SAF NSFs get a new charging vest that improves heat dissipation and provides better support

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have launched a new loading system (LBS) that better distributes weight and dissipates heat, allowing soldiers to last longer and fight more effectively on the battlefield.

This comes after SAF unveiled an LBS prototype in 2017 at the launch of the Center of Excellence for Soldier Performance (CESP). The prototype had similar qualities but did not have a pixelated design.

“CESP applied human factors engineering during the LBS assessment to identify areas to improve soldiers ‘mobility and reduce team-induced stress points to maximize our soldiers’ combat effectiveness,” said the Ministry of Defense. (MINDEF) in a press release. on Wednesday (December 2).

READ: SAF NSF Get New Ergonomic ‘High Cut’ Helmets Improving Combat Effectiveness

The LBS was showcased at a media event at Selarang Camp on November 20, along with a new helmet.

The high-cut design helmet, which comes with adjustable padding and is 10% lighter than the previous helmet, is also designed to improve performance in combat.

According to MINDEF, LBS’s strong yet lightweight material improves heat dissipation by 30 percent. It is also more adjustable than the current Integrated Load Vest (iLBV), which means it is more comfortable for soldiers with different body sizes.

The LBS consists of two main parts: a belt and a standard or upgraded vest. The belt, which carries some of the LBS bags, concentrates the load on the hips and leg muscles. These bags carry soldier equipment such as ammunition, grenades, flashlights and water bottles.

In contrast, the one-piece iLBV has no belt and carries all its bags in the vest. This puts the load on the shoulders.

SAF recruits enlisted since July last year received the LBS belt. Full-time National Military (NSF) who have been dispatched to combat units since January have received the upgraded vest.

Combat units such as Infantry, Guards, and Commandos get the upgraded vest as they have more physically demanding missions.

The upgraded vest comes with a detachable body armor mount that can be inserted with a metal plate for added ballistic protection. The carrier can be removed according to the mission and for better heat dissipation.

Beginning in 2021, NSFs dispatched to combat support and combat service units will receive the standard vest, which comes attached with a bulletproof vest. This standard variant “adequately meets” the operational and training requirements of these units, MINDEF said.

Operationally ready national soldiers (NSmen) will not get the LBS, said CESP chief Lt. Col. (LTC) Ho Chee Leong, adding that the iLBV continues to meet their operational and training needs.

Selected regulars will receive the LBS based on their mission profile and operational requirements, while SAF Volunteer Corps soldiers have received the LBS belt and new helmet since March.

Customizable

Soldiers will be equipped with different LBS components depending on their training requirements and mission profiles. For example, commanders can place a larger bag near the top of their vests for communications equipment.

A simplified, mission-specific LBS, combined with a cooler hybrid uniform, will increase heat dissipation and improve combat effectiveness, LTC Ho said.

“The multi-component system actually helps to distribute the load between different muscle groups in the body and therefore increases the soldier’s sustainability in the field,” he added.

MINDEF said the LBS belt component can be custom tailored and worn on the hips, thereby reducing stress on the shoulders.

“Both standard and upgraded vests come in different sizes and feature multiple adjustable points for soldiers to ensure that the vest fits snugly, allowing them to perform their combat duties more effectively and for longer periods,” he stated. .

Adjustable points include a tummy band that concentrates the load on the core muscles and a yoke system near the neck that ensures weight is evenly distributed across the shoulders.

The LBS also features buckle closures, unlike a velcro system on the iLBV. Despite the multiple components and different systems, LTC Ho said soldiers can don the LBS in a “similar” amount of time.

During Basic Military Training, recruits will have plenty of time to learn how to put on the LBS correctly, said First Petty Officer (1WO) Heng Song Po, field test junior officer at CESP.

Cadet Officer (OCT) Emil Harris Jefree, 21, said the new helmet and LBS belt, which he got during BMT, feel comfortable and breathable due to their adjustability and the amount of air they let in.

“It helps with training especially since we are new recruits just entering the force, so we have to be conditioned to training and exercises,” he said.

“As we moved to the Cadet Officer School and elsewhere, they gave us the (improved) vest and since we have to carry more gear, there are a lot more spaces to put them.

OCT Ajey Jeyakumar, 20, said he likes being able to reconfigure the bags at the LBS to his preference or according to his missions.

“In some missions, we need to wear our soft plates (on the bulletproof vest holder) and in others we don’t. It is very easy for us to take off the soft plates as well,” he added.

CONCEPTION

Development of the new LBS and helmet began in 2016, followed by a one-year “extensive” test that involved both combat and combat support and combat service support units across the Army, LTC Ho said. .

Hundreds of soldiers with different mission profiles participated to ensure comprehensive representation.

Various agencies such as Headquarters Infantry, Headquarters Supply, CESP, Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), DSO National Laboratories, and ST Logistics received feedback during the evaluation process, which included the development of technical specifications that meet with operational and quality requirements.

“Taking a human factor engineering approach, we use anthropometric data from our soldiers to inform the design of the various equipment,” said LTC Ho.

When asked if the LBS was purchased from the market or produced locally, LTC Ho said: “We simply state our operational requirements and then we make our acquisition through DSTA.”

1WO Heng said that test results have shown that soldiers on the ground appreciate the LBS’s ability to dissipate heat and distribute weight effectively.

“And because the design is based on our local population, it gives you a better fit, comfort and better mobility when you’re out in the field,” he added.