Tactical Gear for Southeast Asia: What We Learned at Asia Defense & Security 2025
In short: At Asia Defense & Security 2025 in Bangkok, Strike20 and its Thai partner GR Technical showed tactical gear built for the climate that breaks most uniforms: sustained heat, saturating humidity, and mosquito-borne disease as an operational threat. This article covers what Southeast Asian security forces actually asked for, how the MultiCam, EmberX and mosquito-repellent lines answer it, and what a distributor or procurement team should know about localised OEM supply.
Why Does Southeast Asia Break Ordinary Tactical Uniforms?
Three conditions, all at once. Heat that never fully breaks, so a uniform that traps sweat never dries. Humidity that slows evaporation, so even breathable fabric cools less than it would in a dry climate. And a vector threat — dengue, malaria, Zika — that removes personnel from duty as reliably as any injury. A uniform designed in a temperate country ignores all three. The conversations at the Bangkok expo, held at the IMPACT Exhibition Center with several hundred exhibitors and tens of thousands of defence and security professionals attending, kept returning to those same points.
What Did Strike20 Bring to the Expo?
The MultiCam SWAT uniform. Our GhostStrike MultiCam edition uses lightweight ripstop with reinforced high-wear areas, cut for breathability and quick drying. The MultiCam pattern earns its place in the region because it works across jungle, urban and mixed terrain without a pattern change — one uniform for a force that moves between all three.
The EmberX fire-resistant combat shirt. The EmberX combat shirt uses fabric with flame resistance verified via ASTM D6413/D6413M-15 vertical flame test by SGS, cut for mobility and ventilation so the protection stays on in heat rather than in the locker. We are precise about that claim: it is a documented fabric test, not a full garment certification, and the distinction is explained in our fire-resistant clothing guide.
Mosquito-repellent fabric treatment. Developed in response to direct feedback from Thai military users, this integrates a repellent treatment into the uniform fabric itself, designed to reduce bites during prolonged field operations without compromising breathability or comfort. Treated fabric of this kind is designed to retain effectiveness through repeated laundering; as with any treatment, following the care instructions preserves it, and procurement teams should request the treatment documentation for their own evaluation.
How Does Localised OEM Manufacturing Work?
The partnership with GR Technical exists so that a Thai or regional force does not have to accept a uniform designed for someone else's climate. Through OEM manufacturing we can adapt the base garments — targeted mosquito-repellent treatment, regional camouflage patterns, sizing for the local population, unit-specific pocket layouts — and deliver through a local partner who handles fitting, quality assurance and supply continuity. For procurement, that means shorter lead times on repeat orders and a single accountable contact in the region, rather than a shipment from across the world with no one to call.
What Should a Distributor or Procurement Team Ask Us?
The questions worth asking any supplier at an expo like this, and our answers to them: Which claims are documented? The EmberX fabric flame test is; the mosquito treatment's specifications are available on request; the MultiCam uniform's construction is described as what it is. What is the minimum order and lead time? That depends on customisation; a standard configuration is faster than a bespoke one, and we quote both. Who supports us locally? In Thailand, GR Technical. Elsewhere, our distributor programme is how that relationship starts.
Why Does an Expo Presence Matter for a Brand Like Ours?
Because tactical buyers do not trust a website. They trust what they can handle, put on, and interrogate in person — and the questions asked across a table in Bangkok are sharper than any online enquiry. Showing there was less about selling on the day than about learning what the region actually needs, and about being accountable in a room where the people who wear the gear can ask directly. The mosquito-repellent line exists because someone did exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the MultiCam uniform suitable for tropical climates?
It is built for them: lightweight ripstop, breathable construction, quick-drying, with reinforcement only where wear demands it.
Does the EmberX shirt have a full NFPA 2112 garment certification?
No. Its fabric has flame resistance verified via ASTM D6413/D6413M-15 vertical flame test by SGS — a documented fabric test, not a full garment certification. Ask us for the report.
Does the mosquito-repellent treatment survive washing?
It is designed to retain effectiveness through repeated laundering when care instructions are followed. Request the treatment documentation for your own evaluation.
Can uniforms be customised for our unit?
Yes — camouflage pattern, sizing, treatment and pocket layout can be adapted through OEM manufacturing. Lead time depends on the degree of customisation.
How do we become a regional partner?
Through our distributor programme, or by contacting us directly if you represent a force or agency.
Strike20 designs tactical clothing around documented material performance rather than invented ratings. Equipping a force in Southeast Asia? Talk to us.
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