The Tactical Vest (TV) is the first of three

compatible components of the Clothe The

Soldier (CTS) Load Carriage System (LCS).

In addition to the Tactical Vest, the LCS includes

a Small Pack System and a Rucksack.

TACTICAL VESTCADPAT™(TW)

Art Direction by DGPA Creative Services CS02-0015

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TACTICAL VEST COMPONENTS& NATO STOCK NUMBERSTactical Vest, Size Medium, 8415-21-920-3712

Tactical Vest, Size Large, 8415-21-920-3713

Water Bottle pouch, Left, 8465-21-920-5769

Water Bottle pouch, Right, 8465-21-920-5770

C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine, Right, 8465-21-920-5768

C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine, Left, 8465-21-920-5765

Bayonet carrier, 8465-21-920-5771

Back yoke, Medium, 8415-21-921-0080

Back yoke, Large, 8415-21-921-0076

Front panel, Left, Large, 8415-21-921-0074

Front panel, Left, Medium, 8415-21-921-0079

Front panel, Right, Large, 8415-21-921-0073

Front panel, Right , Medium, 8415-21-921-0077

DesignThe TV has been designed specifically for theCanadian Soldier by a load carriage designteam and validated by Army Field Forcesuser trials.

The TV is designed to provide load carriagefor various missions. Pockets and pouches aresewn on to a mesh, which provides ventilation.The wide shoulder straps help to dispersethe load over a wide area thereby avoidingpressure points.

As the main component of fighting order, itsprimary function is to carry ammunition andwater for immediate combat.

The TV is available in two sizes, Mediumand Large.

It is adjustable to accommodate the full rangeof individual operational combat clothingconfiguration from combat shirt alone to middlelayer of the Improved Environmental ClothingSystem (IECS) or the Integrated Clothing Ensemble(ICE) with Fragmentation Protective Vest andBullet Resistant Plates. (For more details, seesection on Size Selection, Adjusting For Fit)

The TV incorporates the following load carryingcapabilities (refer to Figures 1 and 2):

a. Four C7 Magazine pocketsb. Two High Explosive (HE) Fragmentation

Grenade pockets M67c. Two field dressing / all-purpose utility pockets

with snow cuffd. A Flashlight pocket (for mini-MagLite™

or equivalent) with coloured lens holdere. A whistle (NSN 8465-21-104-7964) pocketf. C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine pouches

with smoke grenade pocketg. Water Bottle pouches with smoke

grenade pocketh. Sternum mounted bayoneti. Map/combat ration pocketj. Alternate attachment point for C4 NBC Mask

Carrier vice sling

Figure 2 – Inside viewof the Tactical Vest left and right panels

Figure 1 – Outside viewof the Tactical Vest left and right panels

LOADLoad Configuration

c fc

gb b

a

aa

a

ehd

i

Map pocket

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The C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine and WaterBottle pouches are provided in left and rightconfigurations. This allows the soldier to attacha pouch to either left or right panel (or both).C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine and waterbottle pouches can also be mounted on the vest

j

Left Panel Right Panel

Right Panel Left Panel

For Better PerformanceFollow These Rules� Know the Equipment.

� Assemble the equipment properly.

� Keep each item in its proper place.

� Take the time to fit the TV to your bodyprior to actual field use.

� Keep pockets and pouches securely closedwith the side release buckle at all times toprevent loss of contents.

in a vertical or horizontal orientation, dependingon the soldier’s preference or requirements. As aresult, the pouches can be mounted on the vest inthe following load configuration:

� two Water Bottle pouches (left and right), or

� two C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazinepouches (left and right), or

� a left Water Bottle pouch with a rightC9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine pouch, or

� a left C9-200 Round Belt Box Magazine pouchwith a right Water Bottle pouch.

Pockets and pouches have a positive securingcover. The pocket covers are secured with hookand loop strips and a side release buckle. The siderelease buckle is designed to be field replaceable.

