New prototype Combat Helment from Ceradyne and Wilcox
I saw this prototype helmet from Ceradyne and Wilcox when I was walking the floor of AUSA. I thought that these guys were on track with integrating battery, NVG, EO camera and LED light components into the helmet itself. Let me know what you guys think.
MOdular Hard Wired Kitted (MOHAWK) Combat Helmet Specs:
- Boltless retention system reduces inside surface obstruction
- Multiple universal mounting points for accessories
- Lighter NVG attachment (lighter is always nice!)
- No shell hole/s for NVG attachment
- Offers a lighter weight helmet solution by combining power sources, and eliminating battery backs for each devices.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I thought Helmets where heavy before not you can have a tone of stuff on top. I wish they dump the crappy German style helmet and go for a new design.
Yes I was hoping for a completely design as well. I wonder if offer better smaller arms protection than current MICH or even old PASGT helments.
I agree with both you guys but fundamentally like the concept of integrating these into a helmet…especially into one power source. This will save a lot of weight and simplify things….now we just need a better helmet design…..Brandon
Funny! Guys want a new design but this helmet style has proven again and again to be most effective in protecting one's head.
What about sharing what you don't like about the helmet? The greatest downside is hearing is mitigated but there seems to be plenty of tech to overcome that shortcoming. What's your beef with the helmet? Too hot, too heavy, not enough designer colors? :)
BTW, anyone but me notice how quick the movie story fell by the wayside?
The people at John Hopkins University School of Medicine have put out an interesting article about neurological issues relating to helmets and trauma, one which seems to validate the complaint that helmets are too heavy:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/release…
Thanks for the link but that's a leap attributing it to helmets. About 1/1000 deployed troops get returned from theatre for headaches. 67% never come back. The story left a lot of unanswered questions. What types of soldiers were these? What were their duties? What percentage had concussion type injuries? How many had a history of migranes? (the story did not report how many of the 1000 had a history of migranes nor was any relationship made between migranes and helmet wearing) Equivalent numbers probably exist for boots and body armor. A point is reached where engineering just goes so far in mitigating the wear and tear of combat.
"Validate"? Maybe "implies" is better? The study size was 1000 troops. Let's not be in a rush to make a problem where one doesn't exist. Much more study is required.
There's another study out there that says a larger helmet would reduce impact to the head from explosions by 24%. That would add about 4 ounces to the avg 5.5 lb helmet. Need more study required on this issue also.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-04-17-ar…
I'd rather have a little brain trauma than a bullet in my head!
Wearing helmets suck and they're annoying – but you won't regret wearing one.
7lbs is what Natick looks at as the max weight that can worn on the head. While the idea and design of this is better than many of the previous concepts I've seen, I still see weight as being an issue.
The MICH weighs 3 lbs (M) to 3.6 lbs (XL). The average helmet weighs about 5.5 lbs with NVGs. If helmets are "heavy" might be al the gucci gear like rails, lights and cameras we're hanging on them?
This concept could be integrated into any helmet design. With that said, pretty much anything Wilcox does is a hit! I would like to see a better helmet, but what do expect from Ceradyne? OpsCore has pretty much set the standard by a mile, and I don’t think we’re going to see anything better come from anyone else for awhile.
The first thing I thought of when I saw the picture was the helmet from the French Félin program. It looks kinda the same, minus the swing away eyepiece that the French system has.
would it be correct or on the right track to describe the guts of this system as being one battery/power source with multiple jacks/outlets/conduits for other electronics to be attached? It does not seem that the shape of the helmet is particularly important in regards to that.
If that is the case could this system be adapted to be compatible with helmets of other manufacturers? I wonder what battery is used in the electronics portion and how long battery life would be when all devices usually used are plugged in.
If that is permanently attached then they're going to have to make new helmet covers.
I love it !! it is a long ways from the steel pots we had to wear. Granted the steel pot was great for allot of things but the Mich is so much better and the very reason i have the latest one.
Just remember, most of the stuff on display at the AUSA are prototypes. Those companies are trying to get the military, ours or theirs, to buy stuff. Most will never be produced…
I suppose one one of the earlier writers would like us to go to the pie plate style helmet or the old steel pot design, maybe the Russian or Japanese style. The German style gives maximum coverage and also keeps rain water from dripping down on your face or back. I would like to see them add the facial coverage that the German Medievel style provided. The power supply on the back gives great weight distribution and convenience of operating all systems from one point.
Well said, Mark! The Germans configured this shape helmet, as providing maximum protection, in 1916!
as a person who rides a Harley,all I can say is that they should be making the helmets lighter.I wear a full helmet,after a couple of hours I get a sore neck.Too add weight is a dumb idea,there will be an increase in neck injuries.I know somebody who has neck problems from the weight of night vision gear,can't even get a disability rating higher then 0%,can't work,gets S.S. instead
Helmet should include face armor, hearing protection, and 3 each NBC filters. The NBC filters should be located in the back, low with inlet behind the rim, and breathing passages that are integrated with the head suspension system. breathing exit would be near the chin. Hearing protection should amplify sound before the shooting starts, and saturate at a no-damage level to protect even when amplified sound is selected. Face armor should make the eye slots bullet/frag proof with a wide field of view, and the face tilted to avoid glint. Night IR-vision should be mounted on top with the eye piece reflecting off the inside of the eye armor into the viewer's eyes. Mounting on top prevents the twising moment associated with the NVG on the front of the helmet. A throat piece, like that on a baseball catcher's mach should protect the neck from fragments/rifle bullets coming from the front.
Revision has a few prototypes with facial protection for the army's heag gear system. They seem viable exept for the fact that they'll likely be really hot inside and you need an extra mount for nvg's because the eye sheild uses the normall nvg mount. Also i can't really see how you would get any knid of sight picture. It's called the MPAs.
Don, new version of Mohawk includes comms + hearing protection. Check it out http://www.threat4.com/AUSA_2012_Press_V2.pdf
One very important question no one's asked: How long would the batteries last? All those systems represent a major power draw. Especially running a camera, IR light, and NODs all at once.
A couple of questions for you all: How many injuries does the current helmet prevent? How many casualties does it cause?
This ain’t your daddy’s/gran pappy’s helmet from Vietnam/WWII.
which were really only good to keep dirt/frag from artillery blast nearby from falling onto your breelcrem hair-do!
Ceradyne and Threat4 have just releases the MOHAWK helmet with integrated comms & hearing protection http://www.threat4.com/AUSA_2012_Press_V2.pdf