Excellent, happytrader! Thanks for providing that.
To add a few thoughts....
The new hot weather combat uniform
This was from
the article this week…
- fabric is a 57 percent Nylon/ 43 percent cotton blend said to be "faster-drying" have "greater airflow" and “a little bit more strength” than the 50-50 Nylon cotton blend on the ACU
- will potentially mitigate heat injuries because it holds less heat and less moisture
- there are no breast pockets or back pockets
- features a button-down front instead of a zipper closure.
- features reinforced elbows and reinforced and articulated knees and a gusseted crotch
- was developed in conjunction with the Natick Soldier Systems Center.
- the designers of the uniform were said to have worked hand-in-hand with the Jungle Operations Training Center in Hawaii
- field trials of the new uniform to commence in Hawaii in January 2018
This from the
August 2016 article referred to in
this recent post…
- Soldiers in the 25th Infantry Division and its jungle school participated in 4 uniform trials in Hawaii over 18 months to help officials at Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering and Program Executive Office Soldier determine the right mix of attributes for a new tropical uniform.
- the chest, calf and back pockets were removed to reduce weight and dry-time.
- buttons were used on the ACU blouse instead of a zipper, with the intent to increase air flow.
- the elbows, knees and seat were reinforced with 330 denier nylon, a thicker nylon that increases durability and abrasion resistance.
- crotch gussets, extra patches of fabric that reduces stress on the seams, were added to prevent blowouts common to the Flame Resistant ACUs.
- of eight different fabric blends tested, one was a 57/43 nylon-cotton blend that used a specialized high-strength nylon called T420 HT.
- the Army was to take what it learned and design a material and a uniform during 2017. Natick aimed to hold final user evaluations in either the fall of 2017 or the winter of 2018.
For the record, there was only one 57/43 fabric tested in the Hawaii field trials, and that was the one undoubtedly made by Cordura, as it used Cordura’s T420 HT.
Alexiflam DW?
As referred to in the latest 4C, Alexium has more recently been working on applying “cost effective and
performance enhancing FR technology to a “lighter and more breathable” NyCo base fabric for DoD
In September 2016, Alexium partnered with a large supplier to the DoD of nylon-cotton fabrics with the goal of accelerating the process of engineering a lighter and more breathable base fabric that could be married with Alexium’s cost effective and performance-enhancing FR technology to satisfy all of the DoD’s requirements. In the period, Alexium and its fabric partner produced a finished fabric that has passed all of the DoD lab-scale performance, comfort and weight requirements.
Performance enhancing may, of course, simply be a reference to the FR. But I guess if the FR was combined with PCM thermal management and wicking, that could also be described as performance enhancing?
Referring back to the
August 2016 article, there was this comment....
Soldiers in Hawaii also tested two Army Combat Shirts: the tops designed for wear with body armor vests. One version of the shirt was made with a cooling material for the torso and inner collar. Companies that make cooling materials claim the special materials can absorb sweat and create a cooling effect as the shirt dries. The second version was made with a wicking material which draws sweat away from the body to the surface so it can more quickly evaporate.
And in the latest 4C this comment….
….in the period, Alexium actively marketed its new Durable Moisture and Thermal Management product, Alexiflam™ DW
While it doesn’t actually say that the new cooling and wicking DW product contains FR, why would one label the product as Alexiflam if it didn’t?
SourceAmerica
Where does SourceAmerica fit in? It’s an NFP that helps source jobs for the disabled. In April this year, SourceAmerica entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center as part of “a more collaborative approach to manufacturing and development contracts.” The agreement was said to ensure maximum participation in Army contracts by people with disabilities, including wounded veterans.
SourceAmerica creates job opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with significant disabilities. SourceAmerica is the vital link between the federal government and private sector organizations that procure the products and services provided by this exceptional workforce via a network of more than 1,200 community-based nonprofits
