As a former marine from new Mombasa, I can tell you these helmets absolutely would not save you from a 9.5x40 from a br55 from a friendly fire incident
Prior service ODST here, 23/65, a buddy of mine actually did survive a needle rifle on his helmet (though no this one) before. The round bounded off his helmet, which was beyond lucky. Getting called "pin head" for the rest of his time was not. rip
Personally witnesses an ACH deflect a point blank 5.56 coming out of a SAW during a MOUNT training mishap. Guy was severely concussed but ended up being okay. Really glad the guy was okay, and really really glad I wasn't in their unit.
@@GarandThumb How can two things be good at the same time though? Is that legal/allowed? I thought it was required that only one thing was good so we could be upset about the other thing.
Another fantastic demonstration of how a ballistic helmet's primary function is NOT protection from rifle/pistol rounds but rather a secondary function. They are primarily designed to protect from shrapnel and blunt force trauma.
When I did my mandatory military service in a central-European country, I asked what calibers the helmet would protect us from. Got the answer "None. It'll protect against some shrapnel. Maybe". Very confidence inspiring.
Helmets have saved lives. If it is at a weird angle it may well deflect the round or take enough sting from it to save someone's life. Your head won't.
Considering 80% of the casualties in Ukraine are from shrapnel, it's probably fine that it only protects from shrapnel. You make the helmet too heavy and soldiers won't wear it. Doesn't matter how many rounds it can stop if it's on your backpack and not on your head
I cannot tell you the amount of times I bumped my head into stuff, either on accident or due to being in a shaky transport. That helmet saved me from a lot of concussions.
Not a combat veteran but I have read numerous reports and seen multiple videos of US soliders in both Iraq and Afghanistan take rounds to the head and survive due to oblique angles and long ranges, the ECH is no joke, its an excellent standard issue ballistic helmet. What I saw from the IHPS in your video I definitely agree that it seems to be a complete upgrade with weight savings, additional blunt force trauma improvements (this being the critical part), and it even managed to stop a point blank 7.62x39 round (anything with 25 meters is point blank in terms of ballistics). I think the US Government got this one right, even a broken clock is right at least twice a day.
I remember a range Sgt at Ft Benning who was a vet of Grenada. He went in with, I believe, 82nd Airborne. Anyway, he had a 1st Gen K-Pot, the super heavy bucket with the double thick rim around the edge in front & back and the double thick side protection over the ear area. He caught an AK to the noggin, right on that thick rim in front. It snapped his head back, sprained his neck, but did not penetrate. It actually stuck in that rim. He got to keep the helmet and turned it into a conversation piece.
My drill seargents in 73 told about one of their friends, also a DI, who got hit in the side of the head by an AK round. Apparently it hit, amf imbedded 1/2 inch into the side of his head. “He was STRAK before. He’s very mallow now compared to before.”
@ 30 years ago, I worked with a guy who was a squad leader in Germany, on the Czech border. He said there were constant border issues, and nothing made the news. One incident was when they got this HUGE black private. He was so big, his steel pot wouldn't fit even at the loosest setting; it looked like a helmet from Beetle Bailey on his head. So, one day on patrol, this private suddenly pitches face first into the dirt. He stands back up, wobbly, touches the back of his head, and comes away bloody. He then pitches face down again, and stands up wobbly. He feels the back of his head again, and again comes away bloody. After this, everyone got low, left the area, and hunted cover. They called for a medevac, and the wounded private was taken back to base while the rest went on a sniper hunt. The shooter wasn't caught, but the 2 spent 7,62x54mmR cases were there, roughly 1,200m away from the spot where the private was standing. He recovered and from then on was known as "Hard Hat", because the 2 rounds DIDN'T PENETRATE; his skull bone was literally 1" thick! Same Sgt, different patrol, he and his RTO had to get up high to get signal in a mountainous area. So, they're up on this peak, next to a steep dropoff (his description), when up out of the dropoff comes a Czech Mi-24 Hind. He said that Hind just hung there, the 4-barrel 12,7mm machinegun tracking every little movement they made. He told his RTO to freeze, then held up his right hand (the radio handpiece was in his left), and gave a slow wave to the crew in the Hind. He said the pilot did a wing waggle, gave a little wave, then flew off. They were scared shitless that those Czechs were going to light them up .
