TEXTILES.ORG
By Sigrid Tornquist
Providing bomb blast solutions isn’t only for situations when a bomb is identified and a bomb tech is sent in to disarm it. There are people searching for bombs, engaged in possible shooting/combat while at risk of explosive devices. There are people walking dogs looking for explosives, people in mine fields looking for land mines and people who may be ambushed by a bomb unexpectedly—the list goes on. To address those multiple applications, Dr. Makris and his team at Med-Eng developed the TAC 6 suit.
Based on a set of modular components that can be added or removed to meet specific operational and protective requirements, the suit involves many different material layers. Components cover the chest, shoulders, upper and lower arms, groin, and upper and lower legs. It integrates with tactical and combat helmets and the Med-Eng TAC Visor System. “The TAC 6 addresses a variety of end-use applications in one platform, which is what makes it so innovative,” Makris says. “It has well over a dozen different types of materials in it, each serving a different function.”
Because the suit is modular and offers scalable protection it is open to evolving with the needs of the marketplace. “As the need for coverage or protection level changes, the user can add or remove coverage,” Makris says. “That enables the user to work for longer hours, work in harsh climatic conditions or conditions with varying threat levels, and be more readily deployable with his/her kit for diverse missions. Lower threat levels permit the operator to choose less coverage so that comfort and ergonomics are enhanced.”