New USAF ABU
(click to view full)

“Fractal Creep: New Digitized Camo Uniforms for USAF, USN, Jordan” looked at some of the new fractal camouflage patterns emerging on the market, and the some of the design decisions behind the uniforms themselves. The new uniform design is a pixilated tiger stripe with four soft earth tones consisting of tan, grey, green and blue. The Air Force Battle Uniform will have a permanent crease and will be offered in 50-50 nylon-cotton blend permanent press fabric, eliminating the need for winter and summer weight uniforms. It will also be available in more body sizes, tailored for men and women. A tan T-shirt and polish-free suede cowhide boots in matching green-gray color will accompany the uniform, and will be available in men’s and women’s sizes.

Brig. Gen Robert R. Allardice said that they:

Continue Reading… »

Small business qualifier Special T Hosiery Mills, Inc. in Burlington, NC received a maximum $7.1 million firm fixed price contract for antimicrobial boot socks. Using services are the US Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were 25 proposals solicited, and 16 responded. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA issued the contract, and the date of performance completion is April 7, 2009 (SP0100-05-D-0386).

The US Department of Commerce has an interesting report assessing the industrial base, and covering US military textile procurement from 1997-2002. Special T Hosiery lists as the contracts leader in its category (“Hosiery, Handwear, Clothing Accy”).

Continue Reading… »

Wellco Enterprises in Waynesville, NC won a maximum $7.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for safety flight deck boots on behalf of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Proposals were solicited using a Bidders List and 8 responded. The contract will end on June 22, 2008, and was issued by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA (SPM1C107D0039).

Continue Reading… »

US Army (L) & Iraqi soldier
(click to view full)

Propper International, Inc. in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico won a maximum $7.1 million contract for battle dress uniform coats and trousers for Iraqi Security Forces. The contract will end on Aug. 4, 2007. Propper will use production facilities in Mayaguez, Last Marias, Cabo Rojo, Adjuntas, Lajas, South Lajas, Sabana Grande, and Ciales in Puerto Rico. They are one of the largest manufacturers of uniforms for the U.S Department of Defense, with more than 60 million garments manufactured since 1967 and over 2,000 employees at facilities in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

The Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, PA sent out 10 solicitations on the firm fixed cost contract (SPM1C1-07-C-0045) and received 4 bids for the production call. Given that impersonation of Iraqi security forces has been a consistent problem in theater for some time, one hopes some back-end effort has also been put into making this order harder to counterfeit.

Continue Reading… »

ECWS-III: all 7 layers
(click to view full)

“During Operation Mountain Lion I found myself praying for bad weather, the first time in my military career I was actually begging for a cold front to come through. I knew my soldiers could handle it and the enemy couldn’t. ECWCS allowed my men to outlast the enemy on their own terrain. When the enemy was forced out of the mountains due to the bitter cold to take shelter, that’s when we got them.”—LTC Christopher Cavoli, US Army 10th Mountain Division, Afghanistan

This third generation of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS-III) is a radical re-design of the cold weather clothing system for the U.S. Army. Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. (ADS), who has won other significant soldiers’ equipment contracts from the US military, recently announced a $220 million contract from the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office, Product Manager, Clothing and Individual Equipment (PEO Soldier’s PM-CIE) to manage and procure the ECWCS III set. This is a 1-year contract (W911QY-07-D-0003) which includes the option for 4 additional $220 million 1-year extensions. If all contract options are exercised, therefore, the total contract value could exceed $1.1 billion.

As the lead integrator, ADS will lead a team of over 10 U.S. technical garment manufacturers and technical textile companies to produce and supply the versatile 7-layer, 12-component system for fielding to Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan by the winter of 2008. So, exactly what’s in the ECWCS-III…?

Continue Reading… »

Green for concealment

Small business qualifier Campbellsville Apparel in Campbellsville, KY won a maximum $11 million firm-fixed-price contract for men’s briefs for Army. Proposals were Web-solicited and 5 responded. This is an indefinite quantity type contract for the base term. The date of performance completion is September 30, 2007. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA (SP0100-06-D-0378) issued the contract.

Continue Reading… »

TAP Coveralls

Small business qualifier Harris Manufacturing Co., Inc. in Trenton, NJ received a maximum $7.3 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/quantity type contract for waterproof bags and clothing for Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The firm as a whole is knwon for producing “toxological agents protective” (TAP) clothing. Given the different nature of this contract, however, it is almost certainly being filled by Harris subsidiary Utility Products. They specialize in custom industrial rainwear and rain gear, and are based in Trenton.

Other locations of performance include Smyrna, DE, where the rest of the firm is located. Proposals were Web solicited and 2 responded. Date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2007. The contract was issued by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA (SP0100-05-D-4175).

Continue Reading… »

The New ACU: Changes
(click to view full)

The USA’s Army Combat Uniform (ACU) has undergone significant redesign over the last few years, along with the addition of a new fractal camouflage scheme called ACUPAT. Because of the wide variety of areas in which ACUPAT may have to operate and the desire to keep the number of potential uniform schemes to a minimum, ACUPAT is not as locally optimized as other advanced fractal patterns like Hyperstealth’s KA2 for Jordanian forces. It is also very closely derived from the US Marines’ MARPAT, rather than incorporating some of the more recent advances in the field. For all this, it’s an improvement over past conventional camouflage patterns. It also compelements the advances in ACU design undertaken by US Army’s “PEO Soldier,” drawing on feedback from the troops and an iterative testing cycle.

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA recently issued a slew of firm-fixed-price contracts for the ACU coat and trousers, exercising option year 1. The total value of these six contracts is $97.7 million. Proposals were Web-solicited and 36 responded; date of performance completion is April 5, 2007. Unless otherwise indicated, work will be performed at the contract winner’s prime location only. Winners included:

Continue Reading… »

LCPL Sensing in MARPAT
(click for happy birthday)

In a recent article covering Hyperstealth Biotechnology’s fractal camouflage patterns for vehicles, aircraft, and buildings, DID noted the Marine Corps’ new MARPAT digital camouflage uniforms, which are also based on the work of Dr. Timothy O’Neil. Small business qualifier Columbia Sewing Co. in Magnolia, AR recently won an $8 million firm-fixed-price contract for U.S. Marine Corps battle dress, desert and woodland camouflage blouse and trouser sets. This is an indefinite delivery/quantity type contract exercising four one-year options, the initial contact period will terminate on April 20, 2007. Proposals were solicited via Procurement Gateway and seven responded. The Defense Supply Center (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA issued the contract (SP0100-06-D-0362).

One Marine can accomplish a lot. They need to be properly dressed for the occasion.

Continue Reading… »

DID has been focusing on some of the “high-profile, high glamour” items recently, but a lot of military spending is more quotidian. For instance, Lion Vallen Ltd. Parternship in Dayton, OH won a maximum $16 million firm-fixed-price contract for ordering, storing and receiving DLA owned goods for the clothing and textile supply chain, receiving material release orders and shipping to government customers. These include the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.

Work will be performed in Dayton, OH and Suffolk, VA. This is a one-year service term option exercising its fourth year option, and the performance completion date is Nov. 20, 2006. There were 50 proposals submitted and 7 responded. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Fort Belvoir, VA issued the contract (SP0100-99-C-0333 (C )).

Continue Reading… »