British survival technology provider Survitec has equipped the 2,000th F-35 pilot with the Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE), the company has announced. The equipment consists, among other things, of a flight jacket, flight overalls, anti-g trousers and a protective diving suit. The adaptation to the pilots takes place in special facilities, where the clothing system is adjusted to the individual needs of the pilot within ten days.
Survitec is the sole supplier of undergarment for the F-35 program. The AFE is qualified to protect the pilot in all areas of operation, including high-speed ejection. An accurate fit is critical to ensure the protective clothing functions correctly, interacts with the aircraft's life support systems and provides the required level of protection during all phases of flight.
„Gut sitzende Anti-G-Bekleidung ist entscheidend, um ein optimales Maß an ‚g‘-Schutz zu gewährleisten und die Notwendigkeit körperlich anstrengender Anti-G-Belastungsmanöver zu verringern, die zu unnötiger Ermüdung führen und das Risiko von G-Loc, einem durch G-Kräfte verursachten Bewusstseinsverlust, erhöhen“, erklärte David Stelling, Survitec Category Manager, Luft- und Raumfahrt und Verteidigung.
Since the Survitec AFE is qualified as part of the pilot rescue system, German pilots will also be equipped with the Survitec AFE in the future. The German branch of Survitec in Eschershausen/Lower Saxony, which emerged from the Deutsche Schlauchboot GmbH, could be used to adapt the clothing. The company currently supplies, among other things, rescue equipment for the German Navy.
Editors / gwh