Non-Subscriber Extract
USMC highlights need to lighten up in Afghanistan
By Martin Streetly
04 September 2008
US Marine Corps (USMC) operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province have highlighted the need for lighter equipment better suited to the country's harsh environment.
Among other things, the USMC has had to issue a lighter, more form-fitting set of body armour to some marines in Afghanistan.
The new 'plate carrier' vest has the same SAPI - small arms protective inserts (rifle protection plates) - as the standard-issue Interceptor system, but is less bulky than the vests that are usually issued to deployed marines.
First Lieutenant Chad Buckel, an infantry platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, told Jane's that recent operations in Helmand were a "light infantry fight" that required more speed and agility. "All that heavy infantry [equipment] - with SAPI, Interceptor - you can't chase a guy in flip-flops when you're carrying all that gear," he said.
That issue is particularly critical in Helmand province, where daytime temperatures routinely exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Marines have been conducting extensive dismounted patrols in the region as part of a campaign to clear the region of Taliban control and every additional ounce of combat equipment can increase the risk of heat exhaustion.
IMAGE: A US marine on patrol in southern Helmand Province (Nathan Hodge/Jane's)