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While it look like a small improvement, a lot of effort were put into the development of this new vest, which definitely will have a big impact on the soldier's performance. Just a question: How could the solider adopt prone position with the pouch directly in front of his chest? SAF NSFs get new load bearing vest that improves heat dissipation, gives better support SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has rolled out a new load bearing system (LBS) that is better at distributing weight and dissipating heat, allowing soldiers to last longer and fight more effectively on the battlefield. “The CESP applied human factors engineering during the evaluation of the LBS to identify areas to improve the mobility of soldiers and reduce stress points induced by equipment to maximise our soldiers’ combat effectiveness,” the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a news release on Wednesday (Dec 2). According to MINDEF, the LBS’ strong yet lightweight material improves heat dissipation by 30 per cent. It is also more adjustable than the current integrated load bearing vest (iLBV), meaning it is more comfortable for soldiers with different body sizes. The LBS comprises two main parts: A belt and a standard or enhanced vest. The belt, which carries some of the pouches on the LBS, focuses the load on the hips and leg muscles. These pouches carry soldier equipment like ammunition, grenades, torchlights and water bottles. In contrast, the one-piece iLBV does not have a belt and carries all of its pouches on the vest. This puts the load on the shoulders. The enhanced vest comes with a detachable body armour carrier that can be inserted with a metal plate for more ballistic protection. The carrier can be removed depending on the mission and for better heat dissipation. Soldiers will be equipped with different components of the LBS depending on their training requirements and mission profiles. For instance, commanders can attach a larger pouch near the top of their vests for communications equipment. A stripped down and mission-specific LBS, paired with a cooler hybrid uniform, will increase heat dissipation and improve combat effectiveness, LTC Ho said. “The multi-component system actually helps to distribute the load across different muscle groups of the body and hence increases the soldier’s sustainability out in the field,” he added. MINDEF said the LBS’ belt component can be customised to size and worn on the hips, thus reducing strain on the shoulders. “Both the standard and enhanced vests come in different sizes and feature multiple adjustable points for soldiers to ensure the vest fits snugly, allowing them to perform their combat tasks more effectively and over longer durations,” it stated. The adjustable points include a belly band that focuses the load on the core muscles, and a yoke system near the neck that ensures weight is distributed evenly across the shoulders. The LBS also features buckle fasteners, as opposed to a velcro system in the iLBV. Despite the multiple components and different systems, LTC Ho said soldiers can put on the LBS in a “similar” amount of time.