New Delhi: The India-US ‘Yudh Abhyas’ in Rajasthan last month has sparked comparisons between the helmets worn by Indian and American troops. While the US soldiers wore ballistic helmets during the joint military exercise, Indians troops were equipped with mere bullet-proof helmets, which provide little protection.
This is not the first time that such comparisons have emerged. In 2018, when India-US conducted the ‘Yudh Abhyas’ in Uttarakhand’s Chaubatia, the US Army’s official X handle posted a photo of an Indian Army personnel trying on the Advanced Combat Helmet of one of the US troops. Many social media users, at the time, noticed the drastic differences in the helmets of the two sides.
A lot has changed since 2018. The standard-issue Model 1974 Helmet was around till 2018. Kanpur-based Indian company MKU’s bullet-proof helmets have replaced them now. The phasing out of older models for newer ones though is an ongoing process.
Model 1974, with its fibre-glass body and nylon suspender, could withstand a round from a 9mm carbine, but an AK-47 round from close range could easily pierce it. In 2018, the Indian Army ordered 1,58,000 bullet-proof helmets from MKU, but these do not help against AK-47 bullets.
When it came to counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, Indian soldiers made a jugaad—patkas. Rounded, thick steel with a combat cloth around it, a patka protects soldiers from close-range heavy firing, say from an AK-47 used by militants. However, patkas are crude and heavy, weighing roughly 2.5 kg. Also, patkas do not provide full protection, covering only the forehead and back of the head. There have been cases where soldiers using patkas were injured due to hits to the head or ricochets.
Back in 2018, the Indian Army, apart from the MKU helmets, ordered nearly 1.6 lakh Kevlar-based helmets, which are lighter. But, to this day, soldiers in several operational areas continue to rely on the patkas during close encounters with insurgents.
In 2020, the Army started procuring ballistic helmets by issuing an RFI (request for information). Currently, 4.8 lakh frontline troops have ballistic helmets. According to Army sources, 40 percent of the procurement is complete, while 50 percent is left. Roughly 10 percent of the procurement will be left untouched for future development, i.e., in case of any technological advancements, the Army will get new versions of those helmets, ensuring that at least some frontline troops get the newer versions.
Several Army commands and specific units have already gone in for specialised ballistic helmets that provide better protection and allow the soldier to use several gadgets. For instance, troops in the Special Forces use the EXFIL ballistic helmets, which feature a hybrid composite shell for increased strength and a unique geometry for optimal fit. India acquired the US-made EXFIL High Cut Ballistic Helmet in limited numbers in 2020.
Moreover, MKU has designed its first combat helmet for Sikh soldiers. The Kavro SCH-112-T—a special ballistic helmet that Sikh soldiers can wear on the top of their turban—provides ‘all-round ballistic protection’.
MKU has exported over 30,000 helmets to the Philippines Army and police forces, according to a report. Several other countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Egypt, have shown an interest in MKU body armour, including helmets.
MKU, in November last year, unveiled its latest product, the Kavro Doma 360 lightweight ballistic helmet, at MiliPol in Paris.
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A look at what major armies are using
The US
The United States replaced most of the Personnel Armour System for Ground Troops (PASGT) helmets with the Advanced Combat Helmet, known to be lighter than the PASGT and equipped with a Night Vision Goggle (NVG) bracket hole.
Several types of advanced helmets, now used by militaries across the globe, are more than just a piece of protective headgear. Currently, helmets infused with technology aim to drive situation awareness for the troops using them.
The latest headgear has several devices attached to it, such as night goggles or electro-optical devices, GPS devices and several other HMDs (head-mounted devices). These devices enable real-time situational awareness that soldiers can convey to command and control centres for inter- and intra-squad operational efficiency.
One of the main changes in protective headgear is that newer versions are lighter in weight but provide increased protection against ballistics penetration or resistance to fragmentation by ballistics. There is also a difference in the material used to make the helmets—‘aramids’/Kevlar in older helmets, and polyethylene in the newer ones.
The US has been making strides in inducting newer types of helmets. According to Army Times, the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division received the Next Generation Integrated Head Protection System helmet, the latest version of the Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS), in February 2024. The new helmet weighs nearly 3.27 pounds. The Army Times reported further that the helmet provides increased ballistic and fragmentation protection while reducing the weight required to reach this protection level by 40 percent.
The US Army also has some PASGT and the Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH) in service.
Russia & China
The Russian Army uses the 6B47 helmets. These are ballistic helmets, part of the Ratnik infantry combat programme, aimed at modernising the Russian military. The helmets use aramid material. It is capable of being equipped with mounting communication equipment.
Russia also has the Bars-L helmet, designed by the Steel Research Institute, part of Rostec’s Kalashnikov Concern. Russia first demonstrated the Bars-L at an arms exhibition in St Petersburg in April 2024.
Russian forces also use the 6B7 helmets, which have replaced the older SSh-68 helmet.
While not much information is available on helmets used by China, the QGF-O3 helmet took design elements from the American PASGT and German M826s, according to Far East Tactical. The helmets use Kevlar composite material. Previously, the Chinese Army used the steel GK80 helmets. The Chinese military is now expecting to get the Type 21 PLA helmet.
Reports suggest China has also come up with advanced antenna helmets, equipped with bomb-triggering buttons, including a ‘self-destruct’ button.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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