USA MATERIAL COMMAND ACQUISITION CENTER, NATICK CONTRACTING DIVISION, ATTN: STEAA-NC, NATICK MA 01760-5011

84 -- PROTECTIVE GLOVE PROGRAM SOL 032&&&-9812-0001 POC Judith L. Uthoff, Contracting Officer (Site Code DAAD16) The U.S. Army Natick Research & Development Enterprise at the Soldier Biological and Chemical Command, Natick, MA is conducting a market investigation to identify hand wear items to meet the requirements of the Protective Glove System (PGS) program. The U.S. Army requires hand and forearm protection to support both mounted and dismounted operations. A Protective Glove System (PGS) is required to provide hand and forearm protection from cuts, punctures, and abrasions from barbed or concertina/razor-edged wire, law enforcement frisk type searches and other hazards. PGS will also provide hand and forearm protection from blunt trauma force in riot control civil disturbance operations. The gloves are to be worn by U.S. Army Combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support Soldiers and Federal Police Officers while performing stability operations, support operations, combat operations and training exercises, and/or similar civil law enforcement operations. PGS will be compatible with other specialized glove systems for added protection in certain environments. Missions for the U.S. Army span all areas of the world, all terrains and climates, low to high intensity conflicts, and low to high technology conflicts. PGS is an Army program (with Joint Service, state, and local civilian interest) to produce a protective glove system comprising integrated components. The PGS shall take advantage of current existing material technology to lighten the soldier's load and improve soldier's comfort, which will translate into increased mission performance, survivability, and sustainability while providing the threshold protective capabilities required. It shall also enable the worker to conduct necessary operations with the appropriate level of dexterity and tactility. The PGS shall be designed in a tailored approach for various users to optionally choose glove layers or system components, based on mission scenario. The PGS shall replace the current issued Barbed Tape-Wire Handlers Gloves that provide protection for handling barbed wire or concertina/razor wire. Although the current Barbed/Concertina Wire Handler's gloves protect from minor cuts, punctures, and abrasions initially, it fails to withstand the repeated usage it takes to deploy wire. The PGS shall provide better comfort and fit. It may be used with other standard issue military gloves and must survive against the required hazards to the degree that the items can be reused for deploying wire for a longer wear life than the standard issue Barbed Tape-Wire Handlers' Gloves (NSN: 8415-00-926-1674). The PGS shall also offer protection to the Combat/Combat Support and Combat Service Support Soldier, as well as Federal Law Enforcement officers and shall provide protection to hands and forearms from cuts, punctures, and abrasions caused by handling barbed/concertina razor-edged wire. The PGS shall prevent cut to the hands from knives and razor blades, and objectively, prevent punctures from hypodermic needles during frisk searches. The PGS shall provide significant blunt force trauma protection to hands and forearms from thrown objects (rocks, bottles, riot batons) when compared to the current light duty leather gloves. The PGS shall protect users from bloodborne or bodily fluid pathogens and, as an objective, be constructed of a material that "breathes" for reduction of heat and/or perspiration to increase user comfort level. The PGS shall incorporate flame/fire resistance equal to or greater than the standard current light duty leather gloves. The PGS users shall be able to load, fire, and render safe the assigned individual weapons M16/M4 rifle, M203 grenade launcher, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, 12 gauge shotgun, M9 and M11 pistols without significant degradation of performance. The PGS shall provide a sufficient degree of tactility to be able to detect small dangerous items carried in pockets, such as pocket knife, single edge razor blade, pen, pencil, or hypodermic needle. Tactility is required for the user to confidently sense, detect and feel illegal or threatening items that may not be visible on a person undergoing a frisk (pat down) search. Civil disturbance operations also require a removable forearm protector. The PGS shall be designed and shaped to the normal curve and bend of the hand, to provide better comfort to the user. As an objective, it should be accepted by 80% of the users, with respect to comfort. User acceptability will be determined during a field test where mission related tasks are anticipated. The PGS shall be sized to satisfy the central 90% of the male and female population with a minimum number of sizes, based on the 5th percentile female hand to the 95th percentile male hand dimensions. The current Barbed Wire Glove is a one-size-fits-all glove, which renders it large and bulky so that it is cumbersome even for the intended task. The PGS forearm protection shall extend up the forearm within one to three inches from the inside bend of the elbow. This protection shall also fit over the sleeve of a standard battle dress uniform (BDU) jacket and becapable of being closed at the cuff. The PGS shall provide some mechanism at the wrist area to