The new Ballistic Ears attach at the TW Rail 2.0 and new SL Rail. They are rated to Level IIIA and offer room for the wear of earpro underneath. Ears will be available by end of fourth quarter 17.
The visor is frag rated and uses an adapter to attach to the new SL Rail. Available January, 2018. More info on the SL Rail soon.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sept. 28, 2017 – Globally, military and police forces are seeking a state-of-the-art helmet to protect their service members from modern threats, like rifle fire and explosive devices. Ceradyne Inc., a 3M company, designed the new Combat II Ballistic Helmet L110 to meet this pressing need at a level of comfort that appeals to users. The helmet leverages 3M scientific expertise to deliver its highest ballistic protection to date, and is based on a technology that has already been proven with the U.S. military.
Designed for military combat operations and counterterrorism police missions, the Combat II L110 helmet can help protect service members from bomb fragmentations, certain rifle projectiles, handgun bullets and blunt impacts. The helmet provides protection against select small arms projectiles including V50 ballistic limit value greater than 2,400 feet per second (greater than 731 meters per second) against the 7.62 x 51 mm M80 NATO ball projectile.
“A helmet’s job first and foremost is to protect our defenders in harm’s way, and today that requires an advanced solution like the Combat II Ballistic Helmet L110,” said Cheryl Ingstad, business manager, Advanced Ceramics Platform – Defense, 3M. “Our engineers put their passion and scientific expertise toward inventing a cutting-edge helmet that gets the most from the latest advanced materials. Military and law enforcement can take comfort knowing they have a partner in 3M that deeply cares about keeping service members safe.”
The Combat II L110 helmet achieves its high level of protection without increased weight. This allows military and police forces to receive greater protection without sacrificing mobility, which is required for today’s increasingly urban missions and close-quarters combat.
To date, Ceradyne has produced tens of thousands of helmets that utilize similar technology to the L110 helmet. Ceradyne can manufacture the helmet today in large quantities, at high quality under tight timelines. Additionally, local support can be provided to customers across their program’s life cycle.
Ceradyne produces the Combat II L110 helmet with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene composites and uses proprietary, seamless, ballistic-molding technology to form a durable protective shell. The helmet’s proven geometry allows uninhibited movement when the helmet is worn with most ballistic vests with collars. The helmet is offered in sizes small through extra-large and supports a variety of accessories and communication needs.
3M will debut the helmet at Booth 7243 at the AUSA 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, Oct. 9-11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
For more information about soldier protection solutions provided by 3M, visit www.3M.com/Defense.
RE Factor Tactical was exhibiting in the Quantico Tactical booth and gave us a sneak peek of their upcoming helmet cover.
It’s a combination of mesh and four way stretch softshell material.
It has a couple of unique features. for instance, the side Velcro can be pulled down in order to route cables behind it.
The rear pocket will accommodate a battery case and when opened comes with counterweight material.
O P Tactical, who recently opened a brick and mortar store in Raleigh, NC as well as their longstanding online store are now carrying Agilite’s latest Ops Core helmet covers and other new Agilite gear.
Designed and manufactured in Holon, Israel, the FAST helmet covers, including the new Raptor are sized individually for Ops Core Polymer and Ops Core Ballistic versions and include many unique features. See sizing details here.
CENTRAL LAKE, MI, September 13, 2017 – Central Lake Armor Express, Inc. (“Armor Express”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-performance body armor solutions, is proud to announce that the U.S. Marshals Service has awarded the Company a contract to outfit Officers in the Western District of Virginia with its latest helmet innovation, the Busch AMP-1 TP ballistic helmet certified to the VPAM standard.
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is the primary federal agency charged with conducting fugitive investigations throughout the country. The agency regularly works in concert with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sex offenders, and has established task forces throughout the nation to facilitate the apprehension of fugitives.
“We are honored to support this crucial branch of Federal Law Enforcement and stand ready to service their requirements,” stated David Jones, Director of Federal Sales. “We worked to ensure they have the most reliable, high-performance head gear. The Armor Express team understands the enormous danger that USMS officers face when dealing with the most violent fugitives and offenders, and having state-of-the-art protective equipment is of critical importance. We look forward to growing our partnership through the development and delivery of life-saving armor solutions that enable our men and women in uniform to do their job and return home safely.”
