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Marine Corps Systems Command Awards Contract to Produce Enhanced Combat Helmet

Sunday, June 11th, 2017

Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. — Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded a $51 million contract to provide Enhanced Combat Helmets to every Marine – a move that will help keep Marines safe throughout training and deployments.

Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded a contract to provide Enhanced Combat Helmets to the fleet. The ECH exploits lightweight material technology to provide enhanced ballistic protection against select small arms and fragmentation. The helmet consists of a ballistic shell, suspension pads, and four-point retention system. In addition to the above components, a reversible helmet cover, night vision goggle bracket and attachment hardware will be provided for wear. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Isaac Ibarra)

Gentex Corporation, of Simpson, Pennsylvania, was selected to produce and deliver the helmets. Gentex was awarded a five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract.

Since 2014, Marines have only been issued the ECH when they prepare for deployment. This purchase will enable Marines to use the helmet during training as well, eliminating the need to trade helmets before and after deployments.

“Right now, we have three helmets fielded, but the future vision is a single helmet for all operating forces, which greatly simplifies logistics considerations and increases cost savings,” said Nick Pierce, team lead, Body Armor and Load Bearing Equipment.

Also used by the Army and Navy, the ECH provides the most ballistic protection beyond any other Department of Defense helmet. It exploits lightweight material technology to provide enhanced ballistic protection against select small arms and fragmentation. The helmet consists of a ballistic shell, suspension pads and four-point retention system. In addition to those components, a reversible helmet cover, night vision goggle bracket and attachment hardware will be provided for wear.

Helmets were tested as part of the source selection process in January 2017.

First Article Testing will begin in September 2017 and support delivery of the first order for 35,424 helmets. Fielding is scheduled for the spring of 2018 and will include I, II and III Marine Expeditionary Forces.

The ultimate future vision for the ECH is to safeguard Marines in training and deployments with one helmet, Pierce said.

“The ECH is the helmet of the future Marine,” said Maj. John Draper, ECH project officer. “It’s important for Marines to train with the same gear they will bring into combat.”

By Kaitlin Kelly, MCSC Office of Public Affairs and Communication | Marine Corps Systems Command |

Posted in Contracts, Helmets, MARCORSYSCOM | 2 Comments »

Rampart Range Day 2017 – Grey Ghost Gear

Wednesday, May 31st, 2017

You may not know this but Grey Ghost Gear has a Canadian subsidiary which had a full line of wares on display at Rampart Range Day.

One of the items was this new helmet cover. It will be offered in Black, Ranger Green and MuotiCam for the Ops-Core, Team Wendy and M-TEK helmets.

While the overall construction will look familiar as hybrid designs have become industry standard, this cover features a built in pocket at the rear for counterweights or other items.

http://www.greyghostgear.com

Tags: Grey Ghost Gear
Posted in Advertiser, Camo, Helmets | 3 Comments »

USSOCOM Issues Pre-Solicitation for SPEAR Family of Tactical Headborne Systems Coxswain Helmet

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) recently issued a pre-solicitation notice to industry pursuant to their requirement for a multi-year contract to procure Special Operations Forces Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) Family of Tactical Headborne Systems (FTHS)-Coxswain Helmet System. The Coxswain Helmet system is the most interesting helmet system from a technical standpoint and more closely resembles the recent Next Generation Helmet work done for SOF by Ops-Core and Revision. Although Ops-Core is keeping their’s under wraps, Revision recently released their candidate commercially, as the Batlskin Caiman Head System.

DoD Photo by MSG Timothy Lawn.

The coxswain helmet will consist of a non-ballistic helmet system with modular accessories which will consist of a visor, ballistic mandible, non-ballistic (i.e. impact) mandible, and two piece ballistic appliqué. Additionally, the helmets require a variety of VAS Shrouds, Helmet Covers, Accessory Rails, Pads, Exterior Velcro sets, and Peltor Adapters.

The helmets will be offered in five sizes in Tan, Neutral Grey, AOR 1, AOR 2 and MultiCam.

The government intends to award a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Firm Fixed Price (FFP) production contract for a fully developed item to the offeror with the best value to the Government. They are looking for Commercial-Off-The-Shelf items. The actual solicitation should be issued in June and the minimum contract value will be $150K and the maximum contract value will be $95M.

Because of the scalability of the Coxswain Helmet I wonder how long it will be before other SOF personnel want it instead of the standard SOCOM helmet already in solicitation.

For full details, visit www.fbo.gov.

