Since the end of World War Two and the increasing threat of Nuclear,
Biological and Chemical [NBC] warfare during the Cold War, equipment
designers have focused on building NBC protection and decontamination
into the British soldier's webbing equipment. The capabilities of
1958-pattern webbing were known to be very poor, yet it was not until
the exposure of its shortcomings during the Falklands War of 1982 that a
suitable nylon-based load-carrying equipment was developed.