Nett Warrior (NW) provides unprecedented situational awareness and battle command to the dismounted Soldier. Using commercial-off-the-shelf technology, Soldiers can access detailed geo-referenced maps and digitally communicate through their End User Devices. The Army is fielding NW now, giving Soldiers maximum awareness on the battlefield.
UPDATE – And it’s cancelled. This is becoming comical.
I’ve written several articles about the US Army’s impending change from the ill-named Universal Camouflage Pattern to the newly renamed Operational Camouflage Pattern also known commercially as MultiCam by Crye Precision. I’ve even mentioned a plan to repurpose current stocks of UCP equipment such as MOLLE and IOTV covers to a new, more usable colorway. But how do you change the colors of billions of Dollars worth of equipment? The answer is simple; you dye it. Think of it as a means to cut their losses.
Earlier this year I began to hear reports that the Army had been working with a commercial vendor to develop a process to over dye UCP equipment with a shade of Brown in order to make it more compatible with OCP. Naturally, there are issues afoot here. For example, different materials are going to absorb the dye at different rates, and equipment exhibiting differing levels of wear will also absorb dye differently. In the end, it’s going to look rather interesting. It isn’t going to blend in so much as not clash, like traditional UCP would against OCP. Best case, it may end up somewhat resembling the brown-based UCP-Delta pattern tested in Afghanistan in 2009. Worst case? I shudder to imagine.
Specifically, the Army has issued a Sources Sought Notice. Interested parties have until 20 December, 2013 to respond. The link to the notice is www.fbo.gov.
Subject: Request for Information to Over-dye Nylon Fabrics and Items
Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment (PM-SPIE) of the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 is seeking information from potential industry partners to provide a technology solution to modify the camouflage pattern on current equipment. The potential development effort is to over-dye items and/or fabric comprised of nylon 500D and 1000D. Specific items include the Modular Lightweight Load carrying Equipment (MOLLE) and Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV). Items are treated with water repellant, polyurethane, and fire retardant on some equipment. The objective is to modify the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) to more closely match the shade/color of Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP). Of particular interest are portable technologies that can be utilized outside of the manufacturing environment.
Where will it be used? Your guess is as good a mine. Assuredly, it will be issued to the training base so anyone who attends BCT, AIT, Ranger School or any other resident school that issues TA-50 will see this stuff for years to come. Incidentally, TA-50 gets its name from Common Table of Allowances 50-900, Clothing and Individual Equipment which authorizes items for issue based on duty position, unit of assignment or climatic zone. Some of these over duded items may also end up in the reserve components but there has already been some pushback from National Guard commanders who refuse to be looked at as a second class force with second class equipment after being so active over the past 12 years in the war effort. But, over time we will see attrition and replacement of this over dyed UCP. And, I want to mention that the most recent MOLLE contract was only for OCP and the Army has stopped purchasing MOLLE in UCP.
Some have pointed to recent articles published by the press regarding statements by Army spokesmen to suggest that my evidence that the Army is marching ahead with the camouflage change is incorrect. If so, why would the PEO Soldier put out a call to industry just this past week looking for firms that are capable of over dyeing TA-50 if they weren’t still planning to make the camouflage switch?
We’ve had a few incredulous readers contact us with doubts that the Army would actually alter the OCP/MultiCam pattern on their own so we thought it best to share this blast from the past. We broke this story on March 25th, 2011.
MultiCam was developed by Crye Precision and is currently one of the most popular camouflage patterns on the market. It’s been adopted by numerous countries including the US, UK, and Australia. Consequently, we run across MultiCam knockoffs all of the time. Readers send them to us often asking if they are authentic or not. In fact, we received one yesterday that really caught our eye. Generally, copycat patterns are intended for the MilSim or consumer markets which are often more driven by price than performance. But this one was different. It was developed by the US Army and oddly enough, for much the same reasons. Intended as a cost savings measure and yet still be MultiCam compatible, we’re not too sure they have succeeded at either goal. Take a look, and you’ll see what we mean.
Yesterday, the Army Contracting Command issued a Request for Information (RFI) / Market Survey on behalf of Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM-SCIE) and the US Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Command, (NSRDEC) in Natick, MA for Flame Resistant and Non-Melting, Next-to-Skin Fabrics.