Introduced in early 2017, the Busch PROtective AMP-1 TP helmet is certified to VPAM (HVN-2009), the Gold Standard of ballistic testing within Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and brings first rate protection to tactical law enforcement, anti-terror and specialized police officers who may be exposed to close quarter combat and increased risk of being shot within the head region. The helmet is constructed of a multi-layered aramid composite, using a patented EBSP method – a unique production technique that creates elite ballistic capabilities previously attainable only in Titanium helmets.
Weighing an average of 3.6 pounds, the AMP-1 TP is able to stop ballistic threats as close as .78” from the edge and multiple shots on a small surface area. Its increased edge and multi-impact capabilities enhance the helmet’s protective area by up to 50%, compared to standard ballistic helmets. For the risk of taking multiple hits at close range, another key protective element is the helmet’s ability to transfer and dissipate energy around its shell, thereby reducing blunt force trauma. The helmet’s EBSP process counters this threat, thereby significantly reducing the energy transfer to the skull to less than 25 joules. VPAM’s extremely high testing requirements measure back-face deformation, ensuring when the helmet is hit by an incoming round, there is minimal energy transferred from the helmet shell to the user’s head. Further, the AMP-1 TP offers high fragmentation protection of more than 2,034 f/s, according to STANAG 2920.
The helmet comes with a unique rail-system with speed-connect system (SCS) technology, advanced protective padding system certified to the EN 397 (impact/shock attenuation standard), wheel dial for ultimate uni-sizing flexibility, and protective bag. The ‘uni-size’ feature is instrumental, helping departments with typical limited budgets to remove the cost of having to purchase multiple units based on individual fit. The special rail-system with speed-connect system (SCS) gives the wearer even more tactical and modular protective capability. The modular protective visors with varied protection levels (Blunt Impact, Fragmentation, or 9mm/44Mag) can be added/removed from the helmet within seconds, without ever having to take off the helmet – providing the benefit of always being protected. Additional accessories include the NVG 3-hole shroud, helmet cover (black or green color), helmet Velcro kit, helmet counter weight kit, visor protective cover and side-rail adaptor. The AMP-1 TP helmet comes in black, green and sand colors.
For more insights on the Busch AMP-1 TP helmet, along with all soft and hard armor solutions, visit the Armor Express website at www.armorexpress.com.
In collaboration with the US Air Force, Revision has been working on a vest for Joint Terminal Attack Vest. In particular, they’re concentrating on a baseline which Airmen can customize, based on individual needs. The base armor vest is a modified Crye Precision AVS and Revision is working on the power and data management. One of example of what you’ll see is a series of apps to control the various components and human interface.
Additionally, Revision ran me through their work on the next generation of headborne systems through the introduction of Sensys. Look for additional details soon.
DSEI is the official introduction of the new Ops-Core FAST SF (for Special Operations Forces) ballistic and non-ballistic (carbon) helmets as well as accessories by Gentex.
While they look similar to the Maritime (MT) helmet you’re already familiar with, the only component which is the same is the chin strap.
First off, the new Vented Lux Liner offers 360 deg impact protection. It integrates Vent Holes and a channel for headborne comms which is accessible when you remove the comfort pads. Each helmet comes with three different thicknesses of pads (1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″) to allow the wearer to customize the fit.
The new fit band conforms to inner edge of the impact liner allowing the wearer to remove his helmet and still wear comms, unlike the old configuration which required the comms headband to fit between the helmet’s fit band and Lux Liner.
Ops-Core has also introduced a new Universal Nape Pad, referred to as the “whale tail”. The more surface area in a liner, the more comfortable and stable the fit, because it contacts the head in more places. Additionally, it eliminates hot spots. My experience trying the helmet on is that you don’t rely as much on the chin strap for stability.
The new Ballistic Shell reduces helmet weight by 12% over the FAST MT, yet with the same ballistic performance (SOCOM Maritime standard which is Frag resistance plus 9mm at 1200fps). The Appliqué also offers SOCOM-level protection.
