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No Wonder They Lost

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Some of you may remember the Darth Vaderesque helmet worn by troops in Sadaam’s “elite” Fedayeen forces. Apparently manufactured from fiber glass it saw only limited issue. Perhaps the idea behind the helmet was to make the enemy pause to say, “WTF?” giving the wearer enough time to run away. A badge with the words “The Lord, The Homeland, The Leader” was affixed to the side of the helmet. They bring top dollar in the collector’s market.

A Spanish collector’s site has an excellent backgrounder on the helmet. Check it out here.

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GAO Report on Helmet Pads

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Last week the Government Accounting Office released a report on helmet pads intended as a backgrounder for members of the Senate and House Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. While it was fairly thin, there were a few jewels of information buried in the document’s 12 pages (including covers).

One interesting section covered by our friends at DefenseTech discussed the military’s interest in alternative helmet suspensions and more stringent requirements.

Also of note in the report is the timeline detailing the chain of events that brought us the current pad system. However, most interesting to us were the sections that dealt with the intent of the report which was to determine who currently provides the pads used in Army and Marine Corps ground combat helmets, and how they were chosen. The short answer repeated numerous times was Team Wendy.

To quote the report:
“To date, based on the results of the testing performed, the Army has approved pad systems made by two manufacturersâ€”Team Wendy and Mine Safety Appliancesâ€”for use in its Advanced Combat Helmet, while the Marine Corps has chosen to limit its approval to one pad, and has approved only Team Wendy pads for use in its Light Weight Helmet. The approved pads used by the Army and the Marine Corps are consistent with the 2006 U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory testing results in that they showed the best performance relative to the other pads tested.”

However, Ability One (A JWOD service provider) under contract with DoD to provide helmet pads has chosen to only procure the ZAP pad from Team Wendy. Consequently, Team Wendy currently has the only authorized issue pad for the MICH, ACH, and LWH. To confuse matters, several alternative pad systems are available for local purchase as well as on GSA and are manufactured to the Mil Spec for pads. While they do meet shock mitigation standards they are not the issue item and to curb their use, both the Army and Marine Corps have issued directives for troops to inspect their equipment and replace unauthorized pads.

Tags: Team Wendy
Posted in Congress, Helmets | Comments Off on GAO Report on Helmet Pads

More on Galea

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Information on the new Dutch combat helmet continues to trickle out of the Netherlands. The article from the Dutch Ministry of Defense reveals Galea to be a component of Project VOSS (Verbeterd Operationeel Soldaten Systeem) or Improved Operational Soldiers’ System, IOSS in English.

A translation of an informational piece released by TNO

“TNO has developed a new multipurpose helmet for the Defense Materials Organization (DMO). The helmet’s design is based on operational experience from recent deployments such as the current one in Afghanistan. When/if all the tests are completed successfully, the Galea (Roman word for helmet) will begin issue by 2011.

The new helmet stems from the Verbeterd Operationeel Soldaten Systeem (VOSS in Dutch or Improved Operational Soldiers’System, IOSS in English) and offers some tremendous advantages. The Galea weighs less, has a better fit and offers better protection. The helmet consists of multiple detachable parts, and the intention is that the dressed down variant has a friendly, approachable appearance. This benefits contact with the local population when out on patrol.

Galea weighs 1100 grams, almost half the weight of the current helmet, which has been in use since the 1990’s.

The helmet fitting form has been improved professionally, resulting in a secure fit on the head. New as well is the ergonomic mount for night vision goggles and the helmet may possibly be equipped with an air conditioning system, situated between the helmet and the head.

It is also fitted with separate neck, jaw, and ear pieces which cancel out noise at high ambient sound levels. TNO is currently researching how it can improve the protection of neck, throat, and face even more. The first test run of Galea helmets will be evaluated in the field later this year. The design itself has received several awards at a innovation summit in Prague.

