A bulletproof or ballistic helmet is meant to protect from small, fast-flying pieces of metal, like small bullets and shell fragments.
Certain features are generally added to bulletproof helmets. Companies use different technologies, but the ultimate goal is protecting the wearer. Making bulletproof or ballistic helmets starts with getting the required fiber sheets. Next, the fiber sheets are impregnated using resin to properly bind the layers together.
1.Altyn Titanium Helmet
Most ballistic helmets today are made from Kevlar. Kevlar, as most people were mistaken, is a fiber. Not a hard piece of plastic.
2.Kevlar
Most helmets have layers upon layers of Kevlar bound together with a resin to give shape to the helmet and resist deformation caused by the projectile.
The resin gives the ‘hardness’ to the helmet, not the Kevlar itself. Kevlar is nothing more than a tear-resistant cloth, and its layering design makes it shear resistant to stop bullets from pushing their way through the threads into your noggin.
3.Polymer
There is a third type of material used in ballistic helmet making. This is a relatively newer endeavor, a kind of polymer whose material is classified. It is a lighter polymer than the Kevlar or Dyneema variants. A single-piece construction, it is molded. It is also IIIA-rated and is capable of stopping fragmentations.
What is the perfect material for ballistic helmets?
For several reasons, metal is typically not an optimal material for bulletproof helmets.
- Weight — metal is heavy, pretty self-explanatory. Generally, the weight you can expect someone to carry on their head is significantly less than the torso. Also, consider that many users will add a kit to the helmet, increasing its weight.
- Spalling refers to a metal’s tendency to break into fragments when struck by a bullet. These fragments are very sharp, hot, and fast. They can often inflict deadly trauma even when the initial projectile is stopped. Spalling can be reduced with a liner which adds weight.
- Effectiveness — modern aramid fibers and composites have proven to be much more effective bullet and shrapnel stoppers while offering significant improvements in blast and shock protection. It is especially apparent on a protection/ weight basis.
For these reasons, modern ballistic helmets tend to be constructed of Kevlar or similar fibers, perhaps bolstered with some composites or ceramics.
What Ballistic Level Are Military Ballistic Helmet?
That depends on which Military and which helmet. Every Military has helmets, and most military forces have more than one kind of helmet.
Most helmets are in countries other than the US, so they use their standards. But, even in the US, military equipment is made and tested to military standards.
The newest helmets of major nations are generally equivalent to NIJ level II or IIIA. Russia has developed a couple of helmets that come close to reaching the equivalent of NIJ Level III, but those are too heavy for general use.
Older helmets didn’t even reach NIJ Level iiia helmet and were intended to provide limited protection against small fragments from explosions. New helmets provide greater protection against fragments; incidentally, they may stop some pistol rounds. However, no military uses a helmet that stops rifle rounds as their regular helmet because such helmets are too heavy and bulky.
How Effective Are Ballistic Helmet?
Most modern military ballistic helmet protect against pistol caliber rounds and fragmentation/ricochets of rifle rounds. However, they typically won’t protect against a direct hit from a rifle. Therefore, it’s very difficult to protect from rifle rounds, even if the helmet is bulletproof.
It depends upon the helmet’s material, the weapon’s caliber, and the distance to the target.
In the olden days, troops wore solid steel helmets with good protection but little comfort. Since then, there has been a steady rise in the quality and wearability of military helmets. Depending upon the area of operation, various types of helmets are in use by the Military.
Bulletproof helmet, such as the Level iiia Helmet or the PASGT Helmet, that can withstand rifle bullets as well as fire support and shrapnel. Several ballistic helmets that military gear suppliers now sells have been certified by the National Institute of Justice to block handgun bullets up to and including the.44 magnum. Some of them include the abovementioned helmets.
