Providing a Better Fit
GWOT LESSONS LEARNED INFLUENCE NEW AND UPGRADED GLOVE DESIGNS.
Fred Chan, program manager, U.S. Army SOF Warrior Protection, Soldier Center at Natick, Mass., provided one perspective on the value of gloves for the SOF community. “Gloves are important because digital tactility and dexterity are critical for the proper operation by the SOF operator of weapons, sensors, mobility platforms and other advanced equipment. Any physical degradation of hand performance results in a degradation to the warrior’s overall effectiveness.”
And, as an afterthought, he added, “It’s hard to pull a trigger wearing mittens!”
Almost every task which contributes to the SOF operator’s overall effectiveness involves his hands—whether it is firing a weapon, fast roping during a joint training operation, or distributing humanitarian supplies in extreme cold weather. New product offerings and quality upgrades are bolstering the utility of this clothing item.
LESSONS LEARNED
The global war on terrorism’s lessons learned on gloves note that warriors prefer thin gloves which allow them to operate their equipment and conduct missions— even if it means having cold hands.
Four sample Natick Soldier Center lessons from Operation Enduring Freedom (dated April 2002) included:
• Very many soldiers purchased flyers gloves before deployment;
• Most/all liners and flight gloves fall apart at the fingertips;
• 100 percent used Intermediate Cold Wet Gloves (ICWG) for warmth but 72 percent stated that they could not operate their weapons or other equipment while wearing the ICWGs; and
• Troops stated that they would rather wear thin gloves and have cold hands, than to wear the ICWGs, have less cold hands and not be able to manipulate their weapons and other equipment.
And the draft copy of the 2003 Program Executive Office Soldier Lessons Learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom recounted, “The Nomex gloves provided with rapid fielding initiative were too thick and warm for this environment. Soldiers preferred the air crewman or mechanic style glove. Other popular gloves included moto-cross or batting style gloves. Some soldiers purchased HellStorm gloves from Blackhawk (Products Group).”
Recently released and announced gloves are expected to support the warrior in the desert and other environments, on diverse missions, and reflect GWOT lessons learned.
WHAT’S NEW
Norfolk, Va.-based BlackHawk Products Group announced its latest products in December 2005. Three of its new gloves use DuPont’s Nomex to achieve coyote tan coloring preferred by its customers for desert operations.
The new HellStorm SOLAG with Nomex provides flash and thermal protection, and is touted to be ideal for entry teams, grenadiers or any operator using pyrotechnic devices. The glove contains dual back-of-hand and wrist adjustments for a more secure fit.
A second new product, HellStorm Fury with Nomex, is identical to the firm’s Furymodel with Kevlar, except it uses Nomex to achieve coyote tan coloring. The glove’s elasticized wrist and full gauntlet, which extends onto the forearm, ensures a secure fit, keeps out foreign objects, and provides heat and flash protection. Fury’s other attributes include padding on the back of the hand for “brake and rake” movements, and its patented Quad Stitching allows customized removal of the index finger for enhanced trigger control without unraveling the remaining edge.
The HellStorm Fury Commando with Nomex, is identical to the Fury model described above, but has a shortened wristlength cuff.
Frank Masley, Owner, Masley Enterprises, Inc., told SOTECH that his company has unveiled a new ICWG. The glove was designed in January 2005 for the U.S. Army’s design solicitation—a process driven by GWOT lessons learned. The new ICWG reportedly offers improvements to overall dexterity and a more tactile trigger finger.
“Overall dexterity improvements were achieved by the use of pre-curved finer side patterns and the use of goat skin leather and stretch fabric on the back. The trigger finger is made with a thinner lining to allow easier handling of small objects and for more accurate weapon firing,” noted a January 2006 company statement provided by Masley.
While the ICWG’s fielding is not expected until early 2007, the product upgrade is currently available to some special units, said the statement. Meanwhile, Hatch Corp. of Oxnard, Calif., also unveiled new products in 2005. The firm’s new Operator CQB gloves are designed for close-quarter combat and can be combined with another new Hatch product—the FROG-10 —to create a fastroping glove system.
The CQB glove’s Kevlar construction provides cut resistance, and heat and flash protection. The entire unit is sewn with abrasion and heat-resistant nylon thread, and contains a water-resistant kangaroo leather palm for additional abrasion and cut-resistance.
The FROG-10 over-gloves can be worn over any gloves in Hatch’s Operator series, and provides protection during rapid rappels. Construction consists of .8- .9 millimeter (mm) leather with spandex back and two additional layers of .8-.9 mm leather double-stitched into the grip areas of the palms, extending into the cradle of the thumb.
Hatch’s new special warfare gloves were designed to support underwater tactical operations. The Mustang Coefficient of Friction oiltack suede palms reportedly offer a grip far superior to that of standard leather in wet conditions. A neoprene shell keeps hands warm and the Cooltex liner wicks away moisture from the hand for comfort and positive grip, even in extreme conditions.
Three other companies which provide gloves for working with ropes or cables for rappelling, rigging, mountain climbing or other missions, include Ringers Gloves, Inc., Southwest Motorsports Enterprises, and Damascus.
