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Cap Camouflage Pattern I
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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Later this month 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division will be the first unit to receive the Integrated Head Protection System. They will also receive the Modular Scalable Vest II and Ballistic Pelvic Protection.

 

The helmet can mount a ballistic mandible and visor.

 

The helmet also has a Modular Ballistic Applique which is a 2.5 lb piece that can be added on top of the helmet shell to offer increased ballistic protection similar in concept to the stirnpanzer for the WW1 Stahlhelm.

 

The IHPS features a boltless chinstrap mount. There are still holes to mount the chinstraps, but they use a different method to hold them in.

 

The helmet has double the blunt impact protection of the ECH and also has a device to measure head trauma.

 

The helmet weighs slightly less than an ACH.

 

It was already tested for airborne use by 57th Sapper Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade back in July.

 

Currently Ceradyne is the only manufacturer.

 

 

 

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Based upon what I can see, it doesn't look like it would need to be modified for jumping out of airplanes. It appears to have all the straps in place. However, it would be interesting to see if there are any modifications necessary for jumping.

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USMC-RECON0321

Looks like great protection, but if worn with the face mask appears to greatly affect ones peripheral vision and even seeing up and down without having to move your whole head. Seems it would also limit voice commands, facial expressions (reading lips when needed) and hearing. yes, I'm sure it will have an internal communications system and maybe something to assist with hearing. But as with anything in the military, I would have a plan B for when those go down. And anything I've worn over my eyes like goggles or a helmet shield has always steamed up at one point or another. Honestly, love the protection, but would hate to wear it on patrol.

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

 

 

The IHPS features a boltless chinstrap mount. There are still holes to mount the chinstraps, but they use a different method to hold them in.

 

 

I was wrong on this, the first article I read was unclear. There are no holes for chinstrap mounting. It has only 1 hole in the shell, for the visor/NVG mount, a version of the IHPS without a hole for the bracket is in development.

Based upon what I can see, it doesn't look like it would need to be modified for jumping out of airplanes. It appears to have all the straps in place. However, it would be interesting to see if there are any modifications necessary for jumping.

I am pretty sure it is jumpable without any modifications.

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Looks like great protection, but if worn with the face mask appears to greatly affect ones peripheral vision and even seeing up and down without having to move your whole head. Seems it would also limit voice commands, facial expressions (reading lips when needed) and hearing. yes, I'm sure it will have an internal communications system and maybe something to assist with hearing. But as with anything in the military, I would have a plan B for when those go down. And anything I've worn over my eyes like goggles or a helmet shield has always steamed up at one point or another. Honestly, love the protection, but would hate to wear it on patrol.

It looks like there are holes in the top of the mandible to allow air flow. This may also help relive blast pressure, one of the reason full face helmets took so long to be adopted is because tests found the increase blast pressure from IEDs from non lethal to lethal levels. I assume they solved that problem with the IHPS.

 

A different solution is Revision Military's "Battleskin Cobra" used on the UK's Virtus helmet has a position on the visor that allows it to be raised slightly so there is a small gap between the mandible and visor.

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I
Technically this helmet does not belong in this section of the forum as it is ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, not steel or kevlar ;)

 

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It should be noted that the IHPS in the above picture is an old prototype from 2017. Notice it doesn't have the holes in the top of the mandible. The more recent picture of an IHPS below has holes added.

 

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I don't know for sure as it hasn't been mentioned in the press releases so far, but I am fairly certain these are to prevent the mandible and visors from trapping secondary shock waves from explosions which significantly increases pressure inside the helmet. In the case of Naval Research Laboratory tests on the CIPHER helmet prototype they found a mandible and visor more than doubled pressure inside the helmet. (source)

 

 

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This picture does a good job of showing how the mandible clips onto the side of the base helmet.

 

I am confused by the screw on the mandible mount because the PEO SPE manager Lt. Col. Whitehead has said that the only bolt hole in the IHPS is for the NVG mount, perhaps the crew does not go all the way through?

 

The applique plate may be attached with a strap that goes over the top, but this strap can been seen on IHPSs without the applique plate, so it may be to hold the visor/NVG mount in place.

It looks like the IHPS will have nape pad armor like that used on the ACH, it may be a new design or NSN as I looked up the NSN for ACH nape pad armor and no contracts have been made since 2013, although it is possible that contract is indefinite and they are still being manufactured under it..

