Common man Marui and a few others have always come with them, its not a new thing. Quite sensible actually, I used to use a muzzle cover , chamber flag on my firearms.
In all fairness, as someone that first used load carrying equipment more than 40 years ago, even much of the budget stuff available to airsofters now is way better than the real steel kit we were issued.
Although looking at those militia, I think someone dressed them up for some kinda publicity pics, most of the kit is hanging on them, clearly not loaded or adjusted properly, if someone told them to run now, they'd probably sound like a bunch of morris dancers on speed
In all fairness, as someone that first used load carrying equipment more than 40 years ago, even much of the budget stuff available to airsofters now is way better than the real steel kit we were issued.
From experience with that particular chest rig in the picture I'd rather have a 60 year old chicom or even an ali express special than the one in the photo. To agree with your point though even my brother's issued LBE he gave me when he left the army was quite shit. But he's a cretin so I assumed he'd ruined it somehow