L-1 Lightweight Protective Suit (костюмов легких защитных Л-1) |
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The L-1 Chemical The Soldier is Wearing: The L-1 lightweight protection suit is manufactured by the Slavyanskaya Clothing Factory. |
Operational History
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 |
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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.
Tactical Use and Limitations
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.
The L-1 lightweight protective suit is used in conjunction with ShM-1 and other gas masks. When not in use, the L-1 is transported in a canvas carry pouch. Like most chemical protective suits, the L-1 provides no protection from gamma radiation, but it is able to block alpha and beta particles.
Service Chronology
The L-1 lightweight protective suit has enjoyed a long service life with the Soviet Union and the various republics that formed after its break up. In this section you will be able to discover more about the history of the L-1 in terms of what it replaced and what followed it.
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. | ОЗК-Ф (The OZK-F which has been introduced sometime after 2008) |