Progress is moving forward at a steady pace on the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the future backbone of the United States Air Force’s bomber fleet. The future aircraft has largely managed to avoid any significant delays, which is impressive given that it is arguably the most advanced bomber ever developed.
Meanwhile, the air service is facing a serious delay with something that should be far less complicated or complex to produce – its physical training (PT) uniforms.
According to reports last week, the PT gear won’t be widely available until November, the service has confirmed. It was in April that the Air Force announced that the PT uniforms were going to be available in July at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores, but summer came and went and stocks didn’t hit the shelves.
Delay Explained – Blame COVID
This isn’t the first time the arrival of the uniforms has been pushed back. The PT kits were slated to arrive in 2022, but the program hit a “snag” due to fabric shortages brought on by the global supply chain woes that began during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
It appeared the uniforms would be on track for delivery this spring, but there was a color-matching problem between the running and all-purpose shorts. The Air Force – like all branches of the military – requires true “uniformity” in its uniforms, so the delivery was pushed back to the summer. It will be November before the PT uniforms finally begin to arrive.
“The fielding of a new uniform required time for mandatory government sources to find, and collaborate with, domestic fabric manufacturers to meet the technical requirements of the PT uniform materials,” an Air Force spokesperson told the Air Force Times in a statement. “That process took longer than expected.”
First Update in Decades
It should be noted that much like the B-21 Raider, the first bomber to be introduced in nearly a generation; the PT uniforms have been a long time in coming. The Physical Training Gear (PTG) uniform was first unveiled in March 2021.
It was the first update to the PT uniform in more than 16 years and was only finalized after more than 150 Airmen participated in its testing. It would be wrong to just suggest it is a pair of sweats and shorts.
“Our main requirement (from Air Force leaders) was to develop a PT uniform that people really wanted to wear and is as good as, if not better than, commercially available athletic wear,” explained Tracy Roan, chief of the Air Force Uniform Office which is aligned under the Agile Combat Support Directorate’s Human Systems Division, in 2021 when the uniforms were announced. “The new uniform now includes all of the great performance features that you find in athletic wear today.”
Advanced PT Uniform Gear
What is also notable about the new PTG is that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
“In the past, there was one uniform for all athletic pursuits, whether you were running, playing basketball or lifting weights,” added Col. Paul Burger, 88th Air Base Wing Mission Support Group commander, one of the test participants and an official with the Air Force Marathon. “The approach the Air Force has now taken, is to develop a uniform that is earmarked for runners or running and one that is better designed for some of those other athletic activities.”
The PT uniforms consist of a tracksuit, a slimmer jacket that was designed to reduce noise during physical activity, and a pair of “breathable, moisture-wicking running shorts.” Also included is a pair of longer shorts that include a pocket, long- and short-sleeve T-shirts that also feature moisture-wicking material and two sweatshirt options with both a hoodie and crewneck.
Aesthetically the uniforms were designed to look almost identical to the previous version, but with a specific change. Unlike the previous unisex version, the new PTG is available in men’s and women’s sizes.
Despite the delays, the new uniform is still set to arrive before Airmen will be required to wear it during physical training beginning in 2026. Though the PT uniforms have yet to hit the Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores, in July, the Air Force began to provide the short-sleeve shirt, running shorts, and all-purpose shorts and tracksuit to new recruits in basic training.