@@Dragon_Werks you're telling me the thin strip between west Germany and Czech Republic had armed conflict along the border and I never knew? Where can I read more
Helmets went into widespread use during WW1 and for specific reason of protecting head against shrapnel and rocks flying around after an explosion, raining down on entrenched soldiers. Nice to see how far technology got in getting even limited protection against close range bullet shots.
There are other options, just nothing practical and price effective. Most samurai’s had little to no armor. The beautiful armor prices you see were only owned by wealthy samurai.
It is Ashigaru you are talking about. Samurai were nobles, they were expected to have a certain standard in gear and atire. Often going as far as lending money and going bankrupt to keep the requirements.
2009 Afghanistan I was the victim of a command det IED made with a Russian 152 Artillery round the blast bounced me off of an MRAP and out of the whole round one piece of shrapnel hit me in the side of my helmet and it went through just far enough to split my scalp about 6 inchs on the right side of my head, my interpreter ran out a grabbed my oh shit handle on the back of my body armor and drug me behind the MRAP, The piece that hit me was about the size of a Gerber tool, our Doc had to pull the piece out of my helmet with a pair of pliers to get my helmet off, they medivaced me back to Bagram where they xrayed me and found no fractures stitched me up and held me over night, I thank the guys who invented that helmet for my life, I still get headaches but I'm alive and still able to hold my wife and grandkids because of that helmet.
This helmet is designed to be worn together with a PT belt. This is not an accurate test as the helmet will not perform properly without a PT belt in the direct vicinity...
I had a buddy who served in Afghanistan around 2013 as a Combat Engineer and took a 762x39 to his back plate and the side of his head. Miraculously the round caught and he spent a good bit in the hospital but he’s still kicking. Those helmets are life savers. (Forgot to mention it was his back plate and the side of his helmet sorry for confusion)
@@bowdezaufa2609o he's probably not lying, there's been plenty of cases where a 7.62x39 round from far away lodged itself into the ACH or went around the rim and got stuck in the kevlar fibers, if the round it from far away and has lost energy it's not a surprising case but yea normally it's 3A rated.
@@thegalapagos57 Theres just far more cases of that round making a clean pass through the ACH with a soldier wearing it, but from an angle or hundreds of yards ...you're right.
@@bowdezaufa2609 In Afghanistan and Iraq, if someone got shot by a terrorist from far distances everyone just assumed it was from an AK, but the Taliban in Afghanistan had a large supply of SVDs that the Soviets left behind in the 1980s Soviet-Afghan War along with a lot of 7.62x54mmR and those could and would punch through an ACH from the 2000s era. SVDs weren't as common in Iraq but they were readily available on the black market along with the ammunition for it. That made a significant amount of what I did in Iraq, a buddy and I would confiscate weapons from potential arms dealers.
@@MisterNi I served in Afghanistan in 2010 and 99% of the weapons we confiscated were AKs and pistols. A 54r would go through any ballistic helmet made even today.
My step dad and his cousin were playing war when they were young back in the 70s he shot a piece of tin my cousin was behind and hit him in the neck with a 22 he thought he was gonna die then my cousin shot back at my step dad who was behind a tree and he caught bird shot in his leg from a 410. It was a skinny tree he still has the shot in his leg.
I was issued an IHPS last year. Absolutely love it compared to the ACH. Fits better on the head and NVGs mount a lot more firmly with little to no wobble.
oxide was the first to expose the army. the ech is far superior to ihps. what's the point of catching the bullet if the deformation kills you. just wear extra large helmet? with softer padding. please..
@@cagneybillingsley2165 that’s definitely not the right answer. Even having a helmet that’s half the weight is bad for your neck when worn for long duration, no matter how strong your neck is. Any weight savings is always better.
