We met with Jonathan Long, the head of Silver Oak Leaf Inc., at the Future Forces Forum 2024 in Prague. As a veteran with extensive experience at various battlefields, including Afghanistan and Bosnia, Long leads a company that manufactures environmental clothing systems designed to withstand extremes, from unbearable heat to freezing cold.
Silver Oak Leaf now produces an improved hot weather combat uniform made from 57% nylon and 43% cotton yarn, developed in collaboration with Invista, Cordura. The fabric is not only highly durable and resistant to abrasion but also ensures excellent airflow. This technology allows, as Long says, ”even a slight breeze to cool the body”, making it crucial for soldiers to work effectively in hot and humid environments. Additionally, Silver Oak Leaf Inc. manufactures a two-piece flame-resistant uniform for the U.S. Navy, designed for NCOs, officers, and sailors. This uniform replaces the traditional coverall, and was designed to improve soldiers’ comfort. As Long notes, “It’s more comfortable to work in a two-piece rather than a single.”
However, developing technologies to address extreme environmental conditions goes beyond just heat. Silver Oak Leaf Inc. dedicates its recent developments to creating products that perform exceptionally well in icy, frigid environments.
Conquering the Arctic
While there is no ongoing conflict, interest in the Arctic has already been expressed. Silver Oak Leaf Inc. sees it as an opportunity for new developments but also as a new gap in the industry.
”In the last three years, because of both the NATO strategy and the U.S. national military strategy, taking a look at the changing environmental conditions, we’re anticipating that potentially the ice melts over the North Pole, the Arctic region, of which there are, I don’t know, 15 or 18 different countries that are part of the Arctic. The United States is part of that group because of Alaska. We are anticipating that one or both the Chinese or the Russian governments could start to take advantage of being able to push icebreakers over the top and then being able to potentially claim space.”
Currently, Silver Oak Leaf Inc. works directly with the company developing the new Army Air Force and Marine Corps mittens and gloves. They are also collaborating on a project that produces Layer Seven, an extreme cold weather system. There is a race to develop technologies that can operate effectively in extreme environments.
”The United States mainly only has one or two icebreakers. The Chinese, I think, have 30. The Russians have a dozen or more.”
The West, including the U.S., is not yet prepared for the potential conflict over resources and territorial control that could happen in the Arctic. Meanwhile, other countries continue the never-ending cycle of security dilemmas.
”The Chinese government has done this in the South China Sea. They found a little place where the ocean was really not so deep. They started pouring rock and sand and they made an island. And on this island, they have multiple airbases and now they’re claiming 400 nautical miles around this island. They’re interrupting Philippine shipping, American shipping, and European shipping because they’re saying that is their national space. It’s not. It’s the ocean. It should be free passes to anyone. Same with the Arctic. It is free. There is no country that owns the Arctic.”
Indeed, China’s construction of artificial islands for military purposes is well documented by the U.S. Department of Defense and mainstream news outlets. When considering the possibility of similar actions in the Arctic, the idea may seem unbelievable or even dystopian. However, for industry experts like Long, this scenario is worth exploring.
”If they’re able to get their ships through, there are precious minerals underneath the Arctic and then, of course, oil. So the concern is that other nations may try to take the area in the Arctic and claim it as their own and then they will restrict the shipping. They will have solo access to these things that should be global. So the Americans and NATO are looking at extreme cold weather, talking minus 20 degrees to 30.”
The last time there was warfare on a large scale in extremely cold conditions was during the Winter War of 1939-1940 between Finland and the Soviet Union. This conflict uncovered the challenges caused by frigid temperatures and snow, affecting both tactics and troop morale. Norway is now a forward operating base where the Americans and NATO invest in the infrastructure for basing.
”We’re training in the north of Norway for this environment. And now, with the inclusion of Finland and Sweden, we’re starting to make a real Nordic push.”
”How do you sleep in a tent at minus 30?”
How can the body armor and protective clothing industry respond to these geopolitical challenges? First and foremost, companies like Silver Oak Leaf Inc. identify the gaps in existing solutions.
”How do fluids, your oil, and lubricants operate in super cold weather? They don’t really move very well. How do machine guns cycle? So when the rounds are firing, how do the gears stay engaged to fire at sub-zero? […] They have a lot of experience, but that’s not modern warfare. How do our radar systems work? How do artillery systems work? We don’t know. ”
As Long speculates, any potential conflict in the Arctic would center on occupying territory, demanding improvements not only in machinery but also in soldiers’ gear. Currently, Silver Oak Leaf Inc. is developing cold-weather hand systems and parkas. They also focus on enhancing energy sources to support operations in these extreme conditions.
”I’m looking at textiles, but also innovation in batteries. The life of the battery is reduced many, many hundreds of times in cold weather.”
While Long mentions that diplomacy and preventing conflicts are important, he also envisions military operations in the North. What he seems less certain about are the logistics of surviving in such extreme environments. His focus is on accessing fuel and energy, and developing products that will keep people warm. One of the recent inventions already in commercial use is a mask with a cup designed to breathe through in extremely low temperatures.
”After you’re breathing from the cup, a little bit of residual warm air remains in the cup. So the next time you breathe through, your breath is mixing with warm air initially. And when you breathe out, it refills it. This is going to freeze, but what happens is the moisture drops down from these holes. You get the icicles.”
It is proven that the Cold Avenger mask keeps the core warmer than traditional balaclavas. Created by a skier and hunter in Montana, it is designed by someone who faces extreme conditions firsthand. The cup is resistant to freezing, it has an anti-fog capability, and a wire that keeps goggles from getting steamy.
As Long says, the importance of these innovations is significant, particularly for soldiers, not just in case of the Arctic but also now, in situations such as high-altitude military parachuting.
”These guys can literally freeze before they actually hit the ground or their circulation would be cut off.”
Always a few steps ahead
Silver Oak Leaf Inc. draws on Long’s experience in the army but it also keeps up with the latest developments in both the commercial and defense industries. These innovations are impressive and designed to save lives. Long himself is the author of a strap cutter tool that is now standard equipment for every soldier. This tool helps free soldiers trapped in vehicles during life-threatening situations, making it a crucial invention that saves lives.
However, apart from Silver Oak Leaf Inc.’s contributions to protection systems, it’s important to see that while the public is focused on current wars and conflicts, the industry is already preparing for new and unforeseen events that ensure its continued existence. This need for ongoing development, while naturally smart and proactive, sheds light on the nature of the market.
Whether or not the conquest of the Arctic happens, the effort to develop gear suitable for extreme conditions is already underway. With materials designed for low temperatures ready to use, there may eventually be a demand for such a market.