Both the carbon and ballistic FAST SF helmets are available with the super high cut which gives you about 1/2″ more space around the ears for comms.
There’s also a new Velcro pattern for both helmets and the vent hole shapes are new on the carbon helmet. This new Velcro pattern is one-size-fits-all. These shapes also offer a low-signature on thermal cameras compared to the old, block shapes. One interesting feature is that the rear Velcro is designed specifically for use with the MOHOC camera.
There’s a new Modular Bungee Shroud which features bungees which come off of the bracket. The new machined Aluminum insert can be removed from the front which allows use of different NVGs without replacing the entire shroud.
You’ll also notice entirely new rails called Super High Cut Skeleton ARC rails. Not only are they lighter, but also more useful. They’ve integrated zip tie holes for cable management along with a slot for counterweights and battery packs. Underneath the rail is the ARC Shim which offers room to attach accessories without taking up rail space. Now, accessories integrate into the ARC, rather than in the slot.
The Low-Profile Mandible snaps into the shim and features fore/aft adjustment as well as a pivoting, vented mouth guard. Additionally, although not shown, there’s a two-piece ballistic appliqué for the Carbon helmet. This design is to leave room for a battery pack, when needed.
The Step In Visor offers a mid point between spectacle and goggle. It leverages the edge of the helmet and can be worn night and day, including with NVGs. The Step In Visor will fit all helmet sizes thanks to the attachment adjustment. Also, the edge gasket can be pulled away when not needed. The replaceable lens is also coated for anti-scratch and anti-fog. Initially, they are offering a clear lens but will soon introduce transition and high contrast lenses.
Although there is a helmet cover available, they did not have one to show at DSEI.
One final point, Ops-Core plans to integrate these upgraded accessories into the other lines but all of the components are backward compatible with all FAST MT, XP and LE as well as the Lightweight Ballistic Helmet.
The FAST SF helmets are available now and accessories will be rolled over the coming months for those of you who want to upgrade your current helmet.
Visitors to this year’s DSEI exhibition can experience first-hand two new ultra-lightweight ballistic helmets, being launched by the Composite and Defence business of Morgan Advanced Materials.
The AC912 and AC913 are new additions to Morgan’s acclaimed Lightweight Armoured Soldier Architecture (LASA) range, and the result of Morgan’s world-leading expertise in advanced ballistic composite technology. While both models have been specially designed to be lighter than their AC914 and AC915 counterparts, they retain impressive ballistic, fragmentation, flammability and blunt trauma characteristics, ensuring maximum manoeuvrability without compromising on protection. The helmets are highly suitable for elite and regular military, defence, security and law enforcement personnel operating in protracted combat scenarios. The AC912 and AC913 helmets come with D3O TRUST® padding and Team Wendy’s CAM-FIT™ retention systems as standard, delivering maximum comfort and stability to the wearer.
Designed as a standard issue solution for combat operations, the AC912, weighing just 1.18kg (medium helmet) is a full cut helmet that covers the ears for greater protection. By contrast, the AC913, weighing just 1.05kg (medium helmet) features a high-cut design to ensure enhanced situational awareness for end-users, allowing elite police and special forces to remain fully alert to potential threats and dangerous situations. Both helmets can be upgraded to include lightweight open architecture slide rails, bungees and a shroud for mounting tactical accessories, helping users to gain the upper hand in combat.
James Kempston, Director of Business Development – Composites and Defence Systems, explains: “For decades, advanced composite technology from Morgan has played a vital part in ensuring that military and law enforcement personnel are fully protected in the line of fire. Our new helmets continue to provide high levels of protection, combined with extraordinary low weight properties. The AC912 and AC913 have been developed to enable defence and security personnel to remain safe against a diverse range of threats.”
For further information on the AC912 and AC913 helmets, please visit: www.morgandefencesystems.com/AC912 and www.morgandefencesystems.com/AC913.
Alternatively, please visit DSEI 2017 stand S5-265, where the helmets will be on display.