Note that the size of the helmet does actually affect its structural integrity. The smaller the helmet, the tighter the radius of the dome, the more resistant it will be to buckling under stresses.
Shoot, I completely forgot we got these right before deployment. Definitely enjoyed the weight savings...Time to see if it would actually have saved my butt though lol. As always, thank you Flannel Daddy for answering the burning questions I didn't know I even had lol
@@MrDK0010 I respect that. I will say compared to ACH I was rocking before the IHPS (keep wanting to say IHOPs), the IHPS was a huge quality of life improvement. Not just the weight savings but the multicam shroud is just attached with velcro (no need to pop the bolts out for the chinstrap to attach a shroud), no helmet band to tie down with 550 cord (just had to put name and blood type on a little hook panel for the IHPS), I felt that the chinstrap was a little better (didn't need to adjust and tighten constantly when running NODS). Might not seem like much but all these things definitely made this a huge improvement.
I was issued the IHIPS and I also have an ACH the weight difference is amazing. Im glad to see these helmets able to perform just aswell as the older helmets
Thank you for the video. While I'm not exactly a survivor of the Battle of Belleau Wood my service time was a while ago, but I still find this stuff pretty interesting. Back in the day we all wore our helmets with really no idea how they would perform under certain circumstances. I think it's nice that today that all this kind of information is out there for the troops.
I absolutely love the fact that "If you're not fit, you're gonna die" is still a thing. Currently I am trying to get as fit as possible due to this dad advice. Thanks GT!!!
@Donald McRonald lol it’s not a difficult task to “single handedly” kill any number of folks when you’re a sniper and have enough targets to shoot at. Not to mention the guy was a psycho before the war. He definitely had the means and the attitude to be a rather successful killer.
We got in a TIC at my COP in Afghanistan back in 2010. The gunfire had ceased for a few minutes. My team leader stood up for way too long and took a single round through the helmet (ACH) behind his right ear. We believe the shot came from about 200m out. He lived for about an hour after he was hit but died at KAF.
@@slushypuppies I don't know anything about the subject but I would assume that at the initial speeds, some rounds have so much energy they shatter on impact rather than hold shape and penetrate
The Army and Marines have made some very different acquisition choices over the last 5 years. I cool video would be a comparison not only of capabilities, but of the different ideologies behind their different choices.
"There are tons of good helmets out there..." - unfortunately, these two no longer qualify. "...My old man's a TV repair man. All I need's a few tools and I'll have this baby looking good as new." - Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. ..... A comprehensive, no-nonsense evaluation. Well done.
They issued the IHPS to my unit before deployment, and speaking from experience I can say that it is extremely comfortable, light, sturdy and does it’s job with NVGs and mounts. It is honestly everything you want and more In a combat helmet. It’s a million times better than the old ACH and other helmets I’ve worn in the Army. I might just lose it in a boating accident…who knows? 🤷♂️
So that FLIPL will state that you lost it. Got it. A turd is a turd. Also, that plastic bracket lever rattles with NOD's and has a lot of play. Don't exaggerate how superior it is. All it is is more comfortable.
I recommend looking into getting shock indicator labels to cheaply measure blunt impact. They're a few dollars each and could be useful with testing armor and helmets
@800lb Gorilla helmets weren't originally meant for ballistics though. A majority of deaths they prevent come from shrapnel and vehicle related head injuries. Yes, they are now made to help stop ballistics, but the point of a helmet is shrapnel and blunt force trauma, not ballistics.
@@jdub8925 The PASGT helmet designed in *1977* was explicitly built to provide ballistic protection, specifically NIJ Level IIIA using Kevlar Aramid, in accordance with MIL-STD-662. So if by "yes they are now made to help stop ballistics" you mean for the last 46 years, you're right. Thanks.
@800lb Gorilla how long have militaries been fielding helmets? Romans? Vikings? The Crusaders? Safe to say a few thousand years right? So if something with a history that long was remade in 1977, it's pretty safe to say they have recently been made to help prevent injuries to ballistics. Point being, helmets still save more soldiers from blunt force trauma than ballistics. And the key word in YOUR statement being "ballistic protection" because they are far from being bulletproof.
