The Development of PASGT Helmet
Mar 13, 2023
Ballistic PASGT Helmet is a kind of U.S. military standard individual helmet.
The history of the U.S. Army's standard steel helmets can be traced back to the First World War. At that time, the U.S. Army had no standard steel helmets, and the British "flat disc" steel helmets were urgently adopted. The English helmet remained in service until the middle of 1942 and was later replaced by the famous M1 helmet. The M1 helmet is the first-generation standard helmet developed by the United States. It has a hemispherical shape and a wavy curve at the bottom, which increases the protective area. It is quite simple and classic. The M1 helmet has experienced World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and has become the most important symbol of American soldiers.
In the early 1970s, DuPont of the United States successfully developed a new type of synthetic fiber-Kevlar, which has low density, high strength, good toughness, high temperature resistance, easy processing and molding, and its ability to absorb the kinetic energy of shrapnel is 1.6 of nylon. Times, twice that of steel, has a very high military prospects. At the same time, the US Army's Natick Research Lab (Natick Research Lab) conducted a study aimed at reducing the weight of infantry protection systems. In the Vietnam War, infantry helmets and bulletproof vests used steel materials, which were quite heavy. Nadik Laboratory hopes to use new Kevlar materials to make a new generation of lightweight helmets and bulletproof vests to reduce the load on soldiers. However, the focus of helmet research and development changed from reducing weight to providing better protection while maintaining the same weight as the M1 helmet.
After determining the manufacturability of the Kevlar-29 material, a research and development team led by Phil Durand began to conduct detailed anthropometric measurements to determine the best bulletproof shape of the new helmet, and strive to improve the bulletproof capacity/weight The ratio, increase the protective area, pay attention to the fitness of different head types and wearing comfort. Finally, the new helmet appeared with a low profile and a low center of gravity. The ear protectors were added and projected outward. The front edge was designed with a small brim. The protective area was expanded to the soldier's ear and neck position. In addition, the protruding ear protectors allowed sufficient space to install communication headsets.
The new helmet fully focuses on ergonomics and improves the comfort of the M1 helmet with a high center of gravity and long-term wearing. In addition, due to the low thermal conductivity of composite materials, it is more suitable for use in deserts and severe cold areas. At the beginning, the new helmet had three sizes (small, medium, and large) to fit most male soldiers, but in the 1980s, a large number of women entered the Army and Marine Corps. Because women had smaller average head circumferences than men, Therefore, an ultra-small size is added to the above three sizes. During the Gulf War in 1991, the U.S. military ordered an oversized helmet for General "Storm" Norman, who had an oversized head circumference and a burly figure. At that time, the Federal Penitentiary Factory urgently ordered a batch of 1,000. Since people who fit this helmet are very rare, it will not be reproduced in the future, and helmets of this size are now quite rareThe silhouette of the new Kevlar helmet is often accused of resembling a Nazi helmet, but it is by no means based on the German M35 in World War II. The Nadic staff pointed out that the shape of the M35 and the new helmet was determined by the designer based on the probability of head trauma in the battlefield, the interaction between the helmet and the equipment, and the scientific data of anthropometric measurements. There is no problem of imitation. The guys at Nadic Lab didn't like people to compare their helmets with the German M35, because in the First World War, a Slade#5 helmet designed by the United States was discarded because it was very similar to the German M16.
For comparative testing, the first batch of prototype helmets were made of glass fiber and Kevlar, and two hundred prototype helmets of each material were manufactured. The two materials have the same ballistic performance, but the glass fiber lost to Kevlar in the durability test. These helmets are easy to distinguish in appearance. Nadiq painted jungle camouflage directly on its surface. The helmets that will be officially equipped in the future are all monochrome. There are four colors of olive green, black, desert yellow, and UN blue. Soldiers can Replace the camouflage cover cloth as needed to suit the battlefield environment. These helmets are made by a small marine fiberglass modeling company called Geonautic Co., Ltd.
After the helmet was shaped, the naming battle began again. Nadik suggested calling it Duramac, because Durand and another person named McManus were the main promoters of the plan. Finally, the military called it the PASGT helmet. PASGT is the abbreviation of the Personal Armor System for Ground Troops (Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops). The armor system refers to the new Kevlar helmet and the matching Kevlar vest. The PASGT vest is also Developed by Nadic.
