Authentic British Army Loadouts.

[Reephamike]

Hey all, I hve a friend who is making independent movies and he has asked me to provide him with some army clothes for a zombie film that will have a soldier in it.

I have the dpm uniform, L85 A1, basic webbing and all that but I asked myself a question... With the army using Desert Ospreys and multicam plate carriers, in Iraq and Afghanistan. What kind of body armour do you have for areas like green climates?

This is what I want to ask any of you guys who may be able to answer this.. What British Authentic body armour or plate carriers they would use in green land environments and how many varities are there

(tried google and wikipedia, none proved helpful, Army website showed desert gear only)

Cheers.

[lethaldave]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

i think its just standard PLCE webbing and no armour/plate carrier mate only in afghan and iraq they use body armour (from pics anyway)

[hoggy21]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

ECBA.


Edit to add: ECBA was the Enhanced Combat Body Armour used mainly before Osprey was used. It consists of 2 kevlar plates which cover the heart front and back, and comes with a stab proof filler. This is what was used for the first gulf, Balkans, invasion for the second Gulf etc etc. If you want something earlier than that, look for the CBA.

[Snowdrop]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

You might want to go to an A2 - minimal change reslly, just a new cocking handle.

[smudge1990]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

disregard - wrong thread

[big smudge]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

You might want to go to an A2 - minimal change reslly, just a new cocking handle.

And the magazine catch cover plate to stop the accidental pressing and losing of mag's

[Reephamike]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

Ok here's a bit on confusion with 2 separate conversations going on but thanks to Hoggy21 for finding me some info it's great!

[Snowdrop]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

And the magazine catch cover plate to stop the accidental pressing and losing of mag's

True, but wouldn't that mean a whole new reciever?

[steve34]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

True, but wouldn't that mean a whole new reciever?

Not if you have access to someone with a mig welder and who just happens to have a template for a magazine catch cover plate template

[hoggy21]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

Just use an A1. Its not going to make a whole lot of difference for a film. Yeah people might spot it but its not a biggie.

To the OP:
With regards to body armour, it was only since about 2007 that Osprey was issued. Its worth remembering that plate carriers etc were not issued kit amongst Brit troops. They went out and bought their own, and after a while the new designs came in (Mk 2, 3, 4 etc). Nowadays nobody uses their own plate carriers because the stuff is good, and insurance companies wont insure troops if they dont use the military kit.
When Op Telic kicked off in 2003, the ECBA was issued to everybody. The enhanced means it has the kevlar plates front and back. CBA was just the stab proof liner, ECBA with plates. If you watch footage of the Paras in Sangin 2006, you can see they are still using ECBA in desert. Osprey is still relatively new bearing in mind that CBA/ECBA was used from 70's NI, through the Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, First Gulf, Second Gulf and Afghanistan.
Currently ECBA is still used around the UK and on exercises, and also in some other places around the world on Ops etc, as the PCS Osprey is still mostly a theatre thing. I am aware that some of the infantry units around the world are using PCS Osprey (Anglians for example have been issued it and took it to the Falklands with them), so take your pick. Once the new kit comes in (PCS, NOT as currently refered to as MTP. MTP is the pattern, PCS is the name) then i am sure over time everybody will move onto the PCS Osprey but until then, you cant go wrong with ECBA for DPM.

Phew...

[big smudge]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

True, but wouldn't that mean a whole new reciever?

well yes as that was the process of modifications between A1 & A2 most mods where internal but the difference on the outside was the cocking lever/handle and the cover plate on the mag catch

[hoggy21]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.



Just to prove my point, 2 paras in Sanging, Circa 2006.

[big smudge]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

Hoggy not saying that you are wrong, but i believe that the armour that the 2 Para's are wearing is in fact just CBA in desert covers, as this was what i was issued with.
ECBA difference being a higher collar and protection on the biceps and longer in the torso area.
but anything along the lines of either could be worn for a british loadout as some units got ECBA when others still had CBA

[Lee Hill]

Hoggy not saying that you are wrong, but i believe that the armour that the 2 Para's are wearing is in fact just CBA in desert covers, as this was what i was issued with.
ECBA difference being a higher collar and protection on the biceps and longer in the torso area.
but anything along the lines of either could be worn for a british loadout as some units got ECBA when others still had CBA

No Hoggy is correct.


Your thinking of the Mk1 Osprey armour called "kestrel". Designed as one complete piece rather than the modular osprey of latter days.

[Chosen-Man]

Re: Authentic British Army Loadouts.

CBA is used with the plates. Its the same kit.

ECBA was a non modular cross between CBA and osprey. It had collar and upper arm protection attached permanantly.

Osprey mk1/2/3 was issued in desert, hybrid and MTP.

The mk4 osprey was issued in plain tan, desert and now MTP.

Osprey is nothing to do with PCS. Personal CLOTHING system.


On exercise, our battalion gets CBA. This comes with plates (hence the small pockets over the 'vital organs'). 4 RIFLES have been using mk4 osprey for a while, and were the first battalion not in theatre to receive this as they are the lead spearhead battalion/whatever other name they have renamed now.