CANBERRA, Australia, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Australian soldiers are receiving new protective and load-carrying gear over the next three years.
The Australian Defense Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, part of the country’s Department of Defense, says the next-generation Soldier Combat Ensemble is comprised of body armor, helmets, load carriage equipment, eye and hearing protection and field packs.
The gear — for Army combat brigades, support brigades, 2nd Division reinforcing battlegroups, special forces and selected Air Force and Navy units — has been tailored for the mission and needs of each recipient group.
The equipment has been acquired by the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group’s Land Systems Division as part of the LAND 125 Phase 3B project for the Australian Defense Force and was carried out in collaboration with Diggerworks, an organization of soldiers within the DOD and the Defense Materiel Organization.
Diggerworks has spearheaded development of the new kit since 2011 through a combination of soldier feedback, trials and the review of reports on defective or unsatisfactory materiel.
“Diggerworks will continue to liaise with the soldiers, units and formations issued the latest SCE to verify its form, fit and function, and to identify future enhancements,” said Col. Mark Jennings, director of Diggerworks.
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