L-1 Combined Arms Suit

The L-1 lightweight protective suit was developed in the late 1950's or early 1960's as an alternative for the heavier OP-1 OZK combined arms suit. It is a simple three part garment that is made up of a hooded jacket, a pair of trousers with integral overboots and suspenders, and a pair of gloves. The thinner layer of butyl rubber over cotton fabric is the primary reason for its light weight. The suits are most commonly found in grey, but they have also been produced in khaki for use in desert environments. The L-1 survived the breakup of the Soviet Union and continued in Russian service until at least 2003.

The L-1 protective suit is manufactured in three sizes, as opposed to the five for the OP-1. These are shown on the table to the right.

The hooded jacket is designed to fit over the service helmet, but fits only loosely around the mask. A single adjustment strap can be found around the neck to allow for a better fit however. The cuffs of the L-1 jacket have

L-1 Sizing Information
Suit Size	Soldier Height
III	Taller than 172cm (Taller than 5' 8'')
II	165 to 172 cm (5' 5" to 5' 8")
I	Shorter than 165cm (Shorter than 5' 5'')

elastic around the openings to enable a tighter fit around the gloves. The lower opening of the L-1 jacket is also fully elasticized. It also features an adjustment strap that runs from the rear of the jacket, under the crotch, to attach to the front of the jacket. This ensures a tighter fit and a more secure seal.

L-1 overtrousers are manufactured with integral overboots. A strap over the top of each foot allows the soldier to adjust the uniform so that it will move with him more easily. A second strap is found just below the knee on each leg. The waist section is not elasticized. It uses a pair of cloth suspenders to maintain a good fit instead.

The lightweight gloves a dark grey in color and have a separate thumb and index finger with the remaining fingers combined in a mitten-like section. This allows the user to have full articulation in their thumb and trigger finger in combat situations. A small loop of elastic is also found on the gloves. These are used to more tightly seal the gloves behind the wrists to guard against chemical contamination.

In combat situations the L-1 suit is much faster to don that its counterpart. Yet, its thin construction and light weight mean that it provides less protection than the OP-1. In fact, the L-1 is only rated to protect for ninety minutes under normal conditions. Its documents state that the L-1 can be used across a broad temperature range from -40 to +40 C. They are most commonly found in the color grey, but other colors have been produced.

This Uniform Replaced...	L-1 Protective Suit	This Uniform was Replaced by...
Nothing, it was developed to fulfill a unique requirement for a lightweight chemical protective suit.	L-1 Protective Suit	ОЗК-Ф (The OZK-F which has been introduced sometime after 2008)