In particular, the wish “to identify domestic products, suppliers and manufacturers as potential sources of knitted fabrics suitable for use in three next-to-skin garment types. These garment categories include:
A. Base layer underwear
B. Base layer underwear capable of maintaining a snug fit when soft ballistic protection is added.
C. Flame resistant shirts capable of maintaining fit and positioning of integrated ballistic protection.
1. Sleeve and side panel fabric (must have capability to be printed in IR compliant camouflage patterns)
2. Torso fabric”
In addition to basic information on any company that submits, the Government also needs:
-A fact sheet or white paper, detailing properties of the submitted fabrics, technical parameters, manufacturing location, relevant company background/experience and documented test/analysis information that would indicate performance properties against the required physical properties listed above.
-Five yards of each submitted fabric.
-Pricing for each submitted fabric in dollars per linear yard.
The RFI goes on to state that, “the Government may purchase up to 100 yards from one or more respondents for prototype development. ”
Most important, companies must review this document for salient performance characteristics.
Perspective companies have until November 29th, 2013 to respond. Full details are at the FBO posting.
As always, I will remind SSD readers that this is NOT a solicitation but rather a means to gather information from industry on the current state of the art. I encourage participation as these exercises influence future requirements.
At 0912 hours on 12 August, 2012 while conducting a route clearance patrol near SP Panza, Afghanistan, SGT Joseph Morrissey of C Troop 4-73 Cavalry, 82nd Abn Div was shot in the chest by a 7.62 round from a distance of 30m. It hit right in his ESAPI plate which absorbed the blow and saved his life. Yesterday, that plate was returned by Program Executive Office Soldier’s SEA, CSM Maunakea.
Surprisingly, right after the incident, his unit initially thought they might have to MEDEVAC him due to the shot, but once they sat him down and conducted an assessment they realized that the projectile had not penetrated through his vest and all he needed to do was replace his front ESAPI plate. They did that and he was returned right back to his patrol.
The plate was returned to SGT Morrissey courtesy of the Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat Program at Ft Detrick which funds collection and analysis of PPE. Although it’s a joint program, the actual analysis is conducted by personnel from Program Executive Office Soldier to determine how well it performs against real threats and to use the information to make better armor systems in the future.
According to COL Marilyn Brew (USA) a PM at JTAPICP, the program has been around since 2006. She related that in addition to Armor Plates, they also analyze soft armor, helmets and other armor items, regardless of the service of origin. Amanda Perry of the Technical management directorate explained that they have over 70,000 data points in their database.
This was a great opportunity for SGT Morrissey to meet the men and women behind the equipment that saved his life. Conversely, the team at PEO Soldier had a chance to put a face on the work that they do.
SGT Morrissey took the opportunity to thank everyone at PEO Soldier. He explained that prior to the visit, he had no idea that a place like PEO Soldier even existed but said that he would spread the gospel once he returned to his unit at Ft Bragg.
When I asked him about his PPE his answer was simple, “It Works.” He went on to tell me that prior to this incident he was no fan of body armor, but now? “If it wasn’t for this equipment, I’d be dead.” And that pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?
SGT Morrissey was accompanied to the ceremony by wife Nikki and battle buddy SPC Samuel Walley.
SSD wishes SGT Morrissey and his lovely wife well as they will soon become parents. We’d also like to thanks PEO Soldier for the opportunity to visit their facility and cover this story.
I am very pleased to see some representation at DSEi from the US Army in the form of my favorite organization, PEO Soldier.
They are here on behalf of Foreign Military Sales and are exhibiting those items that can be exported such as parachutes, helmets and armor plates.
The premiere issue of US Army RDECOM’s “Army Technology” features Soldier Protection. We don’t see much news out of PEO Soldier these days so it’s great to see an interview with BG Paul Ostrowski. Look for features on Natick as well as armor, TBI mitigation, protective masks, footwear and batteries.
issuu.com/rdecom/docs/armytechnologymagazine_sept2013
Rather than making a splash by unveiling the APFU on the Army’s birthday last month, details of the new Army Physical Fitness Uniform are leaked to no fanfare. Hopefully, the Army will see fit to announce the findings of the Camouflage Improvement Effort as well.
