SIOEN Apparel - DirectorE

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Issue 8: August/ September 2009

PPE

The Art of

War

Specialist manufacturers of high-performance military apparel report on the protection that is afforded to those serving in some of the harshest and most demanding environments in the world

ur soldiers face some of the toughest and most unpredictable conditions imaginable on a daily basis. As weapons become more technologically advanced, so apparel worn by combatants must evolve in order to provide adequate protection.

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Soldiers, naval crew and aircrew encounter different hazards in their roles, which must be reflected in the protection that their apparel provides. Soldiers need ballistic protection, which must be tempered with trying to introduce a reduction in heat stress, especially in hot climes such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Naval personnel and aircrew may require more fire resistance from the threat of missile attacks and explosions.

Cosalt’s cold weather suit for the RAF and Royal Navy

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Militaries around the world also have different criteria for their soldiers’ protective apparel. But all have a duty to protect their troops

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and to ensure their safety by providing PPE that is fit-for-purpose whether they are staked out in the jungles of Belize or flying over the North Pole.

hazards specified, and so you have to be sure that your garments fulfil all of their requirements. We ensure that ours meet or exceed the current PPE standards for industry through stringent quality control.”

Setting the standard These days, employers whose workers require PPE are subject to health and safety legislation, which in turn must meet national or global industry standards. PPE for the military, however, is subject to performance specs and NATO regulations.

Arlene Hackett from Cosalt, a provider of bespoke life saving equipment, says that these regulations are just as challenging to satisfy: “Military organisations can spend years writing tenders and if you win the contract you must fulfil everything in that long list of criteria - there’s no room for error.

“Because of the environments that the military work in, you know that they will come across all the

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Remploy Frontline also manufactures aircrew coveralls, CBRN apparel and heavy and light duty lifejackets to national, regional and global industry standards.

Business manager John Armstrong says: “The DEC (Director of Equipment Capability), who is usually a high ranking officer, will set tasks for the RMs (Requirement Managers), who are at a level below. It is these guys who approach industry for solutions along with the IPTs (Intellectual Procurement Teams), who are civilians.”

Remploy Frontline A leading employer of disabled people, Remploy was established in the UK 65 years ago to provide jobs for injured service men and miners

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PPE

Because of the environments that the military work in, you know that they will come across all the hazards specified, and so you have to be sure that your garments fulfil all of their requirements The soon to be launched “Coumil” (two-piece) and “Panmil” (one-piece) suits for the world’s military CBRN teams offer unprecedented protection against chemical, vapour and biological hazards. They are made from a polyester/cotton blend outer shell incorporating a fluorocarbon waterproof treatment and optional flame retardant finishes.

Improvements include a lighter weight carbon lining to offer greater breathability by reducing or wicking away perspiration without greatly decreasing the shelf and field life of the product.

The vacuum-packed suits have a 10-year shelf life, are washable up to five times and weigh 2.1 kilograms.

Storm cuffs have been added at ankles and wrists for additional protection, comfort and ease of accessory integration, a single-handed cord lock adjustment on the jacket hem allows greater adjustment ease and Velcro has been re-angled to improve closure.

who would otherwise be unemployable. Today, it has developed a highly successful factory network throughout the UK for a range of sectors including PPE. The core business of its division Remploy Frontline is the design, development, and manufacture of CBRN products. Designed to be quickly donned over a soldier’s uniform to allow them to fight or function while under nuclear, biological, or chemical attack, CBRN suits can continuously protect the wearer for up to several days. Traditionally these suits were made from heavy, impermeable materials such as rubber.

Worn for up to 10 hours at a time, they prevented breathability and effective freedom of movement to leave the wearer with fatigue and the sensation of “being steamed alive”.

Today, reducing body burden for CBRN wearers remains a big issue. There is PPE available that is made from textiles and materials that are lightweight, breathable and which provide protection from the natural elements in any climate but marrying these requirements with protection against deadly contaminants is no small challenge.

Remploy are actively trying to address this through continual research and development.

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To maximise protection for the PPE wearer against nearly every CBRN threat, PPE products must fit together in a way that is virtually seamless.

Remploy Frontline’s Coumil and Panmil suits can be fully integrated with a choice of mask, boots, gloves, SCBA, and hands-free rehydration devices because they can be produced in order to meet exact specifications.

“Military organisations have all got very tight budgets and the reality is that they are not necessarily looking for the latest innovations. They want products that are high quality, fit-forpurpose and at a competitive price.”

To ensure this, Cosalt’s designers work closely with end users. “They are very hands on,” says Arlene.

“They have been into hot houses, travelled to RAF bases and flown in helicopters in order to examine the challenges that pilots and aircrew come up against in their daily working lives.”

Cosalt’s jackets and trousers also work with helmets and gloves to provide protection against severe cold weather. They are made from quilted gabardine with a GORE-TEX® waterproof membrane to provide warmth and comfort, whilst being as lightweight and breathable as possible.

