Recently, Revision was awarded a three-year contract with the U.S. Army’s Natick Labs Soldier Systems Center worth $1,990,340 to develop a next generation helmet. Although you probably consider Revision just an eye pro company, they have been hard at work developing other protective products. For example, take the Eye Shield and Maxillo Facial Protection they showed at the 2009 AUSA conference.
According to a press release from the office of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), “The new helmet will integrate both ballistic impact protection and blast protection from rotational forces that are believed to contribute to the relatively high number of brain injuries suffered by soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The helmet will have built-in communications systems, include enhanced chemical protection for the wearer, and will integrate a protection for the jaw and lower face.”
Tags: Revision Military
Sooooo, they went down to the local motorcycle place, grabbed a helmet, added some kevlar, painted it camo, and charged… HOW MUCH!?!?!?
Those are clearly all add-ons and according to the article the photo is from 2009. I’d imagine they’ve come a ways in 2 years. Since you can’t read or see it might be best to not say anything either.
Protecting the face and eyes is certainly an area worthy of R and D. The problems I would anticipate are overheating and fogging on any integrated eye protection and situational awareness with more stuff around the front.
I’m a biker so I’m familiar with these issues. I can never close my visor completely or it fogs and I have to lift it any time I stop. I also would not appreciate the tunnel vision you get in a m/c helmet in combat. It’s bad enough already if you need to look up.
Revison bought this modular helmet design from Pacific Safety Products lock stock and barrel…except of course for the designers who developed it, they’re still at PSP.
All the helmet pictured is meant to do is inspire others and show of work. It is just like any number of the fancy concept cars that show up on front pages of magazines and blogs like SS. These prototype releases are mostly meant to show off the cutting edge designs and concepts that designers and engineers are working on.
Its great that the visor doffs up.. perfect for NVDS.. 🙁
Materials, processes and technology is out there for dealing with balllistics, optics, comms and temperature management. There are 50% solutions out there from different industries but what is needed is integration of all that knowledge into something that supports the warfighter.
I challenge anyone who’s ever worn a ballistic helmet and CBR protective mask together for any length of time–or gotten his bell rung on a jump–or by an IED–to say that all the research that needs to be done has been done. The ACH is a refinement of a 30-year-old design that does a really good job protecting the head from kinetic impacts–and channeling explosive forces for maximum TBI.
Having been to all 3 of those rodeos I say that $2 MIL over 3 years is a good investment. Whether a deployable product comes out at the end of that pipeline is more about what’s going on on the green suit side of the table than the white labcoat side.
KDH designed that stupid plate carrier, but someone from the Army said, “Yeah, that’s TOTALLY ready for use in combat.”
Straps – your comments dead on.
Stuart – your comment are very relevant to some of the challeges needed to be over come.
To all the other arm chair quarterbacks out there, that’s just what you are. You obviously don’t have a clue.
No, I don’t work for Revision or any subcontractor of Revision or affiliated with Revision in any way.
“Whether a deployable product comes out at the end of that pipeline is more about what’s going on on the green suit side of the table than the white labcoat side.”
Yup.
@ Drill…would it me awesome for airsoft or when I’m playing call of duty with you on xbox ? I know how you hate when you get hit with them BBs in the face!! It freakin stings!!
*be awesome….sorry, I’m in the middle of fixing up my new $500 plate carrier in ATACs……do you happen to know if they make this helmet in ATACs? Multicam is soooo 2010
You can be a **** about airsoft all you want but those people are most of the time very respectfull about the work we do, sometimes a bit naïve but always supportive and positive. Plus those guys bying $500 platecarriers makes the market for these products less dependant of goverment contacts.
@strap: I hate how officers who never leave their office sign the contracts for new gear, often more in the intrest of local economy than in the intrest of the end user.
I’m exited about this: “…built-in communications systems, include enhanced chemical protection,..etc”
Hope to see some new photos in the future!
The way I’ve seen the joes treating their helmets they better make this thing durable, especially the eye shield.
[…] other day we told you about a new helmet under development for the US Army by Revision Military. Now, we know the internal development has been under the name Batlskinâ„¢ at Revision’s […]
@mardesign… fat chance.