In 2015 the MoD placed a contract with Marlborough Communications Ltd for their Tactical In-Ear Protection Plugs (TIPPS), a small in ear protective device to reduce the risk of damage to a soldiers hearing by loud noises. At the time the company’s press release explained:
The low profile design is comfortable to use and fits under communications headsets, helmets or ear protectors. Essential to the design is the open air passage through the earpiece, which reduces irritation and heat build up within the ear canal. TIPPS offer dual mode passive hearing protection, against continuous noise in the closed mode (25 dB SNR), such as for use in personnel carriers and aircraft engines. In the switchable open mode they guard against impulse noise, such as rapid arms fire or artillery bombardment. In open mode CE certified attenuation is 15 dB SNR, as impulse noise rises to 168 dB TIPPS has ANSI IPIL certified attenuation of 33 dB, equivalent to a full block.
Ready to wear out of the box, with no forming required, TIPPS tips are available in four sizes each having three soft curved flanges and manufactured in medical grade thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The design helps position the plug correctly within the ear and provides stability and increased retention during extended periods of wear and physical exertion.
The ear plugs come in a pair and are made of a tan-brown plastic with a plastic cord attaching them together so they are less likely to get lost:
The ear plugs were issued in a small black plastic pouch with an opening on the top that is opened by squeezing the sides of the pouch. The front has the company’s logo:
The rear has the sizing of the ear plugs marked:
The ear plugs came with a detailed two sided set of instructions:
Tales from the Supply Depot 
Wish we’d had those when I was in, I might not have raging tinnitus now š¦
I wore similar looking plugs without the switch part and the cup ear defenders whenever I was on the line, firing or flight, but I couldn’t wear them in my office and Aircraft taxiied by constantly since it was on the ground floor corner right next to the ramp. Visiting F-16’s were by far the worst and I used to keep a pair of ear defenders on my desk just in case. The commercial ‘sionix’ ones I bought were better than issue ones, especially for shooting or blasting, but I had a habit of losing just one and they weren’t cheap.