PASGT helmets are produced by several manufacturers in accordance with the military standard MIL-H44099A. The helmet’s design goal is not to resist the direct fire of rifle bullets, but to defend against fragmentation weapons such as grenades, landmines, mortars, bombs, and 9mm pistol bullets. Direct shot of shotgun bullets. A two-layer suspension system is installed in the helmet to keep the helmet and the head at a distance of 1.3 cm, which not only maintains good ventilation, but also effectively reduces external impact and protects the head from shock. The head protection area (medium size) is 1,129 square centimeters. The helmet can resist (V50 ballistic performance test value) the impact of fragments at a speed of 663 m/s and can withstand high temperatures of 190°C. In contrast, the V50 value of the old M1 helmet is about 300 m/s, and the protection performance of PASGT is increased by 50%. The helmet is fixed at two points, the length of the jaw strap is adjustable on both sides, and the buckle is set on the left side. In addition to the helmet cover, an elastic band called "cat's eye belt" is also put on the outside of the helmet. In addition to fixing the camouflage, the cat's eye belt is also inlaid with a fluorescent sheet on the rear side, which is convenient to follow when the column is marching at night.
After PASGT helmets began to be equipped, American soldiers gave it the nickname "Fritz". After experiencing the comfort and excellent ballistic performance of PASGT, all soldiers regarded it as the most important protection. Outfit. In the Museum of the 82nd Airborne Division, there is a PASGT that blocked the AK-47 warhead during the invasion of Grenada.
One of the main manufacturers of PASGT, Gentex (Gentex) of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, has manufactured civilian industrial safety helmets based on it, and Keydril, an international oilfield drilling contractor, purchased 1,000 of them. Of course, the protective performance of this helmet is first-class, but due to high cost, high weight and unusual appearance, further sales were restricted. As a result, Jintex discontinued the helmet after the completion of the transaction with Keydril.
Since it was put into production in the 1980s, PASGT helmets have been undergoing multiple stages of improvement to improve the comfort, stability and protection of PASGT. The recently produced version uses Kevlar KM2 fiber, which can be woven more tightly than the old Kevlar, and has a weight reduction of 10%. The V50 value is increased to 686 m/s, which further improves the ballistic performance. The PASGT helmet of the U.S. Marine Corps has been using Honeywell’s Spectra fiber material since the end of the 1990s. It has better ballistic performance than Kevlar and can be 30 lighter than Kevlar. % the above. However, this material is more difficult to mold than Kevlar. When manufacturing the helmet, it is necessary to laminate the resin matrix and the unidirectional fiber sheet to form a hard and rigid plate structure. If the manufacturer does not handle it well, the Spacotra helmet is in the wild It is easy to layer under the environment.
The suspension system has also been improved, the leather headliner has been widened, and the fixing method between the sweatband and the sideband has been improved. Detachable shock-absorbing pads were also issued for the paratroopers to provide more collision protection during parachuting. The PASGT helmet also plans to use a more comfortable three-point fixed jaw strap. In addition to the fixed points on the sides of the ears, the fixed points behind the head are also added, so that the helmet will not shake back and forth during strenuous exercise, and the helmet will be more stable. The US Army tried a three-point fixed jaw belt during peacekeeping in Haiti, but it was not promoted due to conflicts with existing equipment.
The U.S. Army also recently installed a modified PASGT deformed helmet-Modular Integral Communication Helmet (MICH), which can provide improved protection, practicality and comfort. It was issued to Special Forces in 2001. MICH has a lighter body than PASGT helmets. The brim is removed and a variety of Kevlar fibers are used for bonding. MICH uses a new seven-pad suspension system. The pad is composed of two foam materials, and the suspension system is attached to the inside of the helmet top through a series of Velcro fasteners and is fixed with a four-point jaw strap. The most important feature of MICH is that the duplex communication module can be installed under the ear protectors, which replaces the previous bulky headset system and improves the soldiers' battlefield perception and coordination capabilities. MICH has only medium and large sizes, but it can be adapted to different head shapes through different size pads. MICH is only equipped with special forces and is used in the US Army Land Warrior system. It will gradually replace PASGT as a standard helmet in the future.
Following the equipment of the US military, the revolutionary PASGT helmet has been widely adopted by other Western countries. The new generation of bulletproof helmets in China can also be said to be PASGT-style helmets. helmets are made of aramid fiber (Kevlar) developed by China. Not a straight line. In order to reduce production costs, helmet has only one type of helmet, and the head circumference can be adjusted through the suspension system. In addition, the three-point jaw strap of the suspension system is lined with wool on the head contact area, which provides excellent comfort and stability. The protective performance of the helmet is better than that of the first-generation PASGT helmet of the US military, and its curb weight is 1.45 kg, which is lighter than the smallest size of the US military PASGT. The helmet began to be equipped with the Hong Kong in 1997 and has gradually become our military standard helmet.
Since the development of the PASGT helmet in the 1970s, non-metal composite individual helmets have gradually become a trend. A safe, comfortable and beautiful helmet can undoubtedly greatly enhance the morale and confidence of soldiers.
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