US Army's new helmet

[Slater]

Wonder if these come with the camo helmet cover or if that's a separate item?

"Advances in polymers allowed designers to develop the next generation version of the helmet at the same weight but with greater protection, Alex De Groot, lead engineer for head protection at PEO Soldier, told Army Times.

Older helmets are made from materials called aramids, commonly known by the commercial name Kevlar, De Groot added. That hard, brittle material protects by disintegrating on impact. But polyethylene, the newer material being used, “acts like a catcher’s mitt,” De Groot said. The material deforms on impact, dissipating energy."


https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/02/12/army-fielding-new-helmet-that-protects-against-small-arms-fire/

[chuckman]

What's the over/under until the first one shows up in a pawn shop?

Just kidding. This is a great upgrade, should lead to fewer TBIs.

[TAZ]

Like better protection, but I do wonder how they control the deformation? I’m no phd but I think a skull is t as flexible as a rib cage so the whole back face deformation needs to be better managed. Assuming the geometry helps with that since there really isn’t much of a flat face to impact.


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[Todd.K]

HDPE is interesting stuff, I’ve machined some parts out of.

[Defaultmp3]

Pretty sure all of the high end helmets are using UHMWPE rather than aramid as their primary ballistic defeat material, e.g., Ops-Core FAST system, Team Wendy EXFIL system, Galvion Caiman, MTEK Flux, even the old Crye AirFrames. Even many of the mid tier helmets are using UHMWPE.

[SomeOtherGuy]

I assume they solved this, but in the recent past UHMWPE rifle plates were reported to be subject to serious damage by overheating at fairly moderate temperatures - like car trunk on a sunny July day temperatures. Is this still an issue in general? Was it solved here? Seems like GI helmets are not going to be treated gently and kept in climate-controlled storage.

[Slater]

Presumably these helmets can handle everything from Arctic temperatures to 120 degree deserts. They would have to, I would think.

[Defaultmp3]

I assume they solved this, but in the recent past UHMWPE rifle plates were reported to be subject to serious damage by overheating at fairly moderate temperatures - like car trunk on a sunny July day temperatures. Is this still an issue in general? Was it solved here? Seems like GI helmets are not going to be treated gently and kept in climate-controlled storage.I don't think it has ever been an issue with pure UHMWPE plates, it was much more an issue with UHMWPE soft armor, or possible delamination between UHMWPE and ceramic hybrid plates.

[vicious_cb]

Pretty sure all of the high end helmets are using UHMWPE rather than aramid as their primary ballistic defeat material, e.g., Ops-Core FAST system, Team Wendy EXFIL system, Galvion Caiman, MTEK Flux, even the old Crye AirFrames. Even many of the mid tier helmets are using UHMWPE.

I liked how this article complete ignores the failure of the original IHPS program that they just fielded and 2019 and scrapped because it had massively inferior protection to what it replaced. The new UHMWPE helmets all have far inferior Back Face Deformation to the straight Aramid based helmets. It was so bad that the FBI had to create a whole new Ballistic Helmet Protocol in 2019 closer to the VPAM standards since the NIJ standards are so out of date its laughable. Strangely enough they found the Aramid hemets to be far more survivable than the new UHMWPE stuff for the threats encountered in CONUS ie pistol rounds.

New UHMWPE helmets that are better at stopping higher velocity rifle threats at distance also have far worse BDF against common threats like lower velocity fragments and pistol rounds. So realistically you are basically trading being able to survive a long range rifle threat to the helmet while being more vulnerable to more common low velocity stuff. If you ask me Ill take a newer Aramid based helmet that you can mag dump 9mm into with minimal deformation over any of the newer UHMWPE stuff thats become the military standard. Whats the point of even stopping a rifle caliber round when the BDF caves your skull in anyway?

[ThirdWatcher]

They’ve sure come a long way from the steel pots we wore. I’m feeling old(er) now...

[Coal Dragger]

What's the over/under until the first one shows up in a pawn shop?

Just kidding. This is a great upgrade, should lead to fewer TBIs.

Kidding or not I’ll bet you can find lightly used examples within 3 weeks of first issue in surplus stores or pawn shops near any post. PFC Fornicateknuckles is gonna do his thing, and he needs quick cash for new tattoos, “massages”, and his car payment on that sweet V6 Challenger he bought at 26% APR.