@@jdub8925No armor is "bulletproof". Plates aren't 100% either. In the scale of things, being not dead is the goal. Also I assure you I'd rather be wearing an old timey helmet if I was struck by an arrow or sling bullet. I might actually live that depending. So protection from projectiles has been a thought going into the design to one degree or another since y'know Like the bronze age.
While I realize you really need a new helmet each time you shoot it for a real test, this still was interesting and enjoyable. The lightness of the helmet seems more important as helmet mounted gear becomes more important.
@Mega Comet they have been getting worse and worse over the last year. Make sure to report them when you see them, youtube can't keep up without people reporting bot accounts
I was always confused when watching ballistic tests of the IHPS vs the ECH. I figured the shell construction would be roughly the same between the two helmets. I'm very curious as to why so many other peoples tests show massively more backface deformation on the IHPS, while yours shows nearly identical or better performance to the ECH. Great video, it's always awesome to see an additional data point.
I wonder if those performing the other tests were using legitimate IHIPS? I wonder if it's possible they may have used a knockoff? GT mentioned it several times as well that he was surprised based on other testing he had watched via video. I think it's a good question and worth looking into. Maybe these other channels who experienced substantially different results could revisit their tests, ensuring a genuine IHIPS as their test subject?
What I suspect is that Oxide tested the helmet without any padding on a roll of paper (Unlike the dummy skull in this video, which can provide some support to reduce the back face deformation)
@@dustinfrey3067 the first channel I'm thinking of that tested the IHPS and showed lesser performance vs the ECH was Oxide. I'm pretty sure he was using a legit IHPS, he has a pretty good track record with these tests. It's also interesting that in his ECH test it performed much better than in this test. All in all I think these tests were both really good, I just wonder what factors could have caused these differences.
I was Issued the IHPS on my deployment in 2020 and i can comfortably say it is far more comfortable then the ECH so if the ballistics are similar then i see it as a win.
As someone whos used the ACH, IHPS, and OPSCORE throughout my career(as well as messing with a HHV a little) I can confirm nothing was more disheartening in this new wave of gear they're pushing out than hearing everyone would be getting the IHPS. Nobody in a unit using OPSCOREs would ever touch them, and most people in traditional units I've spoken to are denying issue of them so they can continue using their ACH. And that's not to mention the IHPS isn't even compatible with half of our NVGs. Total disaster and such a disappointment when the alternative was OPSCOREs for all.
I had an ACH for the entirety of my Army career thus far (11B) and it was never an issue for me. The weight never bothered me and I liked the way that it fit my head because I have a rather large cranium. I was issued the IHPS when I PCSd to fort Bragg after airborne School and I hate it. It's uncomfortable, it fits goofy, and the structural integrity of it during airborne operations was never fully tested as it should have been so we cannot remove any of the screws from the helmet even though we are supposed to jump them slick without nods mounts (psq42). Interesting helmet to say the least.
I looked like a dumbass with mine but also i was a medic in the guard so that should tell you all you need to know. But for real the helmet with all the padding made it look absolutely ridiculous on my skinny ass.
Im in the same boat brother (11B). I hate it. Over here in Hawaii I only wear it over my ACH because it's a little more comfortable with over the ear comms headsets.
Yes, only issue I have with the current high cut Tac helmets is the head sides being a little too exposed. Solution needs to be incorporated for both armor and comms together to fill in the gaps. I support the Army's new direction with the IHPS and I hope they can continue to improve on it's effectiveness. No helmet is 100% guranteed but I've always preferred the better coverage provided by the ECH, along with the PASGT and the MICH 2000.
@@danleonhart1 have you worn one? What I've found in my unit having worn pasgt, ACH and opscore, is that people are more consistant with their fitting and wearing of them. Because they are ergonomic and fit well, and are significantly lighter that rate of use is higher. For the sake of marginally additional coverage with an inferior aramid fibre I think that's a worthwhile trade off. It only offers protection when people are wearing it, not when it's sitting on the dash, or with the chinstrap undone, or strapped to your pack and you wearing a boonie because of the climate.
