Our good friends at Soldier Systems have an interesting post on PEO Soldier’s latest improvement program for the fire-resistent ACU pant. It looks as if PEO is going all Gucci on Joes here with high speed knee pads, space-age fabrics and more dip pockets than you can pack a can with.
Originally called the Army Combat Pant and for a short period referred to as the Fire Resistant Ruggedized Pant, the program has transformed into the FR ACU Trouser Product Improvement Program. Ultimately, what this means is that PEO-Soldier is working hard to transform the FR ACU into an even more combat focused garment rather than developing yet another garment.
We reported here and at Military.com a couple years ago on gripes from the field about the durability of the new ACUs, particularly with the crotch construction and the knees. During a sit down with reporters a few weeks ago, PEO officials talked up their most recent enhancements, including buttons on the trouser pockets instead of Velcro, a better collar, smaller Velcro on the zipper flap of the blouse, better IR tape placement and new cuffs.
But it looks like their also developing a way more tricked out version as well:
Massif Mountain Gear and Crye Precision collaborated on the next step, which resulted in the Massif Army Combat Pant Version 4.0A, which employed various weights of Defender M fabric and Defender M stretch fabric to make the seat and crotch more durable. At the same time, Crye Precision’s adjustable-height, integrated hard-shell knee pad design greatly improved the durability of the knee, providing greater protection to the Soldier. This feature in particular has been the most important solution in the project. External knee pads require constant adjustment and lightweight pads slipped into the knee pad slot of the trouser result in extra abrasion and worn knees.
Crye is wracking up the coups here, with the camo evaluation in Afghanistan (MultiCam) and now this. And I must say I’m a big fan of Massif, which makes the Army’s combat shirt. They hooked me with some FR gear for my last Iraq embed to evaluate and they were great to work with (though I didn’t much like their FR fleece).
Be sure to keep an eye on Soldier Systems for updates to this story. We’ll also have more here at DT on the great camo battle going on in Afghanistan.
– Christian
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What could be possibly cozier than these super-modern pants?
Fighting from your couch!
Oh Army. Why didn't you guys just go with Crye to begin with?
Because Crye didnt have enough retired generals on the board until later on?
Didja notice the rifle being carried in the "release picture" of the new ATACS pattern? Hint, its not an M4 or a SCAR.
Its the ACR (Masada)
I just had to shelf (pending funding for Supply to DX them) a pair of ACUs for worn and frayed velcro. Now, all opinions regarding the utility of velcro on a combat uniform aside, you’d think that the Army, having made the decision to run with velcro, would have made replacement velcro kits available through Clothing Sales and similar outlets for joes to repair their uniforms when the velcro wears out (we could not only buy surplus buttons from CS, but salvage buttons off of unserviceable uniforms.)
F R A C _ U, what a name for a pair of pants, no matter how you spell that one you know how it’s going to end up in the field! Those who are going to FRAC_U and those who want to FRAC_U! ha ha