Daisy Chain Attachment (Figure 3)Daisy chains have been sewn to the sides of thefront panels and along the back yoke of the TVto provide added load carrying flexibility andcapability (Figure 3). Daisy chain attachmentsgenerally consist of two strips of 25 mm webbingthat run in a parallel direction. The daisy chainsare secured to the Tactical Vest with bartacks thatare equally spaced to create loops that can beused to anchor or secure in service and/or futureCTS LCS equipment.

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Daisy Chains

Figure 3 – Back Yoke and Left Front Panelshowing daisy chain attachment

Daisy Chains

Tip: Rank slip-oncan be mountedon the left shoulderadjusting strap.

Water Bottle andC9-200 Round Belt BoxMagazine PouchAttachmentThe Water Bottle or C9-200 Round Belt BoxMagazine pouch can be attached in a vertical orhorizontal configuration on either the left orright side panel (or both). The smoke grenadepocket should be facing to the front whenattached in the vertical configuration oneither the left or right side panel or downif attached in the horizontal configuration(Figure 4).

To attach the pouch to the side panel follow thedirections in the bulleted list below:

� Place the hook andloop “hook” padfound on the backof the pouch againstthe hook and loop“loop” pad foundon the side panel(this ensures that thepouch stays in itsinitial position).

� Thread the 4attachment strapsthrough thecorrespondingladderlock buckles.(Ladderlock bucklethreading andoperating methodis explained onpage 8).

� Tighten the strapsand fix theremaining straplength to the pouchusing the hook andloop strip provided.

Side Panel Configurations

Figure 4 Illustrates the potential configurationsfor accessory items on the side panels of the TV.

Figure 4 - Side Panel Pouch Configurations

HorizontalVertical

or

or

TV Side View

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Side Release (SR) Buckle Replacement(Figure 7)There are a total of sixteen (16) field replaceableSR buckles. Personnel should be able to removeand install the buckle using a multi-tool.

The SR buckle is a three-part assembly: male part,female part and back plate. The male part issecured to the pocket cover via one piece of25mm webbing. The female part is mounteddirectly onto the outer side of pocket fabric.Securing and anchoring the buckle female part tothe fabric is achieved by pushing the legs of thebuckle female part through pre-cut holes in thefabric. Then, the low profile back plate is slippedonto the feet of the buckle. The back plate is thenlocked and held in position by two flexiblelock-fingers.

The removal of the female buckle part isaccomplished by lifting the two back plate lockingfingers and sliding the back plate out of position(Figure 7).

Side Release Buckle (Figure 6)

This buckle function is similar to a ladder lockbuckle (Figure 5).

� Thread the strap through the bottomof the buckle,

� over the center bar,

� then back down through the buckle and out.This end becomes the loose end used foradjusting strap tension.

Figure 6 - Threading a side release buckle

� Thread the strap through the bottomof the buckle,

� over the visible bar,

� then back down through the buckle and out.This end becomes the loose end used foradjusting strap tension.

Buckle ThreadingLadderlock Buckle (Figure 5)

Figure 5 - Threading a ladderlock buckle

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Figure 7 - Side Release Buckle and Back Plate(The Male Part is visible in Figure 6)

Buckle FemalePart

Buckle Male Part

Buckle Back Plate

Locking Fingers

Bayonet MountingThe bayonet is sternum-mounted and can beoriented hilt up or down, or can be left offcompletely. The bayonet is attached to the vestmain zipper flap using 25mm webbing loops(Figure 8).

Figure 8 – Bayonet mounted hilt down

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Bayonet Frog Attachment (Figure 9)To properly attach the Frog in a hilt downconfiguration, follow the directions below:

� Ensure the bayonet and scabbard areremoved from the frog.

� Line up the top of the Frog even withthe bottom of the first horizontal 25mmwebbing that goes across the bottom ofmain zipper flap.

� Insert the Frog attachment strap behind thefirst webbing loop at the bottom of the mainzipper flap then behind the first webbingloop on the back of the Carrier.

� Continue weaving the attachment strapbehind the horizontal webbing until the Frogis secured along its entire length.

