Direction of Thai military field equipment

            It is becoming more and more popular with the new field equipment set that is currently being used to replace the old field equipment set. But where does the new field equipment set of the Thai Army come from? Why did the back strap change from 1 strap to 2 straps? Why are the shoulder pads thicker than before? Today we will try to talk about this new field equipment set. From now on, we will use the term "good line" instead of "field equipment set" to make it easier for readers to understand.

            The new harness replaces the old harness that was modeled after the All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) field kit, or what we know as the “Y-shaped harness,” which was used by the US military from the early 1970s to the late 1990s until the advent of “Molle” technology.

            The origin of the new tactical strap is still unclear, but the most likely prototype of the new tactical strap is expected to be a combination of the M-1956 Load-Carrying Equipment and the M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment, which were developed in the 1950s and 1960s respectively. Both types of tactical straps are very similar to the new tactical straps, such as the two back straps and two belt locks on each side. Another reason that can be used as an assumption that the new tactical strap is copied from the old US tactical straps is that it is based on the main principles of the US military, which Thailand uses from the US in everything from tactics to training uniforms. Therefore, it is highly possible that the designers were inspired and influenced by the designs from the US as well.

"Image of various components of the " ALICE Line " or " Y -shaped Line " that Thai military personnel are familiar with."

            In terms of usage, originally, due to the physique of Thai soldiers being smaller than Westerners, aiming while wearing a sling may be considered inconvenient. In some cases, the butt of the gun may have to be inserted under the sling so that the butt of the gun can be firmly pressed into the shoulder groove. From the statements of soldiers from various branches who have used both types of slings, the soldiers commented that aiming while wearing a sling makes shooting more difficult, especially with the new sling, which makes aiming more difficult than before because the new shoulder strap has thicker and wider padding. In addition to the obstacles in aiming, it also causes wounds from wearing, such as on the neck. In addition, soldiers with small bodies may not be comfortable while wearing it because the shoulder strap is only one size.

"An example of how to insert different types of gun butts under the Y- shaped sling to make it easier to aim."

"Small-sized troops with new skill sets"

 Meanwhile, other armed forces have also initiated the introduction of new types of skilled ropes for testing, such as the Navy, which has had personnel who will be training in the underwater demolition course in 2022 use the Condor Recon Chest Rig skilled rope.

"Navy personnel with Recon Chest Rig"

Ultimately, this is a good reason to question whether re-creating old or obsolete patterns can truly meet the needs of the workforce.