12 Apr 2010

The new combat shirt includes the first military adoption of a TenCate Defender™ M laminate
The garments will be distributed to U.S. Marines deployed abroad.

The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded a contract of 180,000 garments over 18 months for the U.S Marine Corps flame resistant Inclement Weather Combat Shirt (IWCS). This program was awarded to Short Bark Inc. - a Venore (Tennessee, USA) based company - who has already begun production on these garments.

TenCate Defense & Tactical will as business unit of TenCate Protective Fabrics USA, provide TenCate Defender™ M fabrics to fulfill the order. These garments will be distributed to U.S. Marines deployed abroad, such as those based in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

The flame resistant IWCS is designed to provide increased protection from wind and rain
The new IWCS garment will contain several products from the TenCate Defender™ M family. Most notably it includes the first military adoption of a TenCate Defender™ M laminate. In addition the IWCS garment also includes a new stretch woven technology as well as two variations of knit fabrics. Nick Pence, Military Market Manager for TenCate Defense & Tactical explains: "The flame resistant IWCS was designed to provide increased protection from wind and rain while offering breathable water repellency for cold weather climates."

Repeatedly chosen

Since 2007, TenCate Defender™ M fabrics have repeatedly been chosen by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps for ground troops in the FR ACU and FROG programs. TenCate Defender™ M fabrics are made from a unique fiber blend that includes Lenzing FR® fibers. As the leader in inherently flame resistant (FR) materials, TenCate also provides fabrics used in other programs such as Army Aircrew Combat Uniforms (A2CU), Improved Combat Vehicle Coveralls (ICVC), Navy Shipboard Jackets, Army Flash Hoods and several others.

TenCate Protective Fabrics engineers and manufactures flame resistant fabric solutions by optimizing fiber blends and fabric construction to meet the requirements for fire service, industrial, safety, wildland and military applications. TenCate products continue to be developed and are undergoing extensive wear testing by the US Military in new uniform applications designed to enhance soldier protection and comfort in theater. Today's peace keeping and military arenas present new challenges from Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), primary and secondary flash fire explosion, rugged terrain, and weather extremes. TenCate strives to engineer fabric solutions using the best fibers available to provide the soldier with the most protection from burn risks in all environmental conditions.