Air Force Making Possible Change to Army Combat Uniform

The U.S. Air Force may soon switch to the Army’s camouflaged patterned uniforms; and, according to a leaked slideshow presentation, the change will be pricey and sudden.

The Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) may be replaced as early October, with an official announcement expected on June 1st.

Spokesperson and Air Force Capt. Kathleen Atanasoff did confirm that the service is considering updated uniform options. Although the slides were focused on a change to the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), she maintained that no official decision has been made.

“We regularly review uniform policy and gather feedback from Airmen via a number of channels. One recommendation has been to move from ABU to ACU’s.”

The final decision falls upon Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein. Once given approval, the service will move ahead with the transition for all airmen. There was a proposed 24-, 36-, or 48- month transition period displayed on the leaked documents. If the immediate 24-month timeline is selected, it would cost the service roughly $450 million. When implementing a 48-month transition process, the spend drops to $125 million. Ultimately, all airmen will have a new uniform by 2024.

There are several key obstacles that come with this decision. According to the slide, these include: having adequate stock levels for all uniforms, boots, accessories and equipment, meeting the timeline, and more.

Source: Switching to Army Camo Could Cost Air Force $450 Million, Slides Show

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