Posted in Contracts, Helmets, PM-SOF, SOF | 14 Comments »

Introducing Revision’s Next-Generation Special Forces Helmet Suite: The Batlskin Caiman Head System

Tuesday, May 16th, 2017

Essex Junction, Vermont (May 15, 2017) – Designed and built in conjunction with Special Operations Forces (SOF) users, Revision Military’s new Caiman Head System reinforces the Company’s standing as the world leader in integrated head protection systems. The Caiman Head System is a true full-spectrum special operations helmet solution, and will be commercially available in stages, starting with the Caiman Carbon Bump Helmet System. The Caiman Carbon Bump System—including carbon bump helmet, a streamlined rail system, and an innovative liner and suspension system—will be available for sale at the end of July.

“This new head system, built from the ground up and tailored to the feedback and specialized needs of SOF users, epitomizes Revision’s forward-thinking, holistic mindset,” said Jonathan Blanshay, CEO, Revision Military. “Revision upended traditional helmet development for the Family of Tactical Headborne Systems (FTHS) project. The project management team put in untold legwork, going to great lengths to engage key SOF contacts and stakeholders directly, and absorbing unfiltered, informed feedback. This collaborative, iterative process allowed the team to eliminate guesswork and address SOF user demands in real time. Caiman is not a head system created in a vacuum; the contributions from SOF operators are undeniable.”

Optimized for coastal, riverine, maritime, high-altitude, freefall, and ground maneuvers, the Batlskin Caiman Helmet System is designed to withstand an extreme range of environmental conditions–—tropic or arctic, day or night, arid desert or open ocean, and beyond. Revision has also developed a new set of accessories that will enhance this cutting-edge, lightweight helmet for boat, vehicle, HALO/HAHO, mountain, river, and direct action missions. The Caiman system is the first carbon bump helmet in the industry that can be ballistically-enabled with add-on armor appliques for ballistic, blunt-force, blast-force, and fragmentation protection during specialized operations. Skeletonization of all system components has significantly reduced the overall weight, emphasizing scalability and versatility for highly dynamic and unpredictable situations.

Providing a unique combination of agility, protection, adaptability, and integration, the Caiman system is ideal for SOF global operators, as well as law enforcement, paramilitary, and peacekeeping forces the world over. Revision’s Batlskin Caiman suite also includes a Ballistic Helmet System, and both the Carbon Bump System and the Ballistic Head Protection System have a series of accessories and components for mission-specific modularity. In total, the Caiman suite emphasizes scalability for use in a wide variety of specialized maneuvers. To give significance to the many facets of the full Caiman Head System, the suite will be rolled out in several phases. The Caiman Ballistic System and additional Caiman accessories will be available commercially in subsequent product rollout campaigns later this year and early in 2018.

www.revisionmilitary.com

Tags: Revision
Posted in Helmets, Press Release, SOFIC | 5 Comments »

Revision Showcases FTHS Special Forces Head Systems At SOFIC

Tuesday, May 16th, 2017

Essex Junction, Vermont (May 15, 2017) – After a rigorous and collaborative development process, Revision Military, the world leader in integrated head systems, will showcase the Company’s new Special Forces helmet systems at the 2017 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida on May 16th. Revision’s Special Forces helmet solutions were developed for SOCOM’s highly anticipated Family of Tactical Headborne Systems (FTHS) program, a solicitation that is primed to define Special Operations Forces (SOF) head protection for the foreseeable future.

“True to form, Revision took this generative, ground up process to the extreme, setting ambitious goals for performance and innovation while working on a narrow timeline,” said Jonathan Blanshay, CEO, Revision Military. “The scope and creative latitude of this program fit well with Revision’s capabilities and reputation for sweeping innovation. Revision invested heavily in this project—in time, personnel, and financial capital—and, in parallel, we significantly strengthened our manufacturing—adding several million dollars of new equipment and expanding our principal helmet manufacturing facility—modernizing our operations and increasing capacity to support this program simultaneously. In this process, Revision brought a wide-range of SOF users to the table. Special Forces operators can feel real ownership of the end-product, knowing that their demands were addressed and readdressed continuously. We are genuinely excited to unleash the full scope of our vision for the future of Special Forces head protection.”

Revision’s SOF helmet suite addresses SOCOM’s technical challenges head on: optimized weight, protection, and mobility indices and system component integration. Revision has developed two cutting-edge helmet systems: a Carbon Bump System and a Ballistic System with liner system, rails, and Wilcox® Mount. Revision’s Carbon Bump helmet can be ballistically-enabled—add-on armor appliques up the protection level for ballistic, blunt-force, blast-force, and fragmentation threats. And, the skeletonization of all system components has significantly reduced the overall weight of these helmet systems.

