The New Helmets That American War Fighters Wear Are Very Displeasing.

That would make a great motorcycle helmet. Add a pair of "Rommel's goggles" like they used to advertise in the comic books and everyone would want one. I'm talking about the first one, not the second one that makes SERIUS7 queezy. There used to be this guy who mounted a pair of viking horns on a metal German helmet and wore it while he was tooling around town on his motorbike. He sure did look strange, and turned a lot of heads as well.

 

Couldnt find a real German helmet only this modern lookalike.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/two-tone-leather-Triker-horned-german-helmet-viking-vw-buggy-beetle-kit-car-/251343844051?nma=true&si=fZMfjSAgoi3LEQCDRU26dXvWjSQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

Britian was flying jet fighters in 1941, combat jets in 44 and the early days of the cold war was littered with British jets in most western nations. Farnborough had more foreign visitors buying than Mickey Mouse had parades. Relevant cold war jet program on BBC at this time. Go over to BBC website for more details. Cold war Jets.

 

That's cool. The ECH used by Americans. was a US Marine Corps initiative to use thermoplastics instead of Kevlar. The companies involved in its development were Mine Safety Equipment, Ceradyne, Gentex all US corporations and BAE, a London based defense company. Development on that helmet began in 2007. Australia's ECH is an Israeli design, the RBH303 by Rabintex Corp. but with modified padding and is a modified version of the US MICH helmet. It uses similar materials to the PASGT. The MICH was developed by the US Army Soldier Systems Center and first entered service with SOCOM in 2001 (development began around 1997). The ACH, Advanced Combat Helmet, began replacing the MICH in 2003.

Australian ECH

 

That's about what it looked like!

 

I wore the old WWII style brain bucket for years then upgraded to the more modern look. The original 'new look' were simply called 'kevlars' but were heavy as hell. As time went by we were issued better helmets. The design does seem to have made a not insignificant difference in combat. TBI and splinter protection are increased but no helmet is going to eliminate all threats and still be efficient at the tactical level. Many tip of the spear combat units, real gunslingers, don't even wear helmets.

 

That pretty much depends upon the mission. In infantry units that do most of the fighting an killing, helmets are ubiquitous, and you seldom see them in areas where contact is likely without one. If you're talking the high speed special ops boys, like SEALs, Special Forces, Force Recon, MARSOC or Delta, if they're intending to actually get in a gunfight they will normally wear some type of protection for their grape. You've got flying debris, fragmentation weapons, both incoming and outgoing and a myriad of other hazards to protect against. The helmets are somewhat different designs from the standard issue, most include integrated NVG mounts and attachment rails systems. Here are some examples:

MARSOC Marine with MICH 2001 helmet


Special Forces (Green Beret) in Afghanistan



Marine Force Recon


SEALs

They use so many variants. in the dozens, that it's hard to keep up with all of them but, Protec's, the MICH-TC2000, the TC-2000 and TC-2001 and the Ops-Core helmet.



Ops-Core Ballistic FAST helmet

 

Agree with USMCPrice, if you are expecting contact you are probably wearing a helmet. The soft caps are for when no contact is expected or wanted.

 

USMC Price and Arminiuss, I agree with your valid points and probably was a little too glib in my initial comments. Certainly the mission would dictate the proper equipment to take. I would, however, argue that there are as many situations where special operators would not wear the heavier brain buckets but would go with soft covers or the ballistic 'hockey' head gear. Anyway, I feel like we've all spent too much time on this topic anyway.

 

I dunno if anyone's mentioned this, but the German "coal scuttle" helmet was in use in WW ONE, yes, at the end, but long LONG before the nazis were around.

 

Not at the end at all, I read that the first tests on them were done in 1915.

 

Still a valid point though. The shape, despite it's association isn't specifically/technically Nazi.

And then there's the Irish.


And the Afghans:


And the Chileans:

 

Modern German firefighters.

 

Chinese

 

clothes factories.

IIRC the Italians introduced camouflaged cloth in 1929 for field tents followed by the Germans in 1931 and both then did produce "camo" clothing from the same patterned cloth. A lot of the "SS" camouflage was from looted Italian cloth stocks though they also had their own distinctive patterns.

 

I love this thread, it manages to be both funny and informative at the same time, true to this forum. I think we need to subcontract our uniforms to the Italians, Ferragamo leather coats and Scarpa boots, Prada rucksacks, smashing, what ? Versace accessories ( Chrome helmets with ermine plumes) for dress wear and we might stick with a local, Ralph Lauren for combat.

USMCPrice would be styling is such an outfit ! He is probably loading his Colt 1911 as I type....with Federal Hydroshocks .

Hey, the Brits used to have snappy red and white uniforms, how did that turn out. ?

I am just glad I can go to work in blue jeans and a sweat shirt....

Gaines

 

Actually, I'd go with the French. Any good uniform needs to have some tradition behind it and we have a history with some "spiffy" French duds. What about bringing back the Zouave uniform??

How's that for fashionable? They even appear to be assuming fashion poses.


Here's another, just to illustrate that it's not just a parade uniform.

Then you have it shown with the Turban as part of the ensemble for deployment to middle eastern countries.

 

Looking at items related to Switzerland & saw this experimental American helmet design from WW1 posted on another website.

 

I have to say that I don't like the look of modern US Army uniforms and helmets either. I don't object to better coverage for the head and better camouflage, but I just wish someone would put in a little effort to make the stuff the troops wear both useful and visually appealing. I don't regard the two as mutually exclusive.