The titanium evolution of the NovaSteel™ platform delivers rated 9mm protection at 920 grams all-in, low backface deformation, edge-to-edge coverage, and an indefinite shelf life at roughly a quarter the price of premium polyethylene helmets.

Denison, TX. (July 2026) – Adept Armor, pioneers in next-gen protective solutions, today announce the launch of the Nova Titanium™ Combat Helmet, a high-cut ballistic helmet drawn from a single continuous shell of the company’s proprietary 260LC™ toughened titanium. At 920 grams (2.0 lbs.) all-in in size L/XL (shell, pads, retention, and standard hardware included), Nova Titanium delivers the protection and durability of a metal helmet at a weight previously reserved for premium composite helmets, and within an ounce of a non-ballistic bump helmet.

The launch marks a deliberate challenge to the premium polyethylene (PE) helmet category, which has defined lightweight ballistic head protection for the better part of a decade. Adept’s argument is direct: a formed titanium shell can match the weight of the lightest elite PE helmets while beating them on backface deformation, damage tolerance, environmental durability, and service life at a fraction of the price. Nova Titanium is the titanium evolution of Adept’s established NovaSteel™ metal-helmet line and is fully compatible with the entire NovaSteel accessory ecosystem.

The core achievement is weight. A metal ballistic helmet has historically meant a heavy one. 260LC, Adept’s proprietary titanium armor alloy, was engineered to combine two properties that normally pull against each other, helmet-scale formability and ballistic toughness, allowing a continuous combat-profile shell to be drawn from solid titanium with no resin matrix holding the ballistic structure together.

At 920 grams all-in (L/XL), Nova Titanium sits at or below the published complete-system weights of the lightest premium PE helmets, including the Team Wendy EXFIL Ballistic SL (1.01–1.05 kg), Ops-Core FAST SF (1.06 kg), MTEK FLUX Ballistic (1.0 kg), and Galvion Caiman Ballistic (1.13–1.23 kg), and within roughly 30 grams (one ounce) of the non-ballistic Ops-Core FAST Bump XL. In short: near-bump-helmet weight, with real rated 9mm protection, at the weight of helmets costing three to four times as much. The helmet ships in M and L/XL in a high-cut profile sized to clear modern hearing protection.

Nova Titanium is rated to stop 9mm FMJ at 400 m/s, or 1,312 ft/s, with low backface deformation. NIJ 0106.01, the only NIJ standard written specifically for ballistic helmets, contains no “Level IIIA”; helmets marketed as “NIJ IIIA” generally borrow terminology from body armor standards or material-level test conventions. In practice, most premium PE helmets publish their actual 9mm data at 364–365 m/s (1,195 ft/s) under modified military protocols, sometimes with relaxed deformation allowances of up to 29mm. Nova Titanium’s 400 m/s rating is roughly 10 percent higher in velocity and about 21 percent higher in projectile energy than that published test point, with BFD usually in the single digits.

Because the shell is solid metal, not a resin stack, Nova Titanium offers continuous protective coverage to the rim; no unprotected edge band, no composite-style weak zone where the ballistic material can fold over upon impact. Titanium does not delaminate: a strike may leave a visible mark, but it does not create an invisible laminate failure plane, so damage can be seen and evaluated in the field, and multi-hit durability holds up.

That same metal construction gives the shell an indefinite service life. Where premium composite helmets carry a five-year clock, resin ages, laminates can hide post-impact damage, and shells generally aren’t certified past five years, titanium does not rust, delaminate, or degrade under ordinary UV, solvents, sweat, rain, seawater, or temperature swings. Pads and soft goods are replaceable wear items; the shell endures for decades. For procurement buyers, that reframes the helmet as a total-cost-of-ownership decision rather than a recurring replacement line item.

Nova Titanium is built around the complete NovaSteel accessory ecosystem, so every module carries across the line: the Combat Circlet (NVG shroud and rails mounted through existing retention holes; no new holes drilled), the Ballistic Mandible and Gen 2 flip mandible and face shield sets, the helmet tail for nape protection, NVG shroud and rails, and a forthcoming blast liner. Accessories bought for a NovaSteel helmet transfer directly to Nova Titanium.

Where premium PE ballistic helmets typically retail for $1,400 to $2,100, Nova Titanium is $390, roughly a quarter to a fifth of premium PE pricing. Adept’s position is that the high cost of lightweight ballistic head protection has been a primary barrier keeping helmets off the heads of the officers and operators most likely to need them.

“For years, buyers have been handed a false choice,” said Jake Ganor, Founder of Adept Armor. “Either a light helmet that’s expensive, soft-shelled, and expires in five years, or a tough metal helmet that’s heavier than the most modern composite options. Nova Titanium refuses that trade: A true metal helmet, drawn from one continuous titanium shell, that weighs what the best composite helmets weigh, deforms less under a hit, covers edge to edge, and doesn’t carry a best-before date. This is by far the lightest metal helmet we’ve ever built, at a price that finally puts hard-shell head protection within the reach of the people.”

