Poland’s Direct Action Unveils New Combat Gear and Medical Systems to Boost Soldier Survivability.

Polish tactical equipment manufacturer Direct Action is expanding its soldier equipment range with new combat clothing, body armor accessories, medical gear and casualty-evacuation systems designed to improve endurance and mobility in the field. Speaking with Army Recognition, company industrial expert Amadeusz “Iron” Szyszka said the latest developments focus on protecting troops from harsh conditions without slowing access to weapons, ammunition or life-saving equipment.

The new equipment spans the Vanguard combat clothing family, Spitfire plate carrier line and medical solutions for treating and evacuating casualties. Together, these systems reflect a broader battlefield requirement for lighter, adaptable soldier equipment that improves survivability while keeping essential combat and medical gear immediately accessible.

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Polish company Direct Action manufactures and provides a full range of individual combat gear for soldiers and special operations forces, including tactical clothing, plate carriers, medical equipment and casualty-evacuation solutions designed to improve protection, mobility and battlefield effectiveness. (Source picture: Wikimedia)

A major part of this expansion concerns the Vanguard clothing system, which Direct Action is developing as a complete set of garments for field, combat and adverse-weather conditions. Szyszka presented a lightweight winter jacket designed to pack into one of its own pockets, allowing soldiers to carry it permanently without occupying significant space in a backpack. The company is also adding a Vanguard field shirt for situations where a conventional combat shirt is less suitable, together with an insulated mid-layer intended to provide protection against wind and cold while remaining compatible with plate carriers, chest rigs, holsters and magazine pouches.

The emphasis on compatibility with combat equipment is central to the design of the new clothing range. According to Szyszka, the insulated jacket can be worn in several configurations, including partially opened along the sides so that the operator retains access to a pistol, magazines or equipment mounted on a plate carrier while still receiving thermal protection. Direct Action is applying the same principle to its waterproof outer layer, which incorporates a helmet-compatible hood, ventilation openings and side access that can be opened rapidly when a soldier needs to transition from protection against rain and wind to immediate combat action. This type of configuration is particularly relevant for dismounted infantry and special operations personnel, who may need to move for extended periods in poor weather before entering a close-range engagement.

Army Recognition interviews Poland’s Direct Action to discover its latest individual combat gear for soldiers and special operations forces. Amadeusz “Iron” Szyszka presents the Vanguard clothing system, Spitfire plate carrier upgrades, compact medical equipment, assault backpacks, casualty evacuation solutions and other mission-focused gear designed to improve mobility, protection, accessibility and battlefield survivability.

Direct Action is also updating its Spitfire plate carrier system to meet requirements identified by Polish special operations users. The modified configuration incorporates quick-release buckles on the sides and shoulders, giving the wearer several ways to open or remove the carrier depending on the tactical or medical situation. Rapidly releasing body armor can matter during emergency casualty treatment, water operations, or vehicle extraction, while modular front panels, cummerbunds, and rear attachments let soldiers configure ammunition, communications equipment, and mission-specific accessories to their role.

Medical equipment forms another major element of the company’s current development work. Direct Action presented a compact medical pouch designed for medics who need additional trauma supplies without placing a bulky package on the front of their body armor, where it could interfere with rifle magazines or restrict movement in confined spaces. The pouch includes storage for gloves, casualty documentation and configurable internal organizers, allowing the user to arrange supplies according to treatment sequence and personal preference. For larger medical loads, the company developed a compact assault medical backpack that opens flat, includes stiffeners and internal compartments, and is configured to support rapid access to trauma equipment during high-intensity operations.

The medical backpack is intended to remain small enough for assault missions while still carrying the equipment required for immediate battlefield treatment. Szyszka demonstrated removable compartments that can be handed to another medic during casualty care, as well as storage for items such as oxygen or fluid containers. The pack can also be attached directly to the rear of a plate carrier, allowing it to function as a medical back panel and reducing the need for additional shoulder straps. This configuration helps keep the medic’s load close to the body and limits unnecessary movement during rapid dismounted operations.

Direct Action is extending the same compact philosophy to casualty evacuation equipment. One pouch carries up to 6.5 meters of evacuation line that can be deployed quickly with a carabiner, while another can accommodate a lightweight combat stretcher designed to move a fully equipped casualty from a dangerous area. Such equipment is particularly valuable during the first phase of casualty extraction, when wounded personnel must be removed from direct fire, collapsed structures or confined urban terrain before a conventional evacuation team can reach them. The stretcher can also be used for sensitive-site exploitation or to move equipment, increasing its utility without significantly increasing the soldier’s carried load.

The company also presented a modular knife-mounting panel designed to make better use of limited space around a soldier’s load-bearing equipment. The attachment lets the operator position a knife as preferred and access it from either side, addressing the broader challenge of arranging weapons, magazines, communications equipment, and tools on increasingly crowded body armor. While this is a comparatively small component, it reflects Direct Action’s wider approach of adapting individual equipment around accessibility and user configuration rather than imposing a single fixed layout.

The significance of Direct Action’s current expansion lies in integrating these elements into a more coherent individual combat system. Modern soldiers increasingly carry ballistic protection, ammunition, radios, batteries, medical supplies, and specialist equipment, leaving little tolerance for clothing or accessories that restrict access or add unnecessary bulk. By designing garments that work with body armor, plate carriers that can be rapidly reconfigured, and medical and evacuation equipment that stays compact and immediately accessible, the Polish company is addressing the cumulative burden on infantry and special operations personnel during prolonged missions.

For armed forces operating in high-intensity environments, these improvements can directly affect combat endurance and survivability. Protection from cold, wind and rain helps preserve physical performance, while rapid access to weapons, ammunition and trauma equipment reduces reaction time at critical moments. Direct Action’s growing range therefore reflects a broader trend in soldier modernization, where effectiveness is increasingly determined not by a single piece of equipment but by how well clothing, protection, load carriage, medical support and evacuation tools work together under battlefield conditions.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.