OUVRY has developed an extreme wardrobe based on an innovative systems approach. This complete range of CBRN equipment adapts to specific operational environments: OCPU® and OPPS® filtering undergarments for pilots in protected enclosures, combat suits and TFI® suit for direct operational situations, POLYCOMBI® for first responders in contaminated areas. Each solution guarantees 12 to 24 hours of protection against chemical agents. OUVRY’s systems approach integrates innovative technologies, operational needs satisfaction, and total cost of ownership control.
1. A CBRN wardrobe designed using a systems approach
OUVRY has developed an “extreme wardrobe” designed to meet the specific needs of personnel exposed to CBRN risks. In creating this wardrobe—that is, the full set of its equipment—the company places major emphasis on the end user’s operational environment. It is built on a “systems” approach: OUVRY designs and manufactures protective garments that are perfectly adapted to operators’ missions and to the equipment used.
The OUVRY wardrobe is defined to meet the CBRN protection needs of several categories of personnel across different use cases.
2. CBRN protection for personnel operating in a protected enclosure (system A)
The first type of protection is intended for personnel operating within a protected enclosure who may be subject to indirect CBRN threats and exposed to gaseous risks. This primarily concerns pilots—fighter, transport aircraft, and helicopter pilots. The solution offered here is a lightweight, breathable CBRN undergarment that allows usual uniforms to be worn without changing size and preserves familiar reference points and movements.
2.1. OCPU® system
Based on this analysis, OUVRY developed the OCPU® system [12], which includes:
- the OCPU® filtering CBRN undergarment, manufactured using a filter media based on activated carbon microbeads
- a FTC® air permeable CBRN protective hood
- CBRN socks
- Second Skin® CBRN undergloves
This filtering system is designed to be worn under an operational uniform. It is used by operational EOD teams, firefighters, and helicopter pilots, and can also be worn by VIPs under a suit.
The OCPU® system provides 24-hour CBRN protection against toxic vapors.
2.2. OPPS® system
Building on the same concept, OUVRY then created the OPPS® system for fighter pilots, comprising:
- the OCPU® filtering CBRN undergarment, worn under the pilots’ standard flight suit
- an OPPS CBRN hood worn under the usual helmet and incorporating:
- a textile CBRN hood with a non-flammable, stretchable filter media
- a molded rubber face skirt with a visor
- an anti-fogging system
- socks and gloves with a non-flammable, stretchable filter media
- a filter canister and an EZAIR airflow system
The OPPS® system provides 24-hour CBRN protection against toxic vapors.
3. CBRN suits for combat operational situations (system B)
The second category of protection applies to combat operational scenarios. The equipment is intended for personnel who may face direct attack and be exposed to CBRN hazards in gaseous and liquid form. The protection provided must be durable.
The appropriate garment for these situations may take the form of a one-piece suit or a two-piece jacket-and-trousers ensemble, according to operators’ preferences, combined with a mask, filtering gloves, and CBRN socks and/or overboots.
3.1. OUVRY CBRN combat suit
In line with these requirements, the CBRN combat suit [13] designed by OUVRY comprises:
- separate jacket and trousers made from an outer fabric that is water-repellent, oil-repellent, and flame-retardant, and a lining using an activated carbon microbead filter media—a composition that enhances multispectral protection. This suit provides 24-hour protection against CBRN agents in liquid, vapor, and aerosol forms.
For optimal protection, this combat suit must be worn with:
- Target® CBRN gloves
- CBRN socks and/or overboots
- a CBRN mask with a canister that can be paired with a respiratory assistance system
These combat suits are issued to the French Army.
3.2. TFI® suit
In parallel, and still with the aim of providing effective protection for missions conducted by specialized units while remaining compatible with issued equipment, OUVRY created the TFI® [14]. This one-piece suit, made of a flame-retardant, water-repellent outer fabric and a lining with an air- and water-vapor-permeable filter media, protects against chemical warfare agents in liquid, vapor, or aerosol form for 24 hours. It is highly valued by users for its comfort. Its one-piece design inherently eliminates the interface between jacket and trousers, enhancing the system’s overall protection. It is worn by personnel from GIGN, RAID, BRI, and the CEA.
