The Composites and Defence Systems business of Morgan Advanced Materials has been awarded the Canadian CM735 Combat Helmet contract. The improved helmet features an innovative ultra-lightweight hybrid composite structure, the result of more than three years of materials research and development and achieves outstanding ballistic performance at an extraordinarily low weight. Morgan’s extensive capabilities have supplied over one million combat helmets as part of the company’s LASA (Lightweight Armored Soldier Architecture) line of products.
Constructed using world leading lightweight composite materials, Morgan’s hybrid composite helmet technology delivers outstanding helmet performance for fragmentation and ballistic protection with improved structural integrity while providing high levels of flame resistance.
The helmet also features Morgan’s latest ballistic and fragment composite technology, which helps to avoid severe injury from back face deformation and dynamic impact to the user’s head when the shell is hit by fragments.
Morgan’s new CM735 Canadian shell provides very high levels of ballistic performance with weight savings of approximately 23 percent over the existing CG634 shell with a weight of less than 920 grams (32 ounces).
“Morgan is honoured to be providing the Canadian Forces with their next generation lightweight ballistic helmet,” said Composites and Defence Systems North America Business Manager James Kempston. “Morgan’s CM735 solution uses the latest composite technology, providing increased protection for substantially less weight. With nearly 25 percent weight reduction it is truly a game changing helmet in an environment where reduced burden is directly related to increased user performance and decreased fatigue.”
www.morganadvancedmaterials.com
Quite suprising, I thought the Revision will be the choice.
That’s the word in the street was.
Surprised here as well.
Maybe it was a compromise where Revision got the new armour plate contract and Morgan got the helmet contract.
Interesting that Canada opted for the approximately 10% greater area of protection afforded by a design similar to the old US PASGT (aka “Kevlar”), as opposed to the current US Army helmets, with their exposed-ear profile. I tend to think that is a good thing.
And they still have a 23% weight savings.
Boots that last a B.F.T would be nice first
I’ve been watching the development of this new helmet with keen interest.
Our soon-to-be phased-out helmet(the Gallet CG634, made by GSI – Gallet Sécurité Internationale in Saint-Romuald, Quebec) was a decent enough Spectra-Kevlar helmet but it’s heavy and in spite of it’s four-point helmet strap system, wasn’t completely stable(with NVG kit attached). This new helmet has addressed the ‘weight’ issue as well as having increased Ballistic protection. According to a couple of people I’ve talked to, it’s much more stable with NVG kit on it… Yet another reason to be proud of being Canadian!
Thank you for this post, SSD!!!
Not sure how proud you should be Morgan is not a Canadian company. I am not sure how the forces will feel about getting a lighter version of an awfully cumbersome shaped helmet. Typical Canadian defence procurement….”we think we have the best helmet in the world! Why should we look at other options when we can spend a fortune having a foreign company make a lighter version of a crappy helmet….”
I’ve never even heard or Morgan. I don’t understand how they arrived at this decision since the last news I had was that helmet modernisation was on hold.
Anyway, typical Canadian project: we have an opportunity to run a project that will result in adoption of cutting edge technologies and we choose to play it safe (likely cheapest). They certainly know that revision makes helmets…. In Montreal…
Reminds me of the new combat uniform.
Yesterdays technology tomorrow.
First time I heard of Morgan I was at CANSEC 2014. I dont remember them showcasing helmets there. I know they had a bunch of plates. They most likely had helmets there but I probably just glossed over them as they look “dated”.
I met them at DSEI.
Morgan’s primary business is raw materials for ceramic plates and other OEM armor…..
You’re almost right, Morgan is UK based, but does operate in Canada. As for the shape, the gov’t dictates that and it’s specifically different than the US helmets, because it has to do with impact protection of the head. The CG-634 and probably this new one, offer much better impact protection than any US helmet.
The CG-634 has never been a 4-point harness, it’s a 3-point (1 on each front side of an ear and 1 center back). The new helmets will not be any different, as this order is an Interim procurement of a lower weight shell with better performance, but with the exact same liner/suspension.