Marines Replace U.S.-Made Chemical Weapons Suits
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DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia — The chemical weapons suits the U.S. troops brought from home are so heavy and unbearable in the sweltering desert that the Marines have replaced them with a lighter-weight British-made model.
The original suits will be put in storage until the troops return home, a spokesman said on condition of anonymity. The spokesman said he did not know the overall cost of buying the new suits and state-of-the-art gas masks.
The gear, which cannot be bought in retail stores, was developed by British Aerospace at the request of Britain’s Ministry of Defense.
Each suit cost about $210 and each mask about $140.
About 40,000 Marines are in Saudi Arabia.
Philip Congdon, a chemical weapons consultant to British Aerospace, said the suits are “known to be the best in the world.”
The American suits had foam backing, which made them particularly hot for the desert.
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