New Standard Issue Helmet

[onecat]

This has been on my mind for a while now, so I thought I would post here and get some answers.  Lastest helmet in use with the CF, why was that design choosen?  It look very different from the current US helmet, and most Nato countries seem to be using the US design; so why aren‘t we?

Thanks


Edited to correct the typo in the topic title -- it was driving me insane!! Vern

 

[Michael Dorosh]

See the book TIN LIDS by Roger V. Lucy, Service Publications - http://www.servicepub.com

 

[D-n-A]

I think that the current helmet we use is similar to the US one, only ours isnt as big

 

[Recce41]

Ours is a French version, we did have the US crap in 94. But we designed and made our own. The new helmet will be two piece. The liner will be a bike style. The outer will be same as the one now and a crew type helmet. To keep the **** Commander of the Army happy. Only Grunts wear helmets in a veh, now everyone does. You cannot gun a tank or Coyote with a **** helmet.
Grunt officers come up with stupid s$%^.

 

[Redeye]

The biggest advantage (according to some, at least) about the Cdn pattern helmet is the suspension has a different design so that in theory it doesn‘t slide forward/backward about the head like the simple single chinstrap of the US PAGST helmet.

As far as I know, the design is unique to Canada, they‘re made in Quebec somewhere.

 

[hoganshero]

How does the new pattern helmet interact with body armour in the prone position? I understand the US is debating replacing the "fritz" as soldiers are complaining about the collar of the body armour pushing the helmet forward when prone. Perhaps they should adopt ours if it interacts well with th ebody armour??

 

[Devlin]

Not sure about you guys but the little plastic adjustment clips on the straps are absolute and complete sh!t. At least put some friggin teeth on the clamping portion so the straps stay in the same place.

My 2 cents

 

[Michael Dorosh]

The screws that hold the chin-strap in place are over-engineered as well; you lose one of those screws (there are two at each attachment point IIRC, one INSIDE another one...) and there is little to do about it in the field. We had a weapons tech who found that part of his job was using his little screwdriver and can of loc-tite to fix helmets.

 

[kurokaze]

How does the new pattern helmet interact with body armour in the prone position? I understand the US is debating replacing the "fritz" as soldiers are complaining about the collar of the body armour pushing the helmet forward when prone. Perhaps they should adopt ours if it interacts well with th ebody armour??

I can attest to this. While in the prone or
lying face-down on the ground and wearing the
flak vest + helmet it becomes very cumbersome
to look up without lifting your upper torso in
the process. The helmet simply slides forward
almost covering your eyes. Doesn‘t seem to be
a problem for people with long necks but for
some of us we ended up removing the collars on
the vests to alleviate the situation.

 

[hoganshero]

I can attest to this. While in the prone or
lying face-down on the ground and wearing the
flak vest + helmet it becomes very cumbersome
to look up without lifting your upper torso in
the process. The helmet simply slides forward
almost covering your eyes. Doesn‘t seem to be
a problem for people with long necks but for
some of us we ended up removing the collars on
the vests to alleviate the situation.

I‘m assuming it is the canadian pattern helmet your are talking about. If so does anyone know of Ottawa looking into this or resolving it outright? What type of testing did the items from the clothe the soldier project go through? How does that fact "sneak" through the system?

 

[Doug VT]

That will never change, there‘s no way around it. You‘ll just have to accept it.

 

[Jungle]

I‘m with Doug on this, there will never be a perfect helmet/vest combination.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

If and when they do come up with a helmet that doesn‘t interfere with the vest, guaranteed that rainwater will run straight off of it and down the back of your shirt!

 

[Jarnhamar]

I get a kick out of watching new guys on patrols with rucks go to ground. They learn pretty quick to fall on their side and not go into the prone.

 

[Andrew_Power]

what do you mean?

 

[GrahamD]

If you ever tried going to ground (or fell forward) with a backpack on, you know that the weight of the pack either A.) simply helps you fall a little faster, or B.) the weight shifts forward (or up as it were) and makes you top heavy, which helps your face accelerate toward the ground at an alarming speed.
Put enough weight on your back (ie a rucksack full of kit) and you are looking at doing some potentially serious damage to yourself, like fracturing your wrists, or maybe even losing some teeth on a rock.

I‘ve never tried it, either with a rucksack or a rucksack and helmet combination, (just what I know from outdoor paintballing with a backpack on), but I would think that the ruck might interfere with the back of the helmet making it difficult to look forward as you go prone, or even pushing the helmet over your face.

I don‘t know, does that happen?

 

[MG34]

Well if you are going to ground with a ruck on you are doing something wrong!!!The drill is to dump your ruck so you can fight and move.The ruck stays on if you are in the kneeling position.It is no fun fighting with a ruck on,having done it for several kilometers during fighting withdrawls,anti ambush drills etc.most times in these situations you are either running or firing from the kneeling.If you come under close contact and there is time ie. you are not under effective fire the rucks are dropped off and retreived after the battle with any kit left over from casualties being divided up or destroyed if not important.This is why everyone in the section must have their kit packed the same and be inspected regularly.

 

[N.Grundle]

i keep searching around to find the name of the CF combat helmet, so dont yell at me for wonderin' but whats it called?

 

[medaid]

This is not directly related to your question, however, you are not a member of the Royal Westminster Regt, and hence should not be using their unit crest as your Avatar. Just incase those of the Regt call you out.

 

[Thorvald]

i keep searching around to find the name of the CF combat helmet, so dont yell at me for wonderin' but whats it called?

The helmet is made by Gallet out of France, though I assume it was made in Quebec under contract like everything else in the Military...  :  See the last page of the User's Manual at the link further down.

http://www.gallet.fr/index.php?id=407&L=0

It is known as the Model CG634 helmet.

Users Manual is scanned in here: http://hem.bredband.net/runmat3/Manuals/ca-cg634/ca-cg634.html

Enjoy.