PLCE: Tactical Webbing

PLCE (or Personal Load Carrying Equipment) is the tactical webbing currently in use by the British Army. I should really refer to it as PLCE webbing, because there are also various rucksacks and other load carrying equipment that are also part of the PLCE system.

The idea is that the PLCE webbing will hold everything a soldier needs to be able to operate for one day. As well as obvious things like ammunition and weapons, this includes food and water, a means of cooking, NBC protection (respirator or gas mask and suit), and radio or comms equipment.

The current version of PLCE is know as '95 pattern and is only issued in British DPM. The first version was issued in the late 1980s ('90 pattern) in olive green, and replaced the older '58 pattern webbing.

Although most countries are switching to modular systems, PLCE continues to be used by the British Army and is also used by the Danish Army (in M84 camouflage), and by the Irish Army (in Olive Green). Other countries also use very similar systems.

When I say that other countries are switching to modular systems (like the MOLLE system used by the US Army), this is a bit confusing because the original idea of PLCE was modular.

The basic rig would be the belt, yoke and two double ammo pouches. Soldiers would then add whatever other pouches they felt necessary for their current operation.

Unfortunately, British soldiers tend to make their rig more secure by tying and taping it together which rather puts paid to that idea!

The minimum setup for a PLCE rig is a belt, a 6 pont yoke, and 2 pouches. These pouches can be either ammo pouches or utility pouches (or 1 of each).

The belt has a quick release buckle at the front, and 2 D-rings at the back which attach to the yoke. The inside of the belt has rows of narrow vertical slots which are used for attaching the pouches.

The pouches have belt loops and plastic tabs which are inserted into the vertical slots in the belt. They are attached to the front of the belt, one pouch on either side of the buckle.

Each pouch also has 2 A-Rings which attach to the yoke. In this way the yoke acts like braces, with the back connected directly to the belt, and the front connected via the pouches. This spreads the weight making it more comfortable.

Other pouches can be attached as required.

The standard rig is a belt and yoke with 2 double ammo pouches, a utility pouch and water-bottle pouch, and a bayonet frog.

As well as the standard issue pouches, there are many commercial variants now available. These include: -