All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS)

For the Marine Corps and Air Force, the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) is the successor to Layer 4 of Generation II of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS). APECS is a 3rd generation outer garment set (parka &smp; trousers) that reduces noise and weight, increases IR and environmental protection, and incorporates the MARPAT (Marine Pattern) camouflage or the USAF ABU "Tiger Stripe" pattern.

All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS), USAF
All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS), USAF.

Today in WW II: 14 Mar 1939 Germany invades Czechoslovakia after annexing the Sudetenland.   

All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS)

The USMC identified the need for the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) in the Operational Requirement document for the Cold Weather and Equipment Program (CWCEP), No. Log 42.2 dated 2 June 1994. This program transitioned from the Marine Enhancement Program (MEP) during a MEP review of 2000.

The first contract to produce the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) was let to Propper International (Saint Charles, MO) in July 2003. APECS was "force fed" throughout the Active and Reserve Marine Corps, starting in October 2003. Additional contracts went to Tennessee Apparel (Tullahoma, TN) and Tennier Industries (Huntsville, TN). APECS was also adopted by the U.S. Air Force in the same time frame.

All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) Features

APECS consists of two outer shell garments, the parka and trousers, a product improvement of the Layer 4 Generation II ECWCS. Other layers and components are adopted unchanged from Generation II or Generation III of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS).

The APECS parka and trousers are made of Gore-tex material with Gore-seam tape sealed seams. APECS is lighter in weight, lower in bulk, has lower noise generation, is moisture vapor permeable and has an improved water repellency when compared to the ECWCS parka and trousers. NIR technology resists detection by night vision equipment. APECS displays MARPAT camouflage (Woodland or Desert) for the Marine Corps and the "tiger stripe" ABU pattern for the USAF.

APECS Parka features:

  • A collar with a draw cord for adjustment and a stowed hood
  • Water-resistant slide fasteners are used in the front closure
  • Underarm openings
  • Two concealed upper chest pockets
  • Two lower pockets with flaps
  • Concealed hand warmer pockets
  • Two upper sleeve pockets with flaps
  • Adjustable wrist tabs
  • An insignia tab on the left front
  • Draw cord adjustment for the waist and hem concealed inside the lower pockets
  • Reinforcement patches on the elbows

APECS Trousers features:

  • An elastic draw cord at the waist
  • A slide fastener front fly
  • Slide fastener ankle openings
  • Lower leg adjustment tabs
  • Two front hip pass-thru openings with flaps
  • Two leg cargo pockets with elasticized openings and buttoned flaps
  • Reinforcement patches at the seat and knees

APECS Nomenclature and NSNs

All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) Trousers Label

  • Parka, All-Purpose Environmental, Camouflage: Spec. No. MIL-DTL-32157
  • Trousers, All-Purpose Environmental, Camouflage: Spec. No. MIL-DTL-32158

The NSN ranges depend on size and camouflage pattern. For the parka:

  • Parka, All-Purpose Environmental, Camouflage (APEC), Woodland MARPAT, USMC 8415-01-506-6254 to 8415-01-506-6282, non-consecutive 19 sizes
  • Parka, All-Purpose Environmental, Camouflage (APEC), Desert MARPAT, USMC 8415-01-506-5763 to 8415-01-506-5819, non-consecutive 19 sizes
  • Parka, APECs, USAF Tiger Stripe; Class 5 8415-01-547-3464 to 8415-01-547-3562, non-consecutive 19 sizes

For the trousers:

  • Trousers, All-Purpose Environmental, Camouflage (APEC), Woodland MARPAT, USMC 8415-01-506-5461 to 8415-01-516-8421, non-consecutive 18 sizes
  • Trousers, All-Purpose Environmental, Camouflage (APEC), Desert MARPAT, USMC 8415-01-506-5424 to 8415-01-506-5441, non-consecutive 16 sizes
  • Trousers, APECs, USAF Tiger Stripe; Class 5 8415-01-547-2959 to 8415-01-547-3088, non-consecutive 19 sizes

Other NSNs have been assigned during the development and pre-fielding periods. During the change-over from ECWCS Gen II to APECS, it was authorized to mix and match the Woodland or Desert camouflage with ACU/ABU uniforms. Once APECS was fully distributed, such mixing was no longer tolerated.

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