Nova Titanium arrives as law enforcement head protection is being rethought. The DEA-FBI Ballistic Helmet Protocol of 2024 reframed the police helmet as a complete system built around pistol-caliber threats, exposing the real barriers to wider adoption: weight, price, backface deformation, and service life. Nova Titanium is engineered to address all four at once and to serve military, tactical, and prepared-civilian users for whom the same trade-offs apply.

The Nova Titanium Combat Helmet is now available worldwide to commercial, law enforcement, military, and tactical buyers at http://www.ade.pt and through Adept Armor’s sales channels. An independent ballistic resistance test report is available on request.

Nova Titanium Combat Helmet Specifications:

Weight: 920 g (2.0 lbs.) all in, size L/XL

Shell Material: 260LC proprietary toughened titanium armor alloy

Ballistic Rating: 9mm FMJ at 400 m/s (1,312 ft/s), low backface deformation

Cut: High-cut, headset-compatible, accessory-ready

Coverage: Full edge-to-edge metal protection to the rim

Size: M and L/XL

Color: Black, Green, Raw Titanium

Service Life: Indefinite titanium shell service life; pads and soft goods replaceable

Compatibility: Full NovaSteel accessory ecosystem: Combat Circlet, ballistic mandible, Gen 2 flip mandible and face shield sets, helmet tail, NVG shroud, rails, and blast liner. Future titanium accessories forthcoming.

Price: $390/helmet

For more information on Adept Armor, visit its websiteor follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

Galvion, a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative head systems, power and data management solutions, and integrated soldier systems, will showcase the continued evolution of its Cortex™ architecture at Eurosatory 2026 (Hall 5A, Booth G391), featuring the introduction of the HALO configuration for its Cortex EVO™ system.

First introduced at SOF Week 2025 as a new category of intelligent, headborne systems, Cortex established a framework for integrating power, data and processing at the operator level. Earlier this year, Galvion introduced Cortex EVO™, a deeply integrated architecture that combines protection, power, data and compute within a unified headborne system. At Eurosatory 2026, Galvion is expanding that architecture with the introduction of its HALO configuration—an externally mounted implementation designed to bring advanced headborne capabilities to both new and fielded helmet platforms. Together, the Embedded and HALO configurations provide a common Cortex EVO architecture, enabling users to access the same core capabilities through implementation approaches aligned with their operational requirements, procurement strategies and lifecycle objectives.

Initially available for Galvion’s Batlskin Caiman® helmet system, with planned expansion to the Hellbender™ platform, the EVO HALO configuration provides a flexible implementation pathway that can be delivered as part of new helmet systems or integrated onto fielded helmets through upgrade and modernization programs. This approach provides a flexible, cost-effective route for organizations seeking to introduce advanced digital capabilities while leveraging established support, maintenance and sustainment infrastructure.

Central to the Cortex EVO system is Galvion’s AlertCentr™ software, which enables mission-relevant data to be delivered and managed at the headborne level. Integrated within TAK-based environments, AlertCentr supports configurable visual and audio cueing, allowing operators to access and act on critical information without diverting attention to secondary devices.

The systems demonstrated at Eurosatory incorporate multiple capability elements within the Cortex architecture, including:

• Visual augmentation: TAK video, sensor feeds and navigation integrations

• Sensing and awareness: Detection and identification capabilities supporting enhanced threat awareness

• Audio and communication: Digital headset integration enabling configurable alerts and system-level interaction

• Power and data infrastructure: A unified architecture enabling scalable subsystem integration

These capabilities are enabled through an open architecture approach, allowing both Galvion-developed and third-party technologies to operate within a single system environment 1″Cortex EVO reflects years of investment, and demonstrates how multiple sensing, visualization, communication and awareness capabilities can operate within a unified headborne architecture,” said Jonathan Blanshay, Founder and Executive Chairman of Galvion. “Rather than focusing solely on externally mounted components, we challenged our teams to rethink the system from the inside out. By pursuing a purpose-built integrated architecture, we were forced to solve more difficult challenges around size, weight, power management, connectivity and overall user experience, ultimately creating a more capable and scalable foundation. The HALO configuration extends the benefits of Cortex EVO across both new programs and fielded Galvion helmet fleets.” He added: “Our customers have invested heavily in helmet systems and supporting infrastructure over many years. Combined with our growing manufacturing, maintenance and refurbishment capabilities in Europe, the EVO HALO configuration allows our customers to build on those investments while introducing the technologies that are increasingly shaping survivability, situational awareness and mission effectiveness on today’s battlefield.”