Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder presented the new combat clothing that will be worn in the Belgian army at the start of 2023. The contract for the BCDS program (Belgian Defense Clothing System) was won by the SSC consortium, bringing together the American Crye Precision and the two Belgian companies Sioen and Seyntex.
The budget for this renewal of the lattices is 410 million euros for the next 15 years. During the term of the contract, the basic offer will be supplemented by additional clothing and equipment in order to obtain a complete integrated clothing system, including, but not limited to, underwear, rainwear, CBRN equipment, ballistic protection (protective vest and helmet), and backpacks, said the Ministry of Defense, which clarified that the clothing range includes a female cut and a male cut.
Thus, the Belgian army says goodbye to its famous Woodland camouflage, which had been used for more than three decades, and opts for the Multicam worn by the Special Forces Group (SFG) during Operation Valiant Phoenix in order to harmonize with the coalition special operations forces against Daesh and to avoid friendly fire (this purchase was also made to test the outfit before extending it to the entire Belgian army).
The new Battlegear must equip the Earth Component, Air Component, and Medical Component. As for the Marine Component, it is involved, for its part, in the Dutch DOCS (Defence Operational Clothing System) project, scheduled for 2024. It should be noted that the Luxembourg army is studying the possibility of joining the Belgian BCDS program.
- October 21, 2022
- 3 Min Read