@@21kiwi24 oh no problem, although no helmet is guranteed.. rather reduce the risk of headshot with better helmet coverage. Just be reminded the exposed skin and bone on both sides your head. With the added ear protection gear that won't prevent rounds penetrating. If you rather die comfortable, just be sure to inform the bad guys to ambush your unit by aiming the back and foreheads only.
Late to this video, but helmet designer/maker here. There are ballistic bolts and screws, so there should be no worries if there are exposed bolt/screw heads if the right material and proper construction is used.
Hi, I was part of the project while producing these helmets for the army, at the time the company was owned by 3M. If the products we are putting out saves lives, then I am glad we made them.
I think Ceradyne is still owned by 3M, that is who made my rifle rated helmet. Did you have any experience with RF1 or RF2 helmets? If so how did the perform during testing?
@InsanoBinLooney probably instant death. They explode and since the helmet wouldn't have the same armor as a tank would have it would blow your head off probably. It's the reason why light armored vehicles have indentation craters from era going off.
I somehow have the feeling that this information is classified. As far as i know it works similar as an 18-20" .308 but from much shorter barrel lenght. Which is beneficial if everyone gets an surpressor by default.
@@uwesca6263I mean, the data on the round is available, and I think the ammo might be physically available to some degree? And the rifle platform it isn't hard to make guesses on, since the exact same thing in .308 is on the market. Plug the public ass data from these two things together and you could figure quite a bit.
The lighter design by itself is already a win. I'm assuming it was this new helmet, but my buds got issued new helmets through RFI and I couldn't believe how much lighter the new one was. A lot less sore necks lol.
@@SteffiReitsch the old ones probably doesnt get destroyed. The get shelved so as soon as someone else need a lot of helmets the US can provide them asap.
@@SteffiReitsch if the upgrade makes the soldiers more comfortable, thus increasing their battlefield performance, that's kind of the purpose of DOD upgrades.
Another example is uniforms. At least a hundred million blown on replacing the Armiy's green service uniform with blue, for no good reason. Trying to look like the civil war? Then, after a short time they've decided they don't like the blue and are changing to WWII brown! Another hundred million+ squandered. Navy, similar thing. Tons of money spent putting sailors in ridiculous infantry uniforms aboard ship- blueberry with white, so if they fall overboard they can't be seen? Then after a very short time and tons of millions blown, they ditched those blueberries for a forest green/black camouflage infantry uniform- for sailors aboard ship? LOL. Now after only a couple of years of that weirdness, the Navy is changing yet AGAIN! More millions. This time back to a blue dungaree style like the old days. OMG. Money to burn! Yeehaa.
Something you should keep in mind is that the helmet gets weaker with each impact especially around the region where the last strike was. That resin cracks on impact and loses its structure which means increasingly more back-face deformation. When we first got issued kevlar helmets in the Canadian army in the 90's, they actually told us that if we dropped our helmet on the ground, it had to be exchanged for a new one. Obviously that's a bit extreme and people didn't exchange their helmet because they dropped it on the ground, but it highlights the concern for weakening resin with impact shock.
I would agree with your final statement. I also watched Oxide's video and we have to figure that his methodology was to chuck the most powerful threat he could at it, right at the start. I think all things considered this kevlar is still a quality product. Troops lives will be saved by this equipment. 12:58 I've never seen someone be headshotted like this or even seen combat but when I was an engineer I had a sergeant who once told me the most visceral story about one of his battle buddies in Iraq who took a shot from a rifle through his helmet (probably a PASGT or early ACH) so close to him. That image took me aback just then, like wow, it looks so real.
whether or not the troops actually need to be in a position that these will be saving their lives is a different story. all wars are banker wars never forget
Oxide is an idiot. He doesn't even put a dummy head inside the helmet, which means there is no outward pressure coming from the inside of the helmet to aid in structuring. Even NIJ testing has this.