� Attach the snap fastener on the attachmentstrap to the snap on the back of the Frog.

� To mount the Frog in a hilt up configuration,follow the same direction except that the topof the Frog is lined up with the top of thefirst horizontal 25mm webbing that goesacross the top of main zipper flap.

Figure 9 – Frog attachment strap weaving

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Size Selectionand Adjusting For Fit Size SelectionThe TV comes in two sizes, Medium and Large.To select the proper size, the chest circumferencemeasurement is taken with the person being sizedlightly clothed (i.e. T-shirt).

The measurement is taken by measuring the chestcircumference with the arms at rest on the sideof the body. The chest circumference should bemeasured at the fullest point of the bust, for bothmale and female soldiers. The medium size vestwill fit chest sizes up to 106cm (42 inches) and thelarge size 106cm (42 inches) and up. Special sizesare available on request through clothing stores.In view of the space demands and human factorrequirement to fit all the pockets on the TV, it isimpossible to have TVs in sizes smaller thanMedium. Therefore, special sizes will only beavailable for personnel with chest circumferencegreater than 132cm (52 inches).

Fit AdjustmentThe TV is adjustable both for torso circumferenceand torso length.

Adjusting for Torso Circumference� Adjusting the vest to accommodate different

torso circumferences is achieved using theadjustment straps and ladder lock buckleslocated on the back of the vest.

Inserting the Scabbard (Figure 10)� Insert the tip of the scabbard under the

double loops on the front of the frog. Ensurethe retaining stud is turned toward the Frog.Push the scabbard ensuring the tip of thescabbard, is also inserted in the second loopfrom the top (hilt down) or bottom (hilt up)of the main zipper flap, until the scabbardretaining stud is located approximately in thespace between the double loops. Rotate thescabbard 180 degrees until the scabbardretaining stud protrudes and is securedbetween the double loops.

Note: Bayonet must not be in the scabbard when the Frog isbeing attached to the vest.

Scabbard retaining stud

Figure 10 - Inserting the scabbard

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Adjusting for Torso LengthTorso length adjustment is accomplished using theshoulder straps (Figure 12) and the shoulderadjustment.

Figure 12 - Torso Length Adjustment

To adjust the vest for torso length, follow thedirections in the list below:

� Loosen the shoulder adjustment strap in theladderlock buckle located just above the C7Magazine pocket.

� Lift the shoulder strap away from thefront panel of the vest (hook and loopattachment Figure 13).

� Move the shoulder strap to the requiredlocation and re-engage the hook and loop.

� Tighten the shoulder adjustment strapuntil snug.

Note: It is important that you do not cut the additional lengthof the adjustment straps once you have adjusted the vest toyour current clothing worn. The additional length is requiredwhen adjusting the vest over multiple layers of clothing(i.e. Fragmentation Protective Vest and/or environmentalclothing layers). Use the elasticized strap retainers to securethe additional length.

Figure 11 - Torso Circumference Adjustment Straps

To adjust the vest for torso circumference followthe steps found in the list below (it may benecessary to use the buddy system to completethis step):

� Prior to donning the vest, loosen theadjustment straps at the back of the vest(Figure 11).

� Don the vest and do up the zipper on thefront flap.

� Reaching behind your back, grasp the endsof the adjustment straps starting with thelowest pair.

� Pull the ends of the adjustment straps awayfrom your body until the lower portion ofthe vest is snug.

� Repeat the process for each pair ofadjustment straps.

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Care and Maintenance The TV may be washed using mild, standardhousehold laundry detergent. It should be handwashed using a soft brush and hung to dry.

Web SiteFor more information, visit the Clothe The Soldierweb site at www.dnd.ca/cts

Figure 13 - Shoulder Strap Hook and Loop

Note: In order for the TV to function properly with theCTS Rucksack, the TV must not extend past the hipbone.This is necessary to ensure that the padded hip belt of the CTSRucksack fits and functions well to support the Rucksack.

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� Feed the remaining strap length through theretaining webbing loop on the shoulder strap.

� Repeat the process with the othershoulder strap.