4. CBRN protection for responders in contaminated areas (system C2)
A third category covers the protection needs of professionals operating in contaminated areas who are exposed to CBRN risks in liquid or gaseous form, at low to high concentrations, during short-duration missions (a few hours). This includes firefighters, civil security first responders, healthcare personnel, and operators in the chemical and nuclear industries. These needs can be met by a lightweight, breathable, splash-resistant suit with a surface that can be decontaminated to prevent cross-contamination, combined with a mask fitted with a canister and respiratory assistance.
4.1. POLYCOMBI®
Made of a water- and oil-repellent outer fabric and a filtering lining based on activated carbon microbeads, the OUVRY POLYCOMBI® [15] offers maximum ergonomics and provides protection against chemical warfare agents in liquid, vapor, or aerosol form for 12 hours. To ensure optimal protection, this suit for first responders should be worn with OG05 butyl gloves. Foot protection is provided by CBRN socks integrated into the suit.
5. A systemic approach built around three pillars
These emblematic examples of the OUVRY wardrobe illustrate the company’s commitment to a “systems” approach structured around three main pillars:
Meeting operational requirements
- products strike an optimal balance between protection and the maintenance of operational capability
- they are modular and integrable into their environment
Integrating innovative technologies
- to reinforce existing protection and deliver new capabilities
- to improve respiratory comfort (for example, lateral positioning of the canister on the mask) and clothing comfort (through the use of a filter media), as well as ergonomics, dexterity, and safety
- to transition away from single-use products: garments washable up to ten times if not exposed to a CBRN hazard, use of recyclable cotton and polyester for the outer fabric of combat suits and POLYCOMBI® respectively
Controlling total cost of ownership
- simplified training, maintenance for operational readiness, and logistics; provision of a training version washable up to 100 times for the TFI® and POLYCOMBI®
- supply-chain control through the development of an ecosystem based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the engagement of regional suppliers
- consideration of environmental factors and end-of-service withdrawal
OUVRY’s extreme wardrobe exemplifies a comprehensive and coherent approach to CBRN protection. This systems logic makes it possible to address the diversity of missions and environments encountered by exposed personnel.
6. Frequently asked questions
What is OUVRY’s systems approach to CBRN protection?
OUVRY’s systems approach involves designing CBRN protective equipment that perfectly adapts to operators’ missions and their issued equipment. This method integrates the end user’s operational environment, ensures solution modularity, and provides garments that maintain operational conditions while offering optimal protection against chemical agents in various forms.
What is the difference between the OCPU® and OPPS® systems?
The OCPU® system is a universal filtering CBRN undergarment worn by EOD teams, firefighters, helicopter pilots, and VIPs. The OPPS® system is specifically designed for fighter pilots and integrates a CBRN hood worn under the helmet with visor, anti-fogging system, and EZAIR airflow system. Both systems guarantee 24 hours of protection against toxic vapors.
Which French units use OUVRY equipment?
CBRN combat suits equip the French Army. The TFI® suit is worn by personnel from GIGN (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group), RAID (Research Assistance Intervention Deterrence), BRI (Research and Intervention Brigade), and the CEA (Atomic Energy Commission). The POLYCOMBI® is used by first responders and healthcare personnel.
How long do OUVRY’s different CBRN protections last?
The OCPU® and OPPS® systems guarantee 24 hours of protection against toxic vapors. CBRN combat suits and the TFI® suit offer 24 hours of protection against CBRN agents in liquid, vapor, and aerosol forms. The POLYCOMBI®, intended for first responders on short-duration missions, provides 12 hours of protection against chemical warfare agents.
Are OUVRY’s equipment reusable and environmentally friendly?
Yes, OUVRY integrates environmental considerations: garments are washable up to 10 times if not exposed to CBRN hazards. A training version washable up to 100 times is available for TFI® and POLYCOMBI®. The outer fabric uses recyclable cotton and polyester. The company controls its supply chain with an ecosystem in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and considers end-of-service withdrawal factors.