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Uniform office explores new cold-weather gear

Feel a chill? You will when winter sets in and you pull on your old coat, hat and gloves. They’re old, all right. Except for a few pieces, like the long parka, your cold-weather gear hasn’t been updated since the late 1940s.

Well, you could be getting a new look. The Air Force is checking out what’s out there that will keep you warmer.

“Right now, we are simply surveying industry to see what new developments and capabilities they have,” said Maj. Darien Hammett at the Air Force Uniform Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Two outfits that the Air Force wants to change are the airman battle uniform (ABU) and a fire-resistant uniform issued to airmen whose jobs take them outside the wire or require them to work near hot surfaces or flames.

The improvements to the ABU gear envision three variations for different temperatures and needs — lightweight, intermediate and extreme weather. All would be rain- and wind-resistant.

The extreme weather gear should keep an airman warm in temperatures below minus-65 degrees, the request said. At the same time, the clothing needs to allow airmen a full range of motion and not be too bulky.

The lightweight and intermediate gear would use fleece and outer layers to keep airmen warm and dry in less frigid climates.

One significant improvement is a specification calling for these clothes, including parkas, to stretch.

The Fire Resistant Air Force Equipment Project Team is working with the uniform office on the airman battle system-ground ensemble, the fire-resistant uniform issued in limited numbers.

A new ensemble intended for temperatures below minus-30 degrees could cover an airman from head to foot. The flame-resistant clothing is intended for temperatures as chilly as minus-30 degrees.

Specifications call for a parka large enough to fit over body armor but still allow an airman to fire a rifle or crew-served machine gun.

There’s certainly no timetable and not even a promise of any new items, Hammett cautioned.

For this winter, at least, you’re still going to need to layer those fleece liners and sweaters to stay warm on the flight line.