Revision’s FTHS head systems showcase at SOFIC represents the culmination of an intensive ground-up design and development program, dating back to the beginning of 2016, as well as exhaustive testing, analysis, and trials. Communicating with esteemed Special Forces operators, from across the special ops spectrum, Revision created a head systems suite tailored to the experience and feedback of SOF operators.

Revision’s FTHS solutions will be available commercially in 2017. The suite of products will be known as the Batlskin Caiman Head System. Additional Caiman Head System accessories and components are planned for later this year and early 2018.

www.revisionmilitary.com

Tags: Revision Military
Posted in Helmets, SOF, SOFIC | Comments Off on Revision Showcases FTHS Special Forces Head Systems At SOFIC

Warrior West – Ops-Core Superwide Ballistic Side Armor

Thursday, April 20th, 2017

The new Superwide Ballistic Side Armor attaches to the ARC Rail and gives you plenty of room for ear pro.

www.ops-core.com

Tags: Gentex, Ops-Core
Posted in Advertiser, Helmets, Warrior Expo | 5 Comments »

High Cut Helmet Designs Have Been Around For A Long Time

Monday, April 17th, 2017

What we currently refer to as high cut helmets were once commonplace. For instance, during the Roman era, many versions of the Galea or helmet featured cut outs for the ear.

(photo from Roman Hideout)

Even in the modern era, the US Army experimented with the concept during the Vietnam conflict.

This photo, taken in August, 1969 at Camp Pickett, VA, depicts a Soldier wearing a Lightweight Individual Clothing And Equipmen (LINCLOE) helmet prototype. Several versions were evaluated, made from nylon or titanium.

Posted in Helmets, History | 15 Comments »

USSOCOM Issues Presolicitation for SPEAR Family of Tactical Headborne Systems

Friday, April 14th, 2017

Recently, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a presolicitation notice to industry for a Commerical-Off-The-Shelf Special Operations Forces Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) Family of Tactical Headborne Systems (FTHS)-Ballistic and Non-Ballistic Helmets. The FTHS-Ballistic and Non-Ballistic Helmets will consist of a ballistic helmet system as well as a non-ballistic helmet system.

The government intends to award a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Firm Fixed Price (FFP) production contract for a fully developed item to the offeror with the best value to the Government. This is not a R&D contract; the offeror must be the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and have an existing U.S. verifiable production line for any product proposed under this solicitation. All offerors must submit a proposal for both helmet systems; partial proposals will not be accepted. The helmet systems must meet the performance requirements as outlined in the Performance Specification and meet the requirements set forth in the Berry Amendment.

The acquisition will utilize full and open competition and the final solicitation is expected to be released this month. The minimum contract value will be $150K and the maximum contract value will be $95M.

Offerors will be required to submit Product Demonstration Models (PDMs) with proposal submission for evaluation. In addition, the Government may procure additional PDMs for testing purposes as part of this solicitation. These PDMs will be purchased from only those vendors remaining in the competitive range. Word is, the Government wants each offeror to submit in excess of 300 sample helmets, cost free. That’s a serious outlay to participate, considering the offeror may walk away empty handed.

It is important to note that these helmets are not the same as the Next Generatin SOF Helmet examples produced last year by Ops-Core and Revision. Instead, these will be much more evolutionary in nature, bringing new materials and improved fit in packages much more like SOF currently use. For example, this procurement is looking for solutions that include ballistic and bump shells, suspension systems including left and right eye dominant straps, accessory rails, exterior Velcro kits, 3M Peltor Accessory Rail Kit, and helmet covers. Interestingly, SOCOM is said to be looking for a new hearing protection system soon making the interest in a 3M Pelton mount interesting. Additionally, the offeror must propose a 3-Hole VAS shroud, provide the Wilcox G24 VAS mount, 4-Hole GSGM VAS Shroud, Wilcox GSGM VAS Mount, and the helmet itself must be compatible with currently fielded shrouds. Kind of makes you think there should be a move to a more common VAS Shroud. However, another procurement is expected later this year for a separate SOF coxswain helmet which will likely include a bump helmet with ballistic appliqué upgrades as well as a mandible guard.

For additional details, visit www.fbo.gov.

Posted in Contracts, Helmets, PM-SOF | 6 Comments »