CARBONDALE, PA February 10, 2021 – Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced that one of its Ops-Core® FAST Helmet Systems passed U.S. Government First Article Testing (FAT), a first for a helmet providing protection against a prevalent higher level threat.
The helmet utilizes the most advanced protective shell ever produced by Gentex, providing a level of protection that could previously only be achieved with the addition of a ballistic applique. The FAST Helmet System features the same total headborne system solutions as the Ops-Core FAST SF Helmet, the preferred helmet of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), global special operations forces, and elite law enforcement. Maintaining the Ops-Core modular design approach, it is compatible with products including the STEP-IN® Visor, AMP® Communication Headset, and FAST ballistic mandibles.
“For over 75 years, Gentex has built a proud history of protective headborne system innovations and a series of firsts,” said LP Frieder, Chief Executive Officer at Gentex Corporation. “With this significant achievement, we are proud to continue leading the way in ballistic protection solutions.”
Since the introduction of the first aramid-based PASGT helmet in the late 1970s to the first ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) FAST XP helmet in 2008, Gentex has been on the forefront of ballistic innovation for over 50 years. Part of Gentex Corporation’s portfolio for defense, emergency response, and security forces, the focus and dedication of the company’s Ops-Core brand remains the same – protecting elite forces. The modular, scalable, open-architecture design of Ops-Core products allows for seamless integration and true system level performance.