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Backgrounder
CF Chemical Warfare Protective Garments
BG–04.028 - August 30, 2004
During the Gulf War in 1991 Coalition troops donned chemical warfare protective garments on numerous occasions when biological and chemical weapon attacks were considered to be a threat. It was apparent that the protective clothes designed for use on a northern European battlefield, with their heavy activated carbon barrier materials, were not suited to the hot Middle East climate.
NATO adopted a Force Goal, directing member nations to develop more lightweight general-purpose protective garments. The Canadian defense research community concentrated on the development of a garment for use in hot weather, which would replace the heavy and bulky in-service garment, which was reaching the end of its service life. The most current materials were analyzed and troop trials evaluated the latest versions of our allies' defensive clothing. Detailed laboratory testing identified the most effective products available, which would ensure protection to NATO standards. In the end, it was determined that a true lightweight garment for hot weather conditions was not practical given the materials available. The research was nevertheless valuable as it identified lighter and more supple barrier materials (the material containing the activated charcoal necessary to trap chemical warfare vapours), which could be more precisely tailored than the bulky foam material in the current suit.
THE HORIZON 1 CHEMICAL WARFARE PROTECTIVE COVERALL
The search for a hot weather protective garment was abandoned in 1999 and the identification, options analysis and definition phases of that project were transferred to the Horizon 1 Chemical Warfare Protective Coverall Project. Although not a true “lightweight” garment, the use of the new materials permitted innovations, which resulted in a lowering of the heat burden on the wearer. The lighter and suppler material reduced the overall weight, and protection was improved because the tighter fit reduced the billowing effect. The hot weather troop trials determined that wearing the protective garment over underwear or next to the skin further reduced the heat burden in hot weather, therefore special attention was paid to making the inner lining comfortable while preventing the leaching of carbon onto the skin.
The tighter fit makes it easier to don the fragmentation vest and the tactical vest (which replaces “web gear”) over the protective garment, and cold weather outerwear can also be easily worn. The outer shell material of the Horizon 1 will be identical to that used in the army's combat clothing, and it will be produced in both versions of the CADPAT™ camouflage pattern. Newly positioned pockets and patches providing better adhesion for three-way detector paper are other improvements which fell out of the hot weather user trials.
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION
Pacific Safety Products Inc. of Kelowna, British Colombia will manufacture approximately 50,000 garments, 10,000 of which will be training versions, as there are no old operational suits to fill this need. Deliveries will begin in early 2005, with final delivery expected in 2007. First off the assembly line will be the training garments, which will be distributed immediately to the CF Leadership and Recruit School, the NBCD School in CFB Borden and environmental training establishments. The operational garments will be controlled centrally and will be distributed to units proceeding on operations and to domestic standby units beginning late in 2005. The use of purpose designed mobility containers is being investigated to improve the transport and storage procedures for the garments and for all chemical warfare individual protective items to reduce damage to these expensive items.
THE BODY SCANNING SYSTEM
The Horizon 1 Chemical Warfare Protective Coverall will be produced in 23 sizes to permit precise fitting. To complement this innovation in chemical warfare protection, the Body Scanning System (BoSS XXI) is being partially funded by this project to enable quick and accurate sizing of individuals and the eventual establishment of a forces wide anthropometrical database. The BoSS XXI will be installed in all base clothing stores. Using digital photographs, it will calculate an individual's size, which will then be confirmed from a rack holding each size of Horizon 1 garment. The process will enable a reduction in stocks required on bases to ensure ability to fit groups, thus reducing the overall quantities of the item required in the system.
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