Ringers’ Rope Gloves contain Neoprenepadded knuckles, Pittard’s Armortan palm Kevlar thread, and other components. Southwest Motorsports Enterprises markets its Friction Fighter NT gloves which are constructed with extra leather layers for abrasion and friction resistance. Three fingers (except the index finger) are lined on the inside with Nomex to protect from heat-generated friction. There is also a HiTech (Kevlar knit with leather) version.
Damascus offers the Responder halfand full-finger leather glove variants with reinforced palms for rappelling. Both models have reinforced suede leather palms, shock-absorbing foam-padded knuckles and backs of hands, and other attributes.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
Companies are also improving the quality of their gloves.
New Ipswich, N.H.-based Warwick Mills advertises its TurtleSkin material’s ability to provide cut and puncture protection with a thin, comfortable glove over the entire hand. The material counters sharp penetrators such as metal shards, glass splinters, sharp knives, wire and needles.
One product, TurtleSkin Special Ops gloves, reportedly provides a high level of abrasion, flash, cut and puncture protection— 11 times more puncture protection against 28-gauge hypodermic needles than ordinary flash gloves. The product is constructed like traditional military flight gloves.
Durability is also on the scope of Damascus, which offers its enhanced version of a cut-resistant glove. The firm’s Halo glove with Spectra-based, Ultra Maxx cut-resistant liner, is advertised to be cut protective up to the industry benchmark of 12 pounds-force.
SOF warriors who must keep their hands dry under cold and wet conditions will be pleased to learn of Danalco’s SealSkinz waterproof glove product line.
The company's gloves have a proprietary, 3-layer system (outer layer is knit of nylon and DuPont Lycra Spandex, middle layer consists of a waterproof moisture vapor transpiration membrane, and the inner knit (third layer) is composed of DuPont Coolmax fabric). While this model is wrist-high, the Gauntlet variant is almost elbow-high.
The SealSkinz ChillBlocker replaces the basic model’s inner liner with Polar Fleece lining—which is tested at a reported 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit Ensuring a warfighter’s safety was a driving force in designing Woodland Industries’ Shooter 2 glove. The glove’s two-piece patented palm, hourglass finger designs, and other attributes address the major concern of accidental discharge of a firearm while wearing a glove.
MORE MISSIONS
The industry also provides products to protect against the lurking threat of chemical and biological agents, and support possible missions in post-conflict operations.
Warwick Mills’ new TurtleSkin Chem Bio System consists of an outer aramidknit shell which provides protection against cuts, tears and abrasions, and an inner butyl liner for biological and chemical defense. The inner butyl liner reportedly resists liquid and nerve agents like GA (Tabun), VX (nerve agent), HD (distilled mustard) and HN (nitrogen mustard).
Hatch also unveiled several products for disturbance control tasks.
The CRT model gloves feature EVA foam padding on the back of the hand and fingers to protect against blunt force trauma. The inside of the hand and fingers have a Kevlar liner and “tacky” Nash synthetic material for sure grip of batons and other equipment.
The firm’s Dominator Riot Control glove has been upgraded with a Spectra knit liner on the entire hand. Large foampadded gauntlets with plastic trauma plates and 1-2-inch closed-cell pads cover the back of the hands and fingers.
MORE FOR 2006
Other new products are looming on the
near-term horizon.
“The fighting in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom has put our products to the ultimate test,” said Erik Rockel, HellStorm brand manager, BlackHawk Products Group. “We are very busy making design and durability enhancements to the current HellStorm offerings that will begin appearing around Spring 2006. Several entirely new models are also in the works,” he revealed.
Southwest Motorsports Enterprises “will introduce two new products for the ground crews this spring, both of them suitable for a wide variety of tasks in a hot weather environment,” said Martina Hutchinson, company spokesperson. “Both of them will contain an anti-static fiber like the rest of the line to keep the gloves safe around explosives,” she added.
One product will be a highly breathable and vented glove designed for use as a very comfortable and highly dexterous contact glove in hot climates. The light gray color will match the Army Combat Uniform (ACU).
Another glove is a slip-on version of the firm’s popular Heat Grip CT gloves—to be fielded in desert tan with gray to match the ACU.
WANTED: DOMESTIC COMPANIES
The SOF Warrior Protection Program supplies gloves for services’ warriors primarily through buying commercial- off-the-shelf products, rather than relying on the traditional DoD acquisition process. Collaboration is the key to the strategy’s success, as the command works with vendors by giving them guidance on observed strengths and weaknesses of their products, said Chan. This dialogue is primarily with U.S. companies due to existing legislation.
The Berry Amendment is the popular name for the list of provisions generated from the domestic source restrictions in the 1941 Fifth Supplemental DoD Appropriations Act. The legislation lists a number of products, components and materials that must be grown, reprocessed, reduced or produced wholly in the U.S. if they are purchased by the Department of Defense. A partial list of items affecting gloves (which are exempt if they are part of chemical protection clothing) specified by the amendment includes, natural fibers or yarns, natural fiber products, natural fabrics, and synthetic fabrics.
This restriction remains in place while U.S. textile industry companies and jobs continue to migrate to overseas locations.
The challenge of conforming to the letter and spirit of this legislation provides a significant opportunity for industry. “There is a critical need for a domestic production base that is huge,” said Chan. ♦