IDF special forces to receive sweat-wicking, flame retardant duds
Military reveals new style of uniform to be distributed to elite units that are meant to improve their combat capabilities
Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.
Elite units of the Israel Defense Forces have begun receiving new and improved uniforms, specially designed to protect their knees, wick away sweat and offer some protection against fire, the army announced on Sunday morning.
The IDF said these new uniforms are “part of the process of improving ground warfare” and are specially designed for the types of conditions that soldiers are likely to encounter.
The uniforms will help make soldiers more effective in combat as well as helping to protect them.
Generally speaking, IDF ground forces have two sets of uniforms — dress and work. The dress uniforms, made of an olive-green polyester fabric, are worn during ceremonies or when soldiers leave their bases and travel home.
These new uniforms will replace the current olive-green work uniforms, which is made of a combination of natural and man-made fibers.
According to the IDF, the new muted green shirt and pants will be made of a tough, flame-retardant fabric, which draws moisture away from the skin to keep the soldier dry.
It also comes with a protective layer in the knees for added protection when soldiers are crouching or kneeling during combat or training.
The bottoms of the pant legs also have built-in elastic bands to replace the rubber bands most soldiers use to keep their pants above their boots, as required by army regulations.
It was not immediately clear which special forces units would be receiving the new uniforms or how long it would take for the distribution to be completed.
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