I really enjoy these videos with the ballistic dummies. If you could take some criticism on a key part of the test though. Just like wimp wristing can cause a malfunction, these helmets were kinda wimped. If you could attach the head and strapped the helmet on, then it would absorb more energy thus providing different results.
I never expected them to stop anything but a .22, what i'm more curious about is how they'd perform in their intended function, shrapnel. Idk how hard it is to get a hand grenade but im interested to see how the helmets would hold up against the explosion and shrapnel from a grenade suspended, say, 5m/15ft above them.
Two things: A. As long as bullets carry the flbs. of energy necessary to be lethal they will cause either death or significant injury to the helmet wearer. The kinetic energy of bullet alone would cause a serious concussion. B. If you want the best military helmet that can be made, require that both a senator from the appropriations committee as well as a board member from the manufacturer participate by wearing the helmet during these tests.
I'd probably rather have a concussion than y'know, have my brain bits be outside my skull. Like obviously it's still very bad, but that's armor in general. Not taking damage when getting shot? Too tall an order. Reduce odds of dying instantly by a good margin? Now that's reasonable
Used this very helmet down range in Afghanistan during my time at Fenty in 2019-2020. They looked pretty decent and a lot lighter than our normal ach. Wish they would’ve let us keep ‘em and switch out or ach.
I went from the steel pot to the last generation ballistic helmet (ACH/ECH) worn in Afghanistan. The only problem I had was that someone figured out how to make a lighter helmet so freaking heavy by adding all sorts of crap on it. It caused me a lot of harm and 3 fusion operations later my neck still hurts all the time and I have permanent nerve damage in both arms.
GT: In today's episode of GT, we will vibe check this new helmet with various ammunition and fragmentation. Micah: Where are the dummies? GT: Micah: WHERE ARE THE DUMMIES?!
Since the invention of the helmet, the number of TBI has increased from received shrapnel to the head.... Because if the helmet didn't let it kill you, it hurts like hell Instead ...
I don't know how difficult it is to get multiple pieces of the same armor/gear, but I really wish you would have multiple helmets on hand, due to the helmets taking a great deal of damage throughout the video. I feel like each prior impact against each helmet muddies the tests with the application of prior moments of inflicted damage being involved with each trigger pull. Opinions you may be coming away with could be affected by damage that wasn't inflicted by only just one round.
I was always told no helmet was made to stop a rifle round. They’re for shrapnel and pistol rounds at the most. That was back when we had the PASGT and the MICH was just starting to be issued
Thing I like about these kind of videos is it actually gives us (frontline dudes) a glimpse at what our equipment can handle in real time before or if we ever have to get active.
My 1st deployment, I saw one of our MRAPS that hit a IED, everyone survived, but driver lost his left foot. But I trusted the MRAPS after that, because they hit a big IED.
It gives you none of that, this is entertainment. You can request through your Company Commander copies of the Safety Release/Safety Confirmation produced by the US Army Test & Evaluation Command (USA ATEC) for any piece of kit you've been issued. Further, your unit can likely request additional Capabilities & Limitations Reports and the approved Fielding Plan/Memoranda. By Reg, they are all *supposed* to be delivered with initial fielding of materiel, but it rarely is.
@@silvermediastudio this video is supposed to be semi educational dude. Chill with that paragraph writing. If it helps someone you don't have to be boiling mad about it. Sheeesh
@@silvermediastudio well smart guy, since you're so mad about people finding a video and learning something from it I'll let you have that little bit. Cope and seethe friend, cope and seethe.
