SPECIAL REPORT: NEXT GENERATION INTEGRATED LOAD CARRIAGE SYSTEMS
Over a long campaign and during holidays, soldiers acquire excess baggage. They can also have too much spare ammunition to carry
mortar rounds external to the pack, and a simpler overall layout and organization of the system’s parts. As of 2004, the Marine Corps has adopted a new off-the-shelf pack design by Arc’teryx and introduced it into the Fleet as the ILBE, or “Improved Load Bearing Equipment”. The ILBE is now being replaced with the USMC Pack. New technical materials, echoing the introduction of plastics and aluminium in the 20th century have sought to drive down the weight of the pack and at the same time improve its usefulness. Further recent adaptations include MOLLEminus systems. MOLLEminus is the proprietary name for a technology developed by Blue Force Gear to greatly reduce the weight, complexity and failure points of traditional MOLLE gear. MOLLEminus technology starts with ULTRAcomp™ laminate material which is half the thickness of a dime and 4 times as abrasion resistant as 1000d CORDURA® fabric. The ULTRAcomp laminate is laser cut to create a fully MOLLE compatible matrix of slots. This eliminates cuts or stitching that could weaken the integrity of the material.
The Critical Importance of Body Armour The lethality of IEDS and the extent of injuries from small arms fire has made body armour essential for ISAF forces working in Afghanistan. The body armour adds to the weight of the load carried by dismounted soldiers and has been integrated into the MOLLE system. Since the troubles in Northern Ireland, British Forces have used body armour and, like the load carriage
OSPREY AND HERRICK
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system, it has evolved as a result of criticism of its working during operations. The Osprey body armour system is designed and manufactured by CQC Ltd. The Osprey system is modular and built around a vest, which covers the torso. Protective elements that cover the upper arms, neck and throat can be added to the main vest. The vest has webbing tape, similar to the PALS Pouch Attachment Ladder System, stitched to the outside to act as the base for a series of pouches and accessories. This means it is unnecessary to wear a webbing harness or assault vest over the armour.
Osprey Body Armour The vest consists of a front and rear soft armour panel, which join the shoulders and waist sides. The panels contain a ceramic trauma plate in the front and rear. Version 4 of the armour introduces additional side panels designed to contain further trauma plates. Clips on the vest are available for the fitting of a British type Camelback or Bergen side pouches on the rear, and a respirator haversack on the bottom left. In the Mark 4 latest edition, the cover was made available in the modified camouflage pattern, multi-terrain, with modifications to the velcro coverage to improve fastening security and an outer cummerbund buckling at the front, rather than the sides. The outer cummerbund also has pockets for trauma plates at the sides. Finally, the most important change in the latest iteration is that the ballistic plates are now contained within the plate carrier, not an exterior pouch.