Marines Corps Looking for Industry Input on Next-Generation Hearing System

On September 6 the U.S. Marine Corps released a request for information (RFI) for industry input to identify potential sources for a suite of hearing enhancement devices. The service is looking for a next-generation hearing system that will protect Marines’ hearing while increasing their situational awareness in a variety of training and combat environments, the service reported. The Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) will spearhead the effort and assess possible systems for compatibility with existing Marine Corps radios and the Marine Corps Enhanced Combat Helmet, known as ECH. Any system would also be used with the current Combat Arms Earplugs that Marines wear. The next generation hearing technology must also protect Marines' hearing from any new weapon systems fielded in the future.

The systems "could be be circumaural or intra-aural but must include versions that are both communications enabled and versions that are not communications enabled," the service stated. 

MCSC's Program Manager Infantry Combat Equipment (PM ICE) division is looking to purchase between 7,000 and 65,000 hearing enhancement devices within the next three years. ​"We want to make sure the headset we acquire is rugged and capable of operating in a wide range of environments a Marine might encounter, from cold weather to extreme heat," said Steven Fontenot, project officer for Hearing, Eye Protection and Loadbearing Equipment in PM ICE at MCSC.​

For more information, interested companies should look to the posted RFI: https://go.usa.gov/xPxvE.