The US may also have a problem. I read somewhere last week that a new NBC suit for the US army was the subject of a media presentation. They had a grunt wearing it in the studio but after an hour he fainted from heat buildup from the studio lights. How do you think it will perform in the Iraqi desert?

Heorot: I've been in these NBC suits for several hours but the ambient temperture was below 60 degress and I was not moving around. This is a ruberrized suit that does not breathe for obvious reasons. One would need a "space suit" with a self contained A/C system to be practical outdoors in a real NBC enviornment and still accomplish your combat mission.

The purpose of our NBC suits in the practical sence is it give a soldier the means to walk out of a contaminated area. Because of our body heat that builds up inside the suit, a soldier has about one hour to clear the area and get out of the suit before collapsing from heat exhaustion. Trying to function as a combat soldier in this rubberized suit is a farce, but it serves its purpose as a short term CHEMICAL barrier against agents about 10 microns in size for a short period of time. Our filtration system is not a HEPA grade quality filter. I refer to the US Army's M-17 mask.

Have you not heard? nearly half of the equipment we are sending to the middle east is heavy Air Conditioning equipment and snowmaking machines! We will FREEZE out the dictator, while lounging comfortably in our new rubberized suits! ;o) E.

They are not rubberized suits. JSLIST suits have carbon beads sprayed against a inner layer fabric with a liquid resistent outer fabric. They do not stop penetration of particular-sized particles, they are good for up to 10 grams per square meter agent. They do protect against dusty agents if the suit interfaces are sealed shut. Yeah they're hot but better than wearing a wet t-shirt against agent. The M40 mask filters are not HEPA but the larger collective protection equipment filters are. Filters are good against any CBR agent out there folks, except in oxygen-defficient atmospheres.