TenCate

To give soldiers extra protection in one fabric, TenCate has recently developed a new offering in its TenCate CBRN suit from Remploy Frontline Defender™ M range of “Our experience collaborating with inherently heat and other PPE manufacturers on an international scale flame resistant fabrics. Engineered with a has been very successful because it can offer patented technology, Defender™ M fabrics are customers a comprehensive, competitively priced, suitable for application in protective clothing for best-of-breed PPE solution,” says Janet Timmis, naval forces, ground forces, air forces, Special head of product development.

Forces and law enforcement.

They’re cool and breathable, thanks to their high “We feel these collaborations are the best way Lenzing® FR content and also highly durable due forward, now and in the future, especially with to the use of para-aramid and polyamide fibres. regard to future soldier programmes. By working with the best and like-minded partners around the New to the range is a fabric with laminates to world, we can deliver the best solution together.” provide foul weather protection (EN 343 3/3: 2003) in addition to thermal protection (EN 531 A, B1, C1: 1995, EN 533, index 3: 1997) and limited Cosalt chemical splash protection (EN 13034, type 6: 2005). All fabrics from the range can also be Fire and heat are two of the biggest risks that printed to any camouflage pattern according to soldiers face. To protect military organisations defence ministry specifications. such as the RAF and the Royal Navy from explosions and missile attacks, Cosalt manufacture and supply jackets, trousers and air Sioen crew coveralls made from lightweight fire resistant fabric in shades of tropical NATO green and The clothing system for the French soldier of the future (FELIN) managed by SAGEM is one of the desert sand. They have been supplying these contracts for over 20 years. Arlene Hackett most advanced programmes of its kind, both in says: “Most garments that we provide are terms of technology and deployment timeframe. bespoke and our customers have specific ideas They have been using Sioen’s multi-layered of what they want. garment system since 2004 for their mounted and

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PPE

dismounted soldiers in heavy battle. The compatibility of each layer in this system is vital, not only for wearer comfort, but because protection such as that against heat and flames can be reduced if the clothing doesn’t fit properly.

The multi-layered system comprises functional and comfortable underwear from the Sio-Fit range, which utilize fibres that actively combat sweat and odour retention whilst simultaneously providing thermal stability. A flame retardant range has also been developed. These are worn beneath combat suits, which have been made baggier to improve mobility with mounted pockets on the elbows and the knees to insert protections against fragmentation.

Made out of a flame retardant fabric with high mechanical resistances, other properties include thermal management for hot and cold environments, and anti-mosquito and anti tick finishes or an extra water repellent finish for the winter.

The Future Comfort, manoeuvrability and compatibility are ongoing challenges in the development of protective military apparel. Andrew Waterworth from Kermel, a manufacturer of fibres for flame and heat resistant clothing, believes that militaries will continue to move towards the best that the market has to offer to tackle these issues.

to them that we have to do what’s practical and address the hazards that they will actually come up against.

“The most advanced PPE clothing in the world is worn by NASA astronauts and costs about £2 million a suit. If they can afford it that’s fine - but that usually brings them back down to earth.” ■

“We recently provided the RAF with protective apparel that looks like normal clothing you would see on the street but in fact it is extremely complex with so many different properties to it ranging from inherently nonflammable to invisible infrared light.”

New technologies are coming to the fore all the time. Silver, for example, is gaining ground in military circles for its anti-microbial, anti-odour, anti-static and thermodynamic properties, with Noble Biomaterial’s silver yarn XStatic now standard issue for all US services. But it’s not just technological developments that are driving the sector forward.

Fitted on top of this is a lightweight and modular ballistic jacket, which has the potential to “The stakes are being raised,” says add hard armour plates on to the Andrew. “In this day and age people torso, neck, groin and are getting more scared back, as well as anti-stab because if you are a protection. Designed for brigadier, a major, a chief comfort, other tools fire officer or head of include quick release A soldier wears apparel made from police, if one of your and quick evacuation.

TenCate’s Defender™ M fabrics people gets injured and you’ve not equipped Koen Meersseman, product manager for body them with the correct PPE you can go to court.” armour, says: “Every army asks for protection against different bullets, and so, when a military But as with anything, military apparel programmes tender for body armour appears we need to start are subject to financial constraints. “Sometimes development from the beginning.” they ask for too many things,” says Andrew. “I say Just as well that Sioen Armour Technology has inhouse ballistic and stab testing laboratories that can accommodate all international standard requirements for testing ballistic, knife and spike threats. Body armour not only needs to withstand enemy fire but also the conditions in which they are worn. Humid conditions for example can affect the armour’s composition leading to a decline in performance.

Sioen’s multi-layered garment system as used by the French soldier of the future (FELIN)

Sioen Armour Technology has in-house ballistic and stab testing laboratories

The foul weather clothing range is designed to interact with the body armour and, in keeping with the trend for one garment for all environments, provide protection for arctic to tropical conditions and include infra red reflective capability, low radar signature, flame retardancy, chemical and pathogen resistance and anti-static.

Sioen also provides working solutions for the integration of new technology systems for the specific needs of the mounted and dismounted soldier. They are supporting several world-leading electronic companies for the integration of their C4I (command, control, communications, computer and intelligence) systems in electrical and tactical jackets.

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