More wearer comfort, more flexibility, and better protection are core components of Project VOSS. In addition to the helmet, a smart vest and a communications and combat information module are also being developed under the project. The goal is to improve and harmonize the battlefield capabilities of the soldier as much as possible. His gear is no longer is a collection of individual components, but a lightweight, wearable system in which the components needed are integrated as much as possible.

5500 frontline troops have been selected for participation in VOSS which is an evolution of the Soldier Modernization Program (SMP), which started in 1998.”

Posted in Foreign, Helmets | Comments Off on More on Galea

BBC Video of New UK Helmet and Armor

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

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UK Releases New Helmet and Armor

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

The enhanced Mark 7 helmet and Osprey Assault body armor, which will provide equivalent ballistic protection to current systems but with a lighter weight and an improved fit were unveiled at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) equipment show this week in Millbrook.

The MOD has ordered over 10,000 sets of the new helmets and armor under initial contracts worth Â£16m, with companies including NP Aerospace, Morgan Armour Ltd, Aegis Engineering Ltd, Seyntex and Solo International Ltd. The 10,000 sets are reported to go to Infantry, Engineers, and medical with all other general purpose forces retaining the Mk6a helmet and current Osprey armor.

Just as in the case of the MICH becoming the general issue ACH here in the US, the new Mk 7 is a variant of the AC900/600 helmet worn by UKSF on CT role. Of further evidence of SOF influence over kit design, the new armor carrier is supplied by Solo International located near Hereford, home of the British SAS. However, based on information we have received in the past we do not believe that this new equipment is a part of the PECOC program but rather an interim solution to solve an urgent operation requirement. This would also account for the relatively small procurement.

The new Mk 7 helmet features a four point chin strap for enhanced stability, particularly while wearing helmet mounted night vision devices. Additionally, the front lip has been cut back in order to increase visibility while in the prone and is reported to include configurable pads like the US ACH.

While we did say that the new Osprey carrier is being supplied by Solo International, it is interesting to note that they outsource their manufacture. Additionally, the UK does not have an equivalent of the Berry Amendment to ensure domestic production of defense textile articles so at this point we are unsure where the carriers will actually be produced. In addition to the carrier, a new, lighter armor plate is reported to be on it’s way to the troops.

Tags: PECOC
Posted in Armor, Camo, Foreign, Helmets | 1 Comment »

Galea Photos

Monday, June 8th, 2009

In March we published a story about the Dutch military’s Galea helmet program. At a recent military show in the Netherlands they displayed this prototype. The program is still on track for a 2011 fielding.

On another note, the Dutch military also displayed Ops-Core helmets at this show and they most certainly would fulfill most requirements for a modular helmet system although the cost is still a bit prohibitive for some customers. However, Ops-Core recently revealed to us that they have developed an Aramid shell for the Ballistic FAST helmet which is much lower cost yet only raises the weight to that of a MICH.

Tags: Galea, Ops-Core
Posted in Foreign, Helmets | Comments Off on Galea Photos

Diesel Motorsport Helmets

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

For our motorcycle riding readers we bring you the Diesel Helmet. With an obvious military fighter pilot influence, the helmet was developed in association with AGV. It features an interchangeable drop down face shield, Mohican crest, and an ergonomic stitched leather neck support.

Available in Black, White, Green, and Bronze from Diesel.

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Introducing Juggernaut Defense, LLC

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Specializing in soldier-borne equipment design & engineering, Juggernaut Defense, LLC is a full-spectrum design consultancy dedicated to the military, law-enforcement, and public safety communities. Since 2000, Juggernaut Defense has been involved in many successful programs which have provided superior survivability, communication, and lethality systems to Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Special Operators fighting in both OIF and OEF. Juggernaut Defense (located in Scottsdale, Arizona) was spun off by Chris Stalzer in November 2008 from Juggernaut Design to focus its business toward government and military design problems.

Check out their website to learn about some of the projects they have already completed. www.juggdef.com

Tags: Juggernaut Defense LLC
Posted in Comms, Gadgets, Helmets, Optics, Recce, Robotics | Comments Off on Introducing Juggernaut Defense, LLC