 

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The chinstrap is different from the Ops-Core Head-Loc used on the some ACHs and on the ECH. The rail can be removed from it's mount. I am still unclear entirely how the camouflage cover attaches. This one has "velcro" on the helmet shell under the cover, but other examples do not.

 

The US Army Acquisition Support Center says the IHPS is 5% lighter, but does not specify to what, I assume the ECH. It also says the helmet has passive hearing protection but does not elaborate. They also also say the ballistic applique allows the helmet to provide protection from rifle rounds, but ACH's have already stopped 7.62x39mm in combat, and the the IHPS was unveiled at a ceremony where SSG McQueen was presented with his ECH, which is made of the same UHMWPE, which stopped a 7.62x54mmR round at 20m square on.

 

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Looks like the cover has the same IR squares with covering flaps, but has more "velcro", the corners are rounded which makes me think they are not for patches, whcih means they may be to attach the ballistic applique, but this seems somewhat un-sturdy to me. It also looks like there is a cord and lock on the back which is probably to adjust the strap that goes over the top.

 

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

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This picture of a Soldier of 23rd Brigade Engineer Batt, 1-2 Stryker BCCT, 7th ID testing the IHPS on August 8th 2017 is the best back view of the helmet I have seen so far. The cord on the back may be elastic, and it looks like there is another layer sewn to the inside at the bottom back of the camouflage cover, possibly velcro to attach it to the shell.

 

3M/Ceradyne will sell the helmet with minor differences to other nations and possibly law enforcement under the name F70.

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

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From this picture of 23rd Brigade Engineer Batt, 1-2 Stryker BCT, 7th ID testing it back in August 2017 it appears the nape armor is a new design which velcros to the back of the helmet, rather than around the nape pad of the chinstrap like on the ACH and ECH.

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  • 1 month later...
huntssurplus

So the back and sides of the neck are still exposed? From the first picture I thought it would fit more like a motorcycle helmet! Definitely an interesting new design, are there any specs on how much ballistics the face mask could protect from? And is the visor some sort of plastic? I feel like I would be worried of something hitting it and then it shattering into my eyes!

Interested to see how this will be developed. Also is this meant for just the Airborne, or a new Army-wide helmet?

Hunt

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I wonder if the visors will be removable or at the very least easily exchangeable? Seems like something that would get easily scratched or if covered up by let's say mud for example, would lead to a severe loss of vision.

I guess you could call this the IPHS' father, but I like the idea and look of the older MTEK G3A. Provides more airflow, what I'd assume would be roughly the same amount of protection and a major plus is that it can easily be added onto the existing LWH and ACH (not sure about ECH) helmets, completely negating the need for a new helmet.

 

First up is an LWH with the MTEK attached as used by a Marine in 2011 (note the gouge from an IED).

 

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And the MTEK as attached onto the Army's ACH with some neat art work as well.

 

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

The Visor is removable like an NVG Rhino arm, I am not sure if the lens can be removed or not.

 

The IHPS is stronger and lighter than the ACH, and without the weakness of chinstrap screw holes, so it is not completely equivalent to an ACH with MTEK.

 

Great photos of the MTEK, thanks for sharing. Do you own the LWH with MTEK?

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The Visor is removable like an NVG Rhino arm, I am not sure if the lens can be removed or not.

 

The IHPS is stronger and lighter than the ACH, and without the weakness of chinstrap screw holes, so it is not completely equivalent to an ACH with MTEK.

 

Great photos of the MTEK, thanks for sharing. Do you own the LWH with MTEK?

 

I'm not disagreeing that the IHPS might offer greater protection compared to the ACH/LWH/ECH, but I wonder if the extra protection would be cost-prohibitive and lead to the program become canceled? At the very least, I figure that the MTEK might be a stop gap solution.

 

I wish I owned that LWH, but sadly I do not. From what I was told, the helmet belonged to a Marine who used it during his tour. As you can see, there's a gouge on the left side of the helmet after he was caught in an IED strike. The photos were taken of the helmet and sent to MTEK afterwards. The one he's wearing in the photos is the same one pictured.

 

Here's a few more pictures of the same set as well as the vet wearing it.

 

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  • 3 months later...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I

A little more info

 

The Next Generation IHPS is projected in the 4th quarter of fiscal year 2020, not sure what is projected, maybe the first prototype? I assume the Next Generation one is the one that was previously mentioned to have the strength of the IHPS with the applique armor built in, without the applique and no Visor/NVG screw head.

