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Acombat helmet, also called aballistic helmet,battle helmet, orhelmet system (for somemodular accessory-centric designs) is a type ofhelmet designed to serve as a piece ofbody armor intended to protect the wearer'shead duringcombat.
Helmets designed forwarfare are among the earliest types ofheadgear to be developed and worn by humans, with examples found in several societies worldwide, the earliest of which date as far back as theBronze Age. Most early combat helmets were designed to protect against close-range strikes, thrown objects, and low-velocity projectiles. By theMiddle Ages, helmets that protected the entire head were common elements ofplate armor sets. The development offirearms,cannons, andexplosive weaponry rendered armor intended to protect against enemy attack largely obsolete, but lightweight helmets remained for identification and basic protection purposes into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when developments inmodern warfare saw a renaissance of combat helmets designed to protect againstshrapnel,debris, and some small-caliber firearmmunitions. Since the late 20th and early 21st centuries, helmets have evolved to protect against explosionshock waves and provide a mounting point for devices and accessories such asnight-vision goggles and communications equipment.[1]
Helmets are among the oldest forms ofpersonal protective equipment and are known to have been worn by theAkkadians andSumerians in the 23rd century BCE,Mycenaean Greeks since the 17th century BCE,[2][3] theAssyrians around 900 BCE, theancient Greeks andRomans, throughout theMiddle Ages, and up to the end of the 17th century by manycombatants.[4] Their materials and construction became more advanced as weapons did. Initially constructed fromleather andbrass, and thenbronze andiron during theBronze andIron Ages, they soon came to be made entirely from forgedsteel in many societies after about 950. At that time, they were purely military equipment, protecting the head from cutting blows withswords,arrows, and low-velocitymusketry. Iron helmets were used by the cavalry of theMali Empire to protect the cavalrymen and their mount.[5]
Military use of helmets declined after 1670, and rifledfirearms ended their use by foot soldiers after 1700,[4] but the Napoleonic era saw ornate cavalry helmets reintroduced forcuirassiers anddragoons in some armies which continued to be used by French forces as late as 1915.[6]
During theFrench Revolutionary Wars and theNapoleonic Wars, theAustrian Imperial Army saw extensive usage of helmets. In the line infantry, mainly within thefusilier companies, helmets were worn from 1798 to 1806, which was true even for officers. Although they were officially replaced by theshako in 1806, most line infantry regiments continued to wear helmets up until the Austrian defeat atBattle of Wagram in July 1809. Dragoons and cuirassiers also wore the helmets more extensively than the line infantry, with them continuing to wear them well past the Napoleonic Wars.[7][8][9]
World War I and its increased use ofartillery renewed the need for steel helmets, with the FrenchAdrian helmet, the BritishBrodie helmet, and the GermanStahlhelm being the first modern steel combat helmets used on the battlefield.[10][11][12][13] Such helmets offered protection for the head from shrapnel and fragments. Use of these steel pot helmets continued into and afterWorld War II, with the introduction of improved steel helmets such as the AmericanM1 helmet, the BritishMk III helmet, and the SovietSSh-39 and SSh-40. During and shortly after the war, combat helmets began to be issued withhelmet covers to offer greater camouflage. There have been two main types of covers, mesh nets to mount foliage andcamouflage cloth covers to match uniforms, the latter proving to be far more popular.
Changes in military technology and warfare during theCold War led to new developments in combat helmets, as the older World War II-era steel helmets proved to be increasingly inadequate and obsolete against new weapons and environments. Starting in the 1970s and 1980s, new materials such asKevlar andTwaron began replacing steel as the primary material for combat helmets that were redesigned to improve weight reduction, head protection (particularly againsttraumatic brain injury fromshock waves), and overall comfort.[14][15] Original helmets produced from such efforts, such as the AmericanPersonnel Armor System for Ground Troops,[16] were major improvements from mid-20th century designs but still largely lacked capabilities for user customization and accessory mounting, which became increasingly relevant into the 21st century. Reflecting these needs, as well as experiences from thewar on terror, many 21st century combat helmets have been adapted formodern warfare requirements with improved protection, lightweight designs, andSTANAG rails to act as a platform for mounting cameras, video cameras, and VAS shrouds for mounting night-vision devices.
Anenclosed helmet is a combat helmet that covers the entire head. Similar to a full face or modularmotorcycle helmet, enclosed helmets are intended to protect the whole head and sometimes also theneck from being struck by enemies. The front of the helmet usually either exposes just the eyes or also reveals the nose and mouth, though numerous examples have avisor serve as the front of the helmet that can be raised and lowered when necessary.
