Ceradyne, a 3M company, announced availability of its 3M Ballistic Helmet F70, which delivers a high level of protection at a light weight, during the AUSA 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C. that took place from October 14 to 16.
According to the company, the helmet model can be used in multiple threat environments, suitable for military combat missions, special forces operations and law enforcement tactical operations.
“The helmet geometry creates a comfortable and modular design that is well suited for a wide range of missions and includes a novel no thru-hole construction for mounting the NVG shroud, retention system and rails,” Ceradyne said in an October 14 release.
“The elimination of thru-holes increases the shell’s effective protection area, reduces overall system weight by up to 31% (compared to the finished shell of an ACH helmet) and eliminates the risk of bolts becoming secondary projectiles during ballistic events,” it added.
Ceradyne’s portfolio includes multiple helmet options, including 3M Ballistic Helmet F70, Combat II L110 and Ultra Light Weight Ballistic Bump Helmet N49.
The company said its F70 provides V50 fragmentation protection against 17-grain .22-caliber FSP at greater than 2,760 feet (840 meters) per second. The ballistic shell weight starts at 1.52 pounds in the high-cut version and 1.75 pounds in the mid-cut version.
The L110, on the other hand, provides protection against select small-arms projectiles including V50 ballistic limit value greater than 2,400 feet per second (greater than 731 meters per second) against the 7.62 x 51 mm M80 NATO ball projectile.
At just over one pound (0.46 kg) for size L, its N49 provides V50 protection against 17-grain .22-caliber FSP at greater than 2,200 feet (more than 670 meters) per second.