REVIEW: SPEAR ELCS Rig

Today we want to introduce a piece of US oldschool Gear from Spartanat, the SPEAR ELCS Rig. But before we go into the details, here are a few basics: SPEAR stands for Special Operations Forces Personal Equipment Advanced Requirement. This consisted of 9 parts, one of which was the BALCS (Body Armor/Load Carriage System), which was issued to US Special Operations in the 90s as a three-piece set. It consisted of Body Armor, Rig, and MOLLE pouches, with the latter two referred to as ELCS, which stands for Equipment Load Carrying Subsystem. Versions were made in the Woodland pattern shown here as well as in 3-Color-Desert.

The Rig is based, as mentioned earlier, on the MOLLE system, which allowed the SF Operator for the first time to place his pouches where he wanted them without using a sewing machine, and for every mission. On the back, there was a large MOLLE area where you could attach not only radios but also the emerging hydration bladders at that time.

On the front, the Rig has two large mesh areas with angled MOLLE loops. This arrangement can be traced back to the classic vest that was in use back then, with the M-16 pouches also angled to facilitate drawing with the opposite hand.

Each of the two MOLLE mesh panels has an integrated pocket where you can store maps or similarly flat items. The two buckles in front allow for easy putting on and taking off. By the way, the Rig was manufactured by Safariland, who have since mainly specialized in holsters and body armor.

The belt of the ELCS consists of a basic system with a loop on each side at the front, allowing it to be adjusted very well to the body circumference. This way, the Rig can be worn so that the weight carried on the belt mainly rests on the hips, relieving the shoulders.

At the beginning of the Afghanistan deployment, the Desert version of the Rig was frequently used by ODAs.

Replicas are available from companies like G&P, while the original can often be found on eBay.

More about SPEAR ELCS: For the article on the gear change in the US Army Special Forces, click here: Part 1 and Part 2.