New arctic uniforms for the Chinese army

The Logistic Support Department under China's Central Military Commission (CMC) recently organized try-on tests of the new generation of cold protective clothing in a frontier defense company under the PLA Xinjiang Military Command located in Koktokay of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Soldiers wearing the new snow camouflage coat perform patrol duty in Koktokay, Xinjiang, March 20, 2018. They are assigned to a frontier defense company under the PLA Xinjiang Military Command. (Picture source : Chinese army/Li Kun)

Compare with the past winter clothes of the PLA, the design of the new generation is more combat-oriented to meet training and operational demands in various conditions. The new winter clothes, besides keeping the soldiers on hours-long outdoor guard and patrol duties warm, can also reduce the wearer's physical energy consumption during combat operations. Soldiers in the company said that, compared with the previous types of winter clothes. the new winter clothes are lighter in weight and more breathable, so they feel warmer in the new ones.

The latest-developed snow camouflage coat is able to counter ultraviolet reconnaissance, Zhang Hua, an expert from a military supplies engineering and technological research institute of the PLA Academy of Military Science, told PLA Daily.

Zhang was staying in the frontier defense company to collect data of the test. The try-on test this time involved more than 20 varieties of winter clothing and according to shortcomings found in the test, they will further make improvement, Zhang said.