New helmet offers greatest protection level in its weight classification
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.
