Suspenders, Individual Equipment, H-Type, Khaki
General Information
Name: Suspenders, Individual Equipment, H-Type, Khaki.
Country of Origin: Australia.
Date of Manufacture: c 2006.
Manufacturer: Yet to be identified.
NATO Stock Number (NSN): 8465-66-130-1285.
Camouflage Pattern: Khaki.
Equipment Family: M-1988 Individual Combat Load Carrying Equipment (ICLCE).
Size: OSFA (One Size Fits All)
Weight: 350g.
Dimensions (cm): 150 (L) × 24 (W).
Waterproof: No.
History
The Suspenders, Individual Equipment, H-Type, Khaki were the web suspenders issued with the Australian M-1988 Individual Combat Load Carrying Equipment (ICLCE) and were a continuation of the final style of web suspenders issued with the M-1956 (Aust) system. This final style was only issued for a brief period before the M-1956 (Aust) system was replaced by the M-1988 ICLCE system.
With the main ammunition pouches of the M-1988 ICLCE system being redesigned, the suspenders had a webbing strap fitted to each side at the front. These straps were threaded through D-rings fitted to the top of the Pouches, Ammunition, F-88, with two pouches carried on one side of the web set, and the Pouches, Ammunition, F-89, carried on the opposite side. Each strap was adjusted using a plastic triglide buckle, creating a trapped loop of webbing between the suspender and the top of the pouch.
The rear straps connected to the top of the Field Pack, Combat and were adjusted in the same manner. In theory, this provided a smoother surface against the wearer’s back when the Field Pack, Large, 1988 was worn by removing the hard brass buckles used on the M-1956 (Aust) suspenders. However, the plastic triglide buckles still needed to be locked down hard against the D-rings on the Field Pack, Combat.
Initially, the suspenders were produced with green webbing loops on the shoulder straps in an effort to use remaining stocks of M-1956 webbing where possible. In time, these were replaced by khaki versions.
Description
The main body of the suspender shoulder straps is fabricated from khaki blended cotton and polyester-nylon woven webbing. The shoulder straps are joined at the nape of the neck by a section of khaki webbing. Sewn to the top of this is a section of khaki woven cotton webbing. The shoulder straps are 40 cm long and 6 cm wide.
Sewn to the front end of each shoulder strap is a khaki plastic D-ring that holds a 78 cm long khaki nylon webbing strap, which connects the suspenders to the ammunition pouches.
The top of each shoulder strap has three webbing loops that allow a first aid/compass pouch to be fitted in one of three positions. The back of the shoulder straps has a 72 cm long rear adjustment strap. Both the front and rear straps are adjusted using khaki plastic triglide buckles.
The underside of each shoulder strap is padded with closed-cell foam and covered with khaki nylon-rayon mesh.
Examples
Example One
Example one was produced in the early 2000s and incorporated several improvements, including a short chest strap fitted with a side-release buckle. The shoulder straps were revised with sections of khaki polyester-nylon woven webbing, and the shoulder strap webbing loops have been changed to nylon webbing. The closed-cell foam padding is also denser, providing improved padding to the shoulders.
ASMO Number: 2414-360-36118.
