This Arctic Canteen is a unique piece of U.S. Military Canteen history, recently uncovered and now available for addition to your collection. In 1988, development began on a new Canteen to replace the original double-walled steel U.S. cold weather canteen. This new design had a larger opening, which made it much easier to clear ice from the top of the water. It was also compatible with NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) systems, and could be safely used while wearing a gas mask equipped with drinking straw. But this new design faced two unexpected obstacles. First, the original contractor had difficulty getting a consistent weld across the body of the canteen. The design would end up needing minor revisions before work could proceed. Secondly, thanks to the fall of the Soviet Union (1991), demand for new NBC-compliant canteen systems was suddenly drastically reduced. A small supply (approx. 17,000) were reported to eventually be manufactured, but by the time they reached the hands of service members, canteens throughout the military had largely been replaced by hydration bladder systems. Double-walled interior keeps liquids from freezing at low temps Aluminum with steel liner Plastic cap with drink tube opening 1 quart capacity NSN: 8465-01-314-4284