Soldiers today are burdened with "100 pounds of lightweight" single-function equipment and we wonder they we can barely walk...
The answer is to realize what weight a Soldier can carry is limited and then to design MULTI-PURPOSE (MP) gear that does several tasks well so tasks can be accomplished with the minimum weight and complexity...
This is the goal of the U.S. Army's original Integrated Individual Fighting System (IIFS) program and its an attainable goal, fulfilled in part by our "Ecotat" system so Soldiers can be better adapted to live in our earth's many environmental conditions; desert, mountains, jungles, woodlands, arctic areas. The Ecotat system is already in the U.S. Army supply system with National Stock Numbers (NSNs) for units to order--leading users are U.S. Navy SEALs, Marine Force Recon as the Multi-Purpose Poncho System (MPPS), U.S. Air Force aircrews (MASS), U.S. Army Special Forces and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. In addition, they have been selected by the U.S. Army Aviation & Troop Command to be a part of the survival, evasion and escape (SERE) kit for their helicopter air crews.
However, the word has not yet filtered down to the troops in Airborne, Air Assault, Light and Heavy mechanized units to take advantage of this system to solve their loading and field living problems to attain 4-7 mph foot mobility and better field living capabilities.
Our multi-purpose, light weight items have been developed with the military person in mind. These items are designed to reduce the weight and bulk the user must carry to successfully complete the mission.
These items have been successfully tested by our forces in severe weather conditions involving temperatures of minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, rain at the rate of four inches per hour and wind speeds of forty-five (45) miles per hour.
New Camouflage for Ecotact Products! U.S. Army Combat Uniform Pattern (ACUPAT)
