A product of A7 Helmet Systems, the Black Eagle Suspension Systems is designed to fit ACH, ECH, PASGT, and LWMH geometries. The suspension system has been tested by accredited testing facilities. It relies on their Dynamic Suspension Technology to not only provide stability when the helmet is worn, but also when accessories are added to the helmet such as lights, cameras and NVGs which often cause the helmet to ‘sink’ on the head. Additionally, it allows the pad to be thicker in key areas WITHOUT changing the size or requiring the wearer to move up in helmet size. Another piece to their solution is the C.L.A.W. (Comfort Liner All Weather) which is a soft but highly durable combination of comfort liner and sweatband. Finally, the Black Eagle contacts 96% of the interior of the helmet. This not only helps spread the weight of the helmet across a greater are to help eliminate hot spots but there are also fewer gaps that can lead to blunt trauma and traumatic brain injuries from back face deformation.
System attributes –
-One piece with high performance moisture wicking covering
-Testing has shown that the Black Eagle decreases Back Face Deformation (BFD) up to 25% more than current pad systems which is a much needed advantage in not just the ACH but especially the ECH program. Further, the Black Eagle does not “explode” on impact like current pad systems during ballistic testing both with 5.56 and 7.62
-Lightweight
-Full coverage inside the helmet
-Evenly distributes the weight of the helmet over the entire head
-Materials used do not rot and are chemically resistant. The materials are resistant to perspiration, salt water, and petrol chemicals
-No compression set. The materials used do not compress over time like current suspension pads thus they will not sink down. This allows the helmet to be more stable by itself and in conjunction with NVGs. It is also has more “mobile stability” meaning less movement of the helmet when going prone or with rapid movement
-Fully machine washable—air dry
Tags: A7 Helmet Systems
And yet, when you wear Peltors on target your head is going to be smashed for hours on end with no way to remove the pads. Pass.
I did not see a purchase option on their site. Who sells these?
There are other options on their site that appear to allow for the use of advanced ear-pro. Never tried them, but I wouldn’t count such a thing out just yet.
I would like to see actual test data supervised by a government agency that shows a 25% reduction in BFD. This would be a significant breakthrough if true. I am always hesitant when I read things like “accredited testing facility”. This can simply mean the vendor took the item to a lab like HP WHite and tested it on their own dime. What round was used, what grain, what velocity, what distance, what obliquity? These are things that need to be shown before we can say it reduces BFD by 25%. Not being a hater, If this is true we need to get these on every soldier out there, but would like to see that someone other than the vendor tested it.
Just something else for the Big Army to ban/not ban/de-authorize/whatever. They already have a notice out about using non-nsn parts on the ACH. If your private, LE, or mil-sim then you might like it, but for military are options are getting smaller and smaller
Looks like a well thought out piece of gear. The pads we have to use now are pretty crappy and get pretty nasty after a short while. The helmet def sinks down after awhile with the multipads especially when it’s hot. I say they deserve a closer look.