lung cancer. He will be missed by freedom loving warriors the world over who used his gear. Smamit had been around for years and have even graced Soldier Systems Daily with an article on his PaLoop. A veteran of the IDF, he is survived by a wife and two daughters.
Strike Hold! has put together a pretty comprehensive photo study of the latest camo patterns from all over. Quite a bit of it is digital and in his well put together introduction he makes a good case that the digital craze started by the Canadians has made the biggest influence in international combat uniform design. Take some time to peruse the photos collected from a wide variety of sources. You will also see quite a bit of American influence over pattern selection among allied nations.
The French Army has just released a new version of their combat uniform. Based on operational feedback from numerous Afghanistan deployments, the “Tenue de Combat Nouvelle Génération” features a new, rip-stop fabric. Referred to in some circles as the FELIN uniform, as a nod the the French Future Soldier ensemble (Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés or Integrated Equipment and Communications Infantryman) it retains the Camouflage Centre Europe pattern currently in use. We have not seen a version released in the desert pattern yet.
The production schedule is quite ambitious hoping to field 365,000 trousers and 265,000 jackets in the first half of 2010.
One interesting feature are the outboard side opening pockets, accessible while wearing armor. These pockets replace the napoleon-style previously used. As you can see in the photo, the patch pockets have slots for magazines. The sleeves now also integrate a Velcro closure. Additionally, the Canadian slotted buttons found along the front opening of earlier versions of the combat jacket have been replaced with Velcro in order to be more comfortable under body armor. The jacket also has Velcro for the placement of various badges. Finally, the trousers now feature a bellows with zipper to ease donning and doffing and the knee and elbows will accept soft or hard inserts.
Photographs: SCA/ADC Guédon
In a move somewhat reminiscent of the Swedish Combat Bra we reported on last year, the German government has been hard at work testing new brassieres for their female police officers. Designed to be worn under body armor, the new bras feature no metal or plastic parts. Apparently, there are three different styles that have been certified for wear. This version features thick pads for protection and a blend of cotton, polyester, spandex and polyamide with no buttons or fasteners which can cause secondary injuries. Additionally, the material offers a certain degree of fire resistance. Already available for issue, British Police women are asking for something similar.
Rather than issuing camouflage uniforms the Israeli Defense Force takes an entirely different approach consisting of baggy garments worn over fatigues and field equipment. This new pattern resembling a great coat was observed today.
(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
This is not to say that these garments haven’t been used operationally in the past, but rather this is the first time I have observed this particular cut in use. Previously, similar garments consisting of baggy over trousers and pullover top have been used some with an integrated hood. Additionally, the Mitznefet helmet cover has seen widespread use by Israeli troops. It is often worn atop the ballistic helmet to break up the outline and is sometimes reversible from a green-based to brown-based camo pattern. Newer helmet cover variants are said to exist that feature a more texturized material to make the cover appear more like foliage. All of the garments including the helmet cover are made from mesh in order to enhance breathability.
(REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
Cadex Defence has maintained a pretty low profile over the years. While they might be short on publicity they are long on credibility. Take a gander at their products page. It’s no wonder that so many turn to them to solve special problems. Rumor has it that they participated in working some of the manufacturing kinks out of the ACR although no one will verify this.
Late last year we wrote an article about the new 7.62 NATO L129A1. During a visit to the Lewis Machine & Tool booth at SHOT Show I was able to examine a production example of the new L129A1 recently adopted by the UK Army for their small unit designated marksmen. This photo was recently published by Strike Hold!.
The large Trijicon sight is designed to offer a wide field of view and gather lots of ambient light and features a mini red dot back up as well as a simple reticle pattern. Pictured is a folding fore-grip from Cadex Defence (pictured is the old style) but was not on the rifle displayed in the LMT booth at SHOT Show. The weapon also features KAC BUIS, Magpul PRS stock, and Harris bipod.
UK Based Unleashed Tactical Equipment has released images and information to us on their new Triton Softshell. It’s by design that you haven’t heard of Unleashed Tactical until now. They have been providing very high end products to a select customer base for some time and felt it was finally the right time to come out into the open. They will continue to maintain a selective client list but felt that our website was a good venue to introduce them to more of the right kind of customer.
Unleashed Tactical Equipment out of the UK has just completed their 2010 product collection. Developed specifically for law enforcement, military and security specialists, the range encompasses overt and covert tasks.
The Triton Softshell is a mid-layer jacket available in hooded and mandarin collar variants. Both garments use a windproof and highly breathable four way stretch Schoeller® textile. The outer face of the garment is finished with the same company’s nanoSpere® durable water repellent finish. The inside features a micro fleece lining for warmth. The cut of the garment is athletic and maximizes the stretch properties of the material, following the Unleashed philosophy of Body Proximity Comfort™.
Speaking of comfort, the four pockets on the jacket feature HyperVentilationâ„¢ pocket liners. The liners allow direct venting of humidity when open, increasing comfort during times of high physiological burden. The sleeves of the jacket are also slightly longer than normal to offer some hand protection where gloves are not an option. The jacket is finished with water resistant YKK zippers and shock cord waist adjustment.
unleashed-tactical.blogspot.com
www.unleashed-tactical.com/news
