#1 Source - Genuine Gov Issue US Air Force ABU (Airman Battle Uniform)
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ABU ITEMS
(NIR compliant & New NFPA) directly from the Official Authorized Web Outlet,
The Supply Sergeant
(Click photo or button below to see and purchase ABU items)
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Quick Links
Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe™
Original Desert Tiger Stripe™
Tac Tiger™
US Army ACU
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U.S. Air Force Uniform Project (ABU)
Semi-pixilated "Choppy" Stripe Pattern
(The inside story)
October 2002
Air Force tasks Tiger Stripe Products to assemble private sector project team. TSP instructs AF
Clothing Office (WPAFB) in taking project from idea to production. TSP assembles team
from several different areas of textile industry and begins project.
TSP redesigns our copyrighted Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe™ pattern for Air Force tiger stripe
pattern. Air Force given several different color schemes including combat ready
camouflage colorways.
Against our professional recommendations, Air Force Leadership chooses blue/gray colorway which
is soundly rejected by entire Air Force community.
Pattern Design Rejected
June 2004
Tiger Stripe Products offers Air Force our copyrighted pixilated tiger stripe pattern, TIGERPAT ™,
"The First Pixilated Tiger Stripe". This pattern was offered in blue/grey colorway as well as real combat ready
colorways.
Our combat ready, fully pixilated, tiger stripe pattern, based on our copyrighted Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe™ pattern,
had been in development since Jan 2004 and was completed in early May 2004.
Pattern Design Rejected
September 2004
Tiger Stripe Products offers Air Force our newest proprietary, 21st century (3rd generation), pixilated tiger stripe designs all
based on our copyrighted Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe™ pattern.
Several variations offered... none considered.
Pattern Designs Rejected
October 2004 through March 2006
Air Force announces this semi-pixilated stripe like pattern as the new "test"
pattern. This pattern merely adds ragged pixel-like edges to this "choppy" pattern.
Pattern colorway is Gray, Green, Tan, and Air Force Blue.
NOTE: Numerous more advanced, tiger and non-tiger
patterns were offered with the current colorway, flightline colorways, or other true "All
Terrain" colorways.
Air Force did not request to have a test uniform made from any of these far
superior advanced real world patterns.
(21st century Air Force research and development at
its best.)
17 March 2006
Pentagon, HQ
U.S. Air Force announces Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) finalized for production.
US Air Force Leadership announces the production of the new uniform for the 21st century USAF.
This uniform has been designed with the mission of the majority of AF personnel in mind.
It utilizes a simple ragged edged stripe like pattern and its primary design function is not as a front line combat uniform.
Topping USAF Leadership's design feature list; ease of care (wash and wear), durable yet comfortable fabrics, individual male and female sizing, pocket design and placement to undertake office and general work tasks.
Air Force blue can be seen in the pattern design which USAF Leadership specifically wanted to distinguish the uniform as "Air Force". Camouflage effectiveness was a very low ancillary issue.
USAF Leadership chose to adopt this elementary ragged edged stripe like pattern over any of our far superior advanced Battle ready tiger stripe designs.
See an example of one of our advanced Battle ready camouflages shown below (DIGITAL TIGER™).
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Compare the design differences between the simple ragged edged Air Force stripe like pattern below with the vastly
more complex DIGITAL TIGER™ pattern at bottom.
USAF stripe like pattern for the ABU
The ragged edges surrounding the solid areas do little for
the visual break up of the pattern elements.
The key to a good digital camo effective pattern is that visual break
up is achieved at near and far distances.
Very little break up is achieved here but it's not really required for
a simple barracks work uniform. This pattern and colorway are mainly for
show.
Numerous more advanced pixilated tiger patterns, for real world
applications, were recommended but all were rejected. This is a new
type of Battle uniform that does not utilize advanced battle features
like easy entry slanted pockets, etc., or an authentic Battle ready Tiger Stripe camouflage pattern
and colorway.
DIGITAL TIGER™ (All Terrain II colorway shown)
The fully pixilated pattern elements maximize near and far visual break up.
Micro/macro visual "noise" is created that enhances camo effectiveness at
all distances.
We combined our very effective copyrighted Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe™
pattern with advanced proprietary pixilation design techniques to make this
a far superior pattern in all respects.
Unfortunately for the Air Force, Leadership decided that an authentic Battle
ready advanced pixilated Tiger Stripe camouflage pattern and colorway was
not worth the few extra cents per uniform.
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Airman Battle Uniform... an advanced BATTLE uniform?
A note to the ranks:
When we started the uniform project in 2002, USAF Leadership informed us that 97% of AF personnel did not need
a battle uniform but rather a barracks utility work uniform. Leadership ultimately received exactly what they
asked for. The resulting uniform is that barracks utility work uniform.
The name actually does apply if one takes into consideration the battle activity that USAF Leadership says is the mission of
the majority of today's Air Force. As determined by USAF Leadership, advanced Battle features like easy entry
slanted chest, arm, and leg cargo pockets, elbow and knee padding pockets, improved neck
closure to keep debris out and to protect from body armor, gusseted shoulders
for ease of movement, and most importantly... an authentic Battle ready
advanced pixilated Tiger Stripe pattern and colorway are not needed for the 21st
century U.S. Air Force.
This uniform does not seem to fit the
definition of an advanced battle uniform. This is evidently a new style of battle uniform.
We're sorry. We wished we had had the opportunity to give you an
authentic battle uniform with all the relevant features plus an effective
camouflage design. At the very least you could have had a uniform with a
State-of-the-Art pixilated Tiger Stripe pattern and colorway unlike what was chosen.
The men and women of the Air Force have our undying support for the difficult
jobs that you all perform for our country. Is this new adopted camouflage and
uniform design an Airman Battle Uniform or an Airman Barracks Uniform? Maybe it's just
according to your own definition.
Judge for yourself.
and New NFPA
