Compact life vest : RAN Boarding Party

Grey canvas compact life preserving vest with black nylon webbing harness. The outer section of the vest comprises a narrow (10 cm wide) grey canvas collar with a black nylon webbing waist strap. The strap is adjustable by a black plastic sliding buckle and fastened by a black plastic 'Fastex' clip. Attached to the rear of this strap by a loop is a vertical strap which joins the rear of the collar via another 'Fastex' clip, and is also adjustable for length with a sliding buckle. The entire outside seam of the collar is of Velcro, which can be pulled apart to expose the inner yellow nylon life vest. The vest is attached to the collar by a pair of shackles at the bottom seams, and is sewn directly to the vertical strap at the back of the neck. An alloy inflation bottle, impressed with the markings 'NTG/JPN NW33GCO2 2000 - 12 GW144.5G' is screwed into a plastic receiver on the right hand waist. A red plastic handle bearing the words 'JERK TO INFLATE', is attached to the receiver and emerges from between the layers of Velcro. Markings on the vest read 'WARNING-FIT ONLY 33 GRM CYLINDER', 'PULL TOGGLE TO INFLATE', 'SOS MARINE Sydney Australia TYPE SOS9939 PFD TYPE 1 SERIAL No 440022 Date 09 JUN 2001', 'MOUTH INFLATION TUBE' and 'WARNING DO NOT ORALLY INFLATE UNLESS TOGGLE HAS BEEN OPERATED - JACKET MAY BURST'. There are six reflective plastic panels spaced evenly around the vest, an orange plastic whistle on the right hand chest and a black rubber inflation tube on the left. Also on the left is a blue plastic light with a red fabric toggle which reads 'LIGHT OPERATES AUTOMATICALLY IN WATER - TURN ANTI-CLOCKWISE FOR OFF. DO NOT LIGHT UNTIL DARK'.

Compact expanding life vest issued to Royal Australian Navy Boarding Parties during the war on Iraq.