Enclosed helmets were common in the pre-modern era and were sometimes used to protect important combatants such as high-class warriors (e.g.knights) or high-ranking military leaders, such as theCorinthian helmet,close helmet,great helm, andfrog-mouth helm. As the penetrative power and impact force of modern firearm rounds made face armor largely obsolete, there are very few examples of modern enclosed helmets, most of which areriot helmets withpolycarbonateface shields used bylaw enforcement, though some use metal visors such as theAltyn, while aftermarket helmet accessories exist that add rigid metal protective plates to the front of modern helmets (often making them vaguely resemble abarbute).
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Abowl helmet,steel helmet, orskullcap helmet is a combat helmet that covers just the top half, and sometimes also the back of, the head, akin to ahalf helmet. Some may also extend to the ears or nape, but in general, most of the head below the forehead, including the entire face and neck, is left visible and unprotected. Historically, these were used to provide basic protection against strikes and projectiles, and types developed since the 20th century are designed to protect against debris, shrapnel, and some firearm rounds.
Bowl helmets are arguably the most basic and common combat helmets, with examples existing throughout history, including theImperial helmet,Montefortino helmet,bascinet,jingasa,lobster-tailed pot helmet,kettle hat,sallet,spangenhelm,dragoon helmet,secrete, andPickelhaube. Modern bowl helmets, made primarily of steel with internal liners (and thus contemporarily calledsteel helmets), were developed during and afterWorld War I andWorld War II, and include theBrodie helmet,Adrian helmet,Stahlhelm,wz. 31,SSh-36,M1 helmet,Mk III helmet,SSh-39 and SSh-40,Mk IV helmet,SSh-68,Bangtan Helmet, andM59/85.
Alow-cut helmet orfull-cut helmet is a combat helmet that covers the ears, sides, and back of the head. Their most distinct feature is generally their built-in ear covers, with a distinct outward jut where the ears roughly are. They somewhat resemble mid-20th century bowl helmets, but have noticeably more coverage and better ballistic materials suited for modern combat. Since the 21st century, many low-cut helmets have been equipped withrail integration systems, and the ear covers in newer models have been expanded to make space for headsets.
Low-cut helmets were first popularized in the 1980s and include thePASGT helmet,Mk 6 helmet,Mk 7 helmetSPECTRA helmet,CG634,Hełm wz. 2000,MICH TC-2000,Advanced Combat Helmet,Lightweight Helmet,6B47 helmet, andQGF-03.
Ahigh-cut helmet is a combat helmet that lacks the extensive ear, side, and sometimes also back coverage provided by a full-cut helmet. The intent of the lack of additional protection is that the resulting helmet is lighter, more comfortable, and easier to wear with rail systems and accessories such aswireless headsets andear protection. High-cut helmets were possibly developed from bump helmets and custom-modified low-cut helmets in the late 20th century, and became popular in the 21st century; several modern examples are variants of preexisting low-cut helmets or ballistic versions of bump helmets.
Examples of high-cut helmets include theFuture Assault Shell Technology helmet,MICH TC-2001, and the high-cutEnhanced Combat Helmet.
Amid-cut helmet orgunfighter cut helmet is a combat helmet that is roughly a compromise between a full-cut helmet and a high-cut helmet, providing a similar profile and some of the extensive protection of a full-cut helmet while also allowing for the light weight and ear protection mounting permitted by a high-cut helmet.
TheMICH TC-2002 is one of the few known examples of a mid-cut helmet, though newer helmets such as theIntegrated Head Protection System also feature mid-cut design elements.
Abump helmet is a combat helmet that is intended to protect the wearer from falls and unintentional hard hits to the head (i.e. "bumps"). They thus generally lack the ballistic protection and weight of traditional combat helmets, forgoing them in favor of basic lightweight head protection and, with rails and mounts, a basic accessory-mounting platform. Sometimes, a bump helmet may simply be acommercial off-the-shelf helmet intended forskateboarding orwhitewater kayaking that provides similar "bump" protection in a low-profile design, though modern purpose-built bump helmets also exist that somewhat resemble high-cut helmets.
Technically, helmets that provided little to no real protection from anything other than falls and weather were rather common historically, such as thepith helmet. However, the modern concept of a bump helmet dates back to roughly the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, when the aforementioned sports helmets were popular withspecial forces who sought the fast and lightweight movement that pot and low-cut helmets used by regular forces lacked, while also needing proper head protection that cloth headgear like theberet andpatrol cap could not provide. Example of modern bump helmets include the Pro-Tec helmet (originally a commercial skateboarding helmet, now with military variants) and the Team Wendy EXFIL LTP (purpose-built bump variant of a high-cut helmet).
Cushioning is used to negate concussive injuries. Researchers at theLawrence Livermore National Laboratory published a study in 2011 that concluded that the addition of1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) of cushion decreased the impact force to the skull by 24%.[17]
