STA, 15 February 2021 - The Slovenian military will spend nearly EUR 8.5 million on new equipment, including underwear, boots, uniforms, backpacks and sleeping bags, in the next two years, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.
The objective was to get new, more functional and lighter equipment. Some equipment has already been tested and is the best the commercial market has to offer, Colonel Anže Rode told the press on Monday.
High-tech materials will be used and camouflage patterns have been changed. Outerwear will be fire-proof, while underwear will offer a high level of protection from cuts, Veronika Vrhunc of the Defence Ministry's logistics directorate said.
Since 2015, the military has been involved in developing a new fabric, which has replaced the previously used 100% cotton. The moisture-wicking fabric is four times as wear-resistant as cotton.
Soldiers will also get new winter fatigues, new rain and winter uniforms, summer boots and moisture-wicking polo shirts. Rode underlined that the new uniforms will be 25% lighter than the old ones.
For the first time, soldiers will also get equipment for outdoor sleeping: bivouacs, summer and winter sleeping bags, sleeping mats, ponchos, tarps and gaiters, said Aleš Lebar of the logistics directorate. Ponchos and gaiters also provide IR detection protection against night-vision devices.
Rode said that Slovenian soldiers will be getting the most advanced equipment, which will provide protection and comfort in any condition for the next 10 to 15 years.
