Military Supplies

So, what do we mean by military supplies?

I suppose in theory military supplies means anything supplied to, or used by, the military.

For the purpose of this article, however, we are mainly thinking of their load carrying equipment. Other military supplies like clothing, bedding and survival gear etc. are covered elsewhere.

Next question - what do we mean by load carrying equipment.

Well, basically, anything a soldier would use to carry his equipment. This includes the bergen, packs, daypacks, vests, rigs and webbing.

So let’s start with webbing.

Webbing is a generic term for the system of belts and pouches used by the military. The current British issue webbing is known as PLCE (Personal Load Carrying Equipment).

The US introduced nylon webbing during the Vietnam war, and Britain soon followed their lead. However, it was 1988 before Britain first started issuing PLCE webbing ('90 pattern).

The US sytem was originally called ILCE - Individual Load Carrying Equipment. By the time it was adopted in 1974 it had been renamed ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment).

The basic idea behind all these systems was to lighten the infantryman's load. The infantryman would only be expected to carry what he needed for the mission at hand, and would adjust the number and type of pouches accordingly.

For this reason, all of these systems are designed for quick and easy attachment/removal of the pouches. Unfortunately, British soldiers prefer to tie and tape their webbing to make it more secure and stop it flapping around when they're running. Which, of course, messes that idea up.

All of these are modular in design. But just to confuse you, most countries are developing a new style of webbing which is being distinguished from these earlier systems by calling them Modular!

The US Army are currently using a system called MOLLE (MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment). It is pronounced like the girl's name Molly.

This new range of modular systems use a basic vest or chest rig, with rows of heavy duty nylon stitched on, instead of using a belt and yoke to attach the pouches. This gives more flexibility, and keeps the pouches more secure.

Web-tex have recently brought out a range of webbing very similar to MOLLE which they have called MLCE (Modular Load Carrying Equipment). I think this range is going to be very popular with airsoft and paintball enthusiasts.

Popular in the British army are the Assault Vests and Chest Rigs, which are not modular. They have fixed pouches (usually 2 ammo pouches and up to 6 utility pouches), although some do allow the addition of the large (10 litre) daypack pouches.

They are more suited to mechanised/armoured infantry and to urban warfare, whereas the PLCE system is better suited to conventional, dismounted warfare.

Vests and Rigs are not widely issued in the British Army, but are becoming very commonplace with private purchases. As far as I know, the MOD have no plans to replace PLCE in the near future.

Rucksacks

In the US a rucksack is known as a backpack (previously a knapsack or sackpack). In Britain it is called a rucksack or haversack.

The standard infantry rucksack is known in Britain as a Bergen. The name comes from the manufacturer's name Begans, and was originally used to describe a rucksack with an external frame. The modern infantry rucksack is very different and does not have this external frame - most have a removable, internal, aluminium frame.

It is usually 100 litres in size, with two detachable 10 litre pouches on either side, making the total size 120 litres. These two pouches can be attached to a yoke to make a 20 litre daypack. Unfortunately, this yoke is not the same as the yoke used to build a PLCE webbing system. Sorry, I don't know why.

You can also get 3/4 size versions with a total size of 90 litres (the side pouches are still 10 litres each).

There are a variety of smaller, military style rucksacks. These range from a traditional style backpack (just the camouflage or olive green colour identifying them as military), to specialist rucksacks like the Patrol Pack and Tactical Assault Pack.

I think I'm right in saying that ALL issued PLCE gear (rucksacks and webbing) is IRR treated. I certainly hope I'm right! This treatment is designed to reduce it's signature when viewed through an infrared night vision device.