After all the testing conducted on a new tropical uniform, the U.S. Marine Corps are now looking for a maker, release a Request for Proposal (RFP) for companies interested in supplying the Marine Corps Tropical Combat Uniform (MCTCU) designed for humid and hot climates.

The MCTC is a rapid-dry, breathable uniform that can last for sustained periods in hot, humid and wet environments. The MCTCU will provide an alternative to the current Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU) and the Marine Corps Combat Boot. The MCTCU comprises trousers, a blouse and a pair of boots but for the RFP, the contract will be mainly for the blouse and trousers. These have the same 50/50 cotton and nylon blend MCCUU, and feature the same camo pattern, more known as the MARPAT. The MCTC is of course lighter than the MCCUU and it dries more quickly and is treated with permethrin so it can be repel insects, which abound in tropical environments.

Photo: Infantry Marine from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment wearing a prototype tropical utility uniform in 2017 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Monique Randolph)

“This new tropical uniform allows Marines to be more comfortable and less fatigued while focusing on the mission at hand,” said Lou Curcio, MCSC’s MCTCU project officer in a news post at the Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) website.

The new tropical uniform is the result of the renewed emphasis of the U.S. Military in the Pacific area where an assertive China is challenging the power of the U.S. and its allies. China has been encroaching on islands of U.S. allies in the South China Sea, threatening Taiwan with an invasion, and testing the mettle of the Japanese Self-Defense forces in reacting to movements of of PLAN and PLAF near Japanese territories.

Curcio adds, “Many Marines said the MCTCU feels like pajamas, appreciating how lightweight it is. They also noted how quickly the uniform dries upon getting wet.”

A total of 70,000 trousers, blouses and pairs of boots for the MCTCU is being planned to be purchased by the MCSC to support the Fleet training or operating in tropical climates though the contract for the boots will be separate from the blouses and trousers. The command has already procured more than 10,000 sets of blouses and trousers under a Manufacturing and Development effort.

If all goes well the Marines may get to receive their MCTCU in the final quarter of 2020.

Top photo: Infantry Marine from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment wearing a prototype tropical utility uniform in 2017 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Monique Randolph)