accommodate individual fit. Since PGS is a system, there may be combinations of component layering. The outer layer of the PGS shall be of a neutral/subdued color, compatible with the current BDU and Class B uniform. The PGS material shall be water resistant and protect the wearer from incidental contamination from petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) and insect repellent chemicals such as diethyl toluamide (DEET). The PGS is not intended as a refueler's glove, but should remain operationally capable from small amount of POL or DEET contamination. Maintenance instructions may address procedures to negate any adverse conditions from POL or DEET. The PGS shall have an objective service life of 120 days from routine use. The PGS durability shall be equal to or better than a current military leather glove of approximate weight for frisk search applications. For barbed/concertina wire handling, PGS durability will be equal to or better than the military standard barbed tape-wire handlers' gloves. The PGS shall be capable of being stored and functioning under conditions specified in Army Regulation 70-38 for hot, basic and cold climatic conditions. The PGS, while not providing required thermal protection, must be capable of being worn with other thermal protection glove components or systems. The PGS shall be capable of being cleaned and, as an objective, be capable of being disinfected or decontaminated. Extended use creates a potential for prolonged skin exposure to moisture, heat perspiration, dirt, and other contaminates. This environment promotes the growth of fungus, mold, and bacteria. Routine cleaning procedures should be able to address and prevent this potentially hazardous situation. Cleaning procedures may use cleaning chemicals to perform this task. Additionally, if the PGS is to be used repeatedly by medical and other personnel handling hazardous substances, then they must be cleaned and hopefully capable of being disinfected/decontaminated to remove hazardous substances thereby protecting the wearer. Shelf life of five years will be established to minimize life cycle costs. PGS shall not promote the growth of fungus or molds during use or storage. PGS shall be compatible with currently fielded (BDU and Class B uniform) and individual equipment (CIE), to include communications equipment. Interface with communications equipment, such as standard military radio handset, commercial hand-held portable radio to include remote speaker/microphone is essential. The PGS shall be compatible with standard chemical protective clothing (MOPP IV) and equipment. The PGS is not required to provide NBC protection to the soldier nor is it required to be NBC de-contaminable. The PGS shall not require any special logistical considerations. Manpower, personnel, and training shall not be impacted by the use of this item. Instructions for the use, care, and storage shall be published in an instruction sheet packed with each pair of gloves. Maintenance procedures for minor damage are required for the PGS and should be developed to extend the serviceability and reduce further degradation of the PGS. PGS will be discarded if not repairable. Consideration should be made to determine if the current military individual sewing kit can provide some, if any, repair capabilities. A PGS repair kit may be recommended by a manufacturer to repair minor damage to the PGS. The PGS shall not increase force structure requirements. The PGS shall be capable of being maintained and worn, with proper fit, by the 5th percentile to the 95th percentile description targeted audience soldier. Design must allow for ease of use while the user is dressed in environmentally protective clothing. All safety hazards associated with the operation, maintenance, transportation, storage, and handling of the PGS shall be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level of risk. The system shall be designed to eliminate or control all potential health hazards. It is understood that the PGS may be a layered system, one glove may not provide all the distinct characteristics that are required. A layered system must interface together to offer all the needed elements and features. Interested sources must, within thirty (30) days following the publication of this synopsis, respond with information on their product(s). Interested sources shall include information detailed in CBD Note 25 regarding a firm's experience, personnel, and facilities. Interested firms should include proposed or actual item descriptions and illustrations which detail concept or design and any performance or test data. Samples are desired, but not required. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. No solicitation document is available at this time. Firms responding shall indicate whether or not they are a small business. The size standard for this industry (SIC 2399) is 500 employees. Any information submitted will not be returned. If a firm chooses to submit samples, no payment will be made by the Government for such samples. Please submit required information to the following address: U. S. Army Natick Research & Development Enterprise, ATTN: Ms. Kathy Swift, Textile Technologist, Program Manager, Enhanced Soldier Systems, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5019. See Note 25. Posted 12/14/98 (I-SN280071). (0348)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0276 19981216\84-0003.SOL)