General Issue

Mk 1 Combat Body Armor Origin: United Kingdom Developed: 1990s In service: 1991-2006 Wars: Gulf War (Operation Granby), War in Afghanistan (Op Veritas, Op Herrick),                  Iraq War (Op Telic) Patterns: ' 85 pattern DPM, Desert DPM Replacement: Mk 1 Osprey Body Armor Above: Mark 1 lightweight Combat Body Armor in  DPM and DDPM. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the British Army looked into the possibility of a new design for body armor that would offer better protection against fragmentation. In the early 1970s, soon after the Army started Operation Banner, its three-decade-long deployment to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, soldiers there were issued American-made M69 flak jackets, which had seen use in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. These saw use for about a decade until the late '70s and early '80s, when they were replaced by the 1979 pattern body armor, an updated version of the M1952 vest. Issue of the Improved North...

The 16th Parachute Brigade was an airborne infantry formation of the British Army, active from 1948-1977 and the predecessor to the modern-day 16 Air Assault Brigade. After the end of the Second World War in 1945, the 2nd Airborne Brigade, attached to the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), became the only major airborne formation in the Army after the 1st Airborne Division and the 6th Airborne Division were both disbanded. In 1948, the 2 Para Brigade was redesigned the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group as an amalgamation of the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions, containing the previous numerals of both units to carry on their legacy.  Three parachute battalions were attached to the brigade after its creation: 1 PARA (previously the 4/6th Para Bn), 2 PARA (previously the 5th Scottish Para Bn), and 3 PARA (previously the 7th Light Inf. Para Bn).  16 PARA was deployed extensively in the Middle East during the 60s as a rapid-reaction 'fire brigade' for the Army. It deployed to...

Based on feedback from soldiers, Marines and Airmen, the Second Generation (Gen II) ECWCS was developed in the late 1990s, and was revolutionary in terms of design. Three of the items used in the previous system - the M65 liner and trousers, the polyester fiberpile shirt and overalls, and the snow camouflage parka - were excluded from the new system. Natick Labs decided to instead work on a more simple system that would not take up as much space in the user’s closet, lighten their load and provide optimal protection from the elements for prolonged periods of time. An insulating soft polyester fabric known as polar fleece - patented and owned by the outdoor company Polartec - would catch the Army’s attention. Polartec would end up being a major contributor to the development of the Gen II, and created a synthetic fleece shirt and overalls as one of the new items. This new system was designed to be lighter, more durable and with better insulation and breathability to protect against the ...

IMPROVED OUTER TACTICAL VEST (IOTV) Specifications Developed: 2006-2007 In service: Late 2007-present Patterns: UCP (2007-2019), OEF-CP (2011-2019), OCP (2019-present) Materials: Cordura, Kevlar, Twaron, Spacer mesh fabric Weight: 31.87 pounds (with all plates and components)  Sizes: 11 (X-Small through XXXX-Large) While the Interceptor Body Armor and the Outer Tactical Vest were considered fairly effective, questions were raised over whether or not they were the best possible armor for American soldiers and Marines. This debate was heightened by controversy over Dragon Skin, produced by the now defunct Pinnacle Armor. It was presented as superior to the previous systems of body armor fielded by the Army and Marines, with its supporters claiming it was the best possible armor and outperformed the IBA. To support their argument, a retired Marine colonel spoke to the media claiming that Dragon Skin was better than other systems. In the spring of 2006, PEO Soldier’s PM Soldier Equip...

ADVANCED COMBAT HELMET (ACH) Origin: United States Users: US Army , Air Force Security Forces In service: 2002-present Replaced: PASGT Ground Troops & Parachutists Helmet Designer: US Army Soldier Systems Center Manufacturer(s) : ArmourSource, Gentex, MKU Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large Weight: 3 pounds, 2.5 pounds (Gen II model) Camo: Woodland, DCU, UCP, UCP-D (trial), OEFCP, OCP The PASGT helmet , though an improvement over the older M1 steel pot helmet, still had its downsides; it protected only against fragmentation and shrapnel and not small arms, and was uncomfortable to wear, with soldiers often having to constantly readjust it in the field. Research into a possible replacement into the PASGT helmet began in the late 1990s under a program run by the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Special forces operators preferred to use other helmets, especially the ‘bump’ helmets similar to the ones that were popular amongst skateboarders. This was because they were compa...