 

Full rate production of the IHPS has been solicited and full scale lots of the IHPS will start being delivered in the 2nd quarter (January-March) of Fiscal year 2021.

 

 

from https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/soldier-protection-system-sps/

 

 

A couple more pictures

 

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The best view of the back I have seen so far. I wonder what the numbers are.

 

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A comparison, on the left a IHPS near to the finished version, notice the cover is a different shape and no vents on the mandible. in the middle some form of experimental IHPS, the mandible is the same as some experimental IHPSs I have seen but haven't seen the rest, on the right probably the first prototype, I believe the mandible and visor are the commercially available Revision Military Viper A3

 

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a prototype IHPS

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  • 2 months later...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Natick have successfully used and tested a new molding process that allowed them to make a ~3lb IHPS which will provide a "classified" level of protection equivalent to the applique armor throughout the entire helmet without any added weight.

 

2nd BCT 1st ID were issued 150 Gen II IHPS for testing on 19 Sept 2019 which is lighter and provides a greater level of protection, probably the IHPS referred to above.

 

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soldiers of the 3rd SFAB at Ft Hood 10 Jan 2019, seems they have also been issued the IHPS

 

An a turret gunner of an armored unit in Afghanistan were the first to be issued the Gen I IHPS with maxillofacial protection a couple months ago. Most soldiers are not issued them, they were designed for turret gunners. Less than a week after they were issued it a gunner had a brick hurled at him from the street, it was stopped by the mandible which "saved the Soldier's life"

 

The IHPS is made from Spectra Shield 6472, a UHMWPE fiber made by Honeywell

 

source 1 source 2 source 3 source 4 source 5

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

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3rd BCT 82nd Abn in southern Afghanistan on 8 Aug 2019

 

Here a soldier, almost certainly attached to 3rd Bct based on the details of the post complains about the pads in the IHPS, which he says are like the ones used in the ACH.

8/15/2019:Comments: We are wearing the IHPS helmets, which I do not think are not on the drop down menu. The current helmet pads we have cause major pressure and comfort issues. They are the standard issued pads and are bulky and do not conduct heat well. When we patrol, the soldiers consistently have headaches and red marks on their heads once we get back to our motorpool. We are outside the wire 12-18 hours a day, in 100+ degree weather and direct sunlight. I am the Fire Support Officer assigned to this Infantry unit, and I try to get as much stuff as possible for these Paratroopers because I am tired of the Infantrymen getting shafted for equipment. Some of the junior enlisted are thinking buying their own pads and I do not think that should be a purchase they worry about. We have been on ground for about a month, and are here for another 8 months. Anything you can send us would be greatly appreciated; packages are the highlight of the soldiers week.. 2LT, US Army

 

 

Sorry all of these post have been disjointed, I will try to do a comprehensive write-up sometime.

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  • 2 months later...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion 504th PIR at Pope Army Airfield before deploying to Iraq to reinforce the embassy. 1 Jan 2020

The Soldiers wear a mix of IHPSs and ECHs or possibly other ACH profile helmets.

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We just got these over here. Next to the 3 piece sleep system its the best thing Ive ever been issued.

 

No. The screws for the attachments on the side do not go all the way through. Theyre retainer screws.

 

The helmet cover is very tight in there is Velcro on the shell plus there are clips around the edge that fit around the lip of the helmet.

 

The chinstrap to me feels extremely flimsy and cheap even compared to the army issue one that comes on the ACH. Thats my biggest qualm.

 

Yes the pads are the issue pads but just like my other helmet I stripped out several of them to make it more comfortable. With some hard head veterans or some memory foam pads it would be much better.

 

It takes about 10 minutes to put everything on it, it comes with the chinstrap and pads already in it. You have to put on the cover and the rails and you are done. There are two brown filler screws that you take out then you place the rails on and then you put two black screws in their place. Like I said before they do not go all the way in.

 

Across the back most people are putting their name tape. On the sides people have been doing unit patches among other things, I R tape to designate squads or platoons, fireflies, etc. etc.

 

Also we are not an airborne unit. There is also another unit here, not airborne, that Ive seen running around with them.

 

If you would like specific pictures let me know

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Can you ship it to me so I can see it for myself. LOL!!!! I want one!!!

Nooo. Didnt you read it was my second favorite thing ever?!

 

But I can post for detail...just need to know what to focus on

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Pictures would be great DUSMCN, the photos I would most like to see would be of the inside, chinstrap, and the outside without the cover.

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