| Hełm wz. 67 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Combat helmet |
| Place of origin | Polish People's Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1967-present |
| Used by | SeeUsers for details |
| Wars | Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia Martial law in Poland Gulf War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Syrian civil war Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Military Institute of Armament Technology |
| Manufacturer | Huta Silesia |
| Produced | 1967-1989 |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1,5kg (3,35 lbs) |
TheHełm wz. 67 is acombat helmet designed in the 1960s. Originally intended for thePolish People's Army, it was also exported to other countries. Despite many attempts to replace it with thewz. 93 orwz. 2000 helmets, it remains in use forrear-line units and training.[1][2]
Working on a new steel helmet to replace the previously usedwz. 50, started at theMilitary Institute of Armament Technology in 1964. The construction team was led by Colonel M. Eng. Romuald Zimny. Hełm wz. 67 was officially adopted on April 21, 1967, and was produced atHuta Silesia until the end of the 1980s.
The shape of the helmet refers to the pre-war model helmetwz. 31. The shell is pressed from a special steel sheet with a thickness of 1.4 mm. It has a slightly marked peak and a tiny brim. The weight of the helmet is approximately 1.5 kg.
The shells of wz. 67 helmet are made in two sizes:
In hełm wz. 67 there are three types of internal equipment. The first type is the suspension used in wz. 50 helmets. The second one (the most common) is mounted on a supporting element in the form of a metal ring. A leather belt is attached to it, cut into eight elongated leaves. Each of them was sewn together at the end, creating a tunnel. A shoelace is threaded through the tunnels, thus creating a kind of hat. The suspension is attached to the shell with one screw located at the top of the helmet. This procedure significantly facilitates the replacement of the damaged liner, as well as its quick disassembly, which allows you to wear the helmet directly on thefur hat in winter. The chin strap, made of leather, is attached directly to the shell. It is fastened with a metal buckle.
The third type of internal equipment was introduced in 1977. The new facade consists of a metal frame, a complex system of straps and a leather "hammock". The hammock can be adjusted to suit any head size. The new fit allows the helmet to be held firmly on the back of the head, preventing it from sliding onto the face, for example when crawling. Helmets with such equipment are marked as wz. 67/75.
Initially, it was planned to paint the helmets with "Salamandra" anti-reflective varnish, similarly to the wz. 31, however, this idea was abandoned. The standard ones were painted with a smooth semi-matt varnish in two colors: green (forland forces) and blue-gray (forair forces, Home Air Defense Forces andNavy). Theeagle symbol of the Land Forces or Air Force was painted on the helmets (or applied in the form ofdecals).[3] An appropriate mark was placed on helmets intended forWSW. Helmets intended for theMilicja Obywatelska had large letters "M" and "O" painted on the front and a large state eagle between them.[4]
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For camouflaging purposes, helmets wz. 67 and wz. 67/75 are equipped with a masking net and a special face veil.[5] In helmets for land forces, the mesh and veil were khaki, and in blue-gray helmets - in a similar color. In winter, white covers were used. Currently, the camouflage nets have been replaced by camouflage covers inwz. 93 Pantera camo.
Current
Donetsk People's Republic[6]
Egypt: wz. 67 and wz. 67/75 helmets were exported to Egypt in the 1970s and 1980s.They remain in use by theEgyptian Armed Forces and police.[7][8]
Poland: still in limited use as a training helmet inPolish Armed Forces andpolice.[9][10][1]
Syria[11][12]
Ukraine: used sporadically in auxiliary formations during theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[13][14]
Former
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: there are known examples of the use of wz. 67 helmets by theAfghan National Army.[15]
Polish People's Republic: the wz. 67 and wz. 67/75 was used as the primary infantry helmet of the Polish People's Army from 1967 until 1989. Also used by theMilitia andBorder Protection Forces.[4]Non-state actors