Same. Understanding that helmets are not meant to be bulletproof (or even necessarily bullet resistant) and then taking into consideration how much lighter the IHPS is over the ACH, I was pleased with it. We all ditched the railsbecayse we weren't given the lights that are supposed to mount to them, and we used our Surefires and Streamlights instead. Other than that minor issue with supply, everyone I talked to about it liked them. It was definitely more comfortable over long periods than the ACH due to the lighter weight
There is some stickers you can use to test blunt force trauma. MythBusters used it. There’s a green you and red one. Both are different in amount of force you need
I would REALLY like to see you do a “review” of the NovaSteel helmet by Adept. Could be a very interesting curveball to throw it in the ring to look at steel again for helmets. Also, their top of the line titanium plates could be interesting to test out, as I think their goal is to be future-proofed beyond current common penetrator rounds.
I'm in the Marines and just got issued my hicut (probably saying it wrong, but that's what we all call it), and it's so much better than are old helmets. Lighter, better air flow on hot days, and feels more comfortable with my pvs 31
It's just a Revision Batlskin so shouldn't be hard. There's a video of an ex squaddie in Romania or somewhere shooting one with a glock and it held up fine. Edit: Oxide tested one recently
The cut, padding and suspension harness may have changed but materially its no better than the old Mk 6. They had the basic recipie right for plastic NATO lids by the 80s and all the later attempts to go lighter with less armamid and glass filled nylon are trying to dodge Newton's law.
One thing that wasn't mentioned in this video, and not seeing in the comments, is that the IHPS does have an available armor applique that attaches to the central dome of the helmet for those who want/need it. This brings the weight of the IHPS from roughly 3lbs to more around 5lbs.
Personally I love it, as an active duty infantryman I can say that me and my soldiers at first were not found of it, but so far we have had no problems with it and will be going on our next deployment with it.
I still hate it. I think the advantages dont out weight how goofy it looks Personally. Altho it you dress it up with cammo netting it looks a little less dumb.
@@azovac Uh no, that bs is pretty important to call out. Keep in mind we have guys in prison as we speak for doing their jobs because of how nutty the Obama era leadership was.
I think the most important thing that could be added to a newer gen helmet, protection wise, would be a slip plane like you find newer dirtbike helmets.
Looks like IHPS still leaves the brain stem exposed. The last patch up for this problem was the soft armor NAPE pad added to the back of the ACH. The lighter weight was evident in the way you handled the helmet. Try that with a PASGT or my first helmet … M1 steel pot.
I was so pleased with the primary arms SLX 3x, that I replaced all of my Sig Romeo's. And I had gone standardized on Sig Romeo for short-range Optics. The SLX allows me to reach out a little further, and the stadia really help with Kentucky windage
I used the old steel pot M-1 helmet, when I first enlisted in 1977. And the, new at the time, PASGT Kelvar helmet when issued for wear in 1982. Both were far better than the M-1 helmet and the M-1917 helmet used in WW-1. The PASGT Kelvar helmet did not have all the foam to cushion your head back then. Whatever is the final result of levels of protection will be in the future. All polymer type helmets will be better than the old steel helmets. PASGT is Personal Armor System Ground Troops. Any bullet, pistol or rifle, could go straight through the steel of both the steel helmets. Offering protection from only small sections of schrapnel. When something is better than nothing, it's still not too good.
Well not true as far as ANY pistol will penetrate the steel pot. One day at the pistol range 1978 I shot a steel pot at perhaps 8 ft away with our arms room rattle trap 1911 .45, ball ammo and it did not penetrate at all. I had set it on the ground and hit it square on front and center about the forehead area. It did look like someone slammed it wilth a sledge hammer. I always thought it would have broke the neck of a person wearing it.
You guys should test out some of the 'Adept' brand armor things. The 'NovaSteel' helmets/mandible and the 'Colossus' level IV+ are super neat, but they're expensive and seem... too good to be true to a certain extent.
Catching an AK round at that range is kind of insane. That much deformation takes that shot from a guaranteed kill to something much more survivable. Definitely would still hurt and could absolutely still kill you but that's impressive.
That's a pretty good shot to hit a helmet at 300 yards. Back when I was in the Army, I had a hell of a time even finding the man sized target at 300 yards, much less just his helmet. Although, I was just using irons sights, so there was that.
You should try the IHPS in warmer Temps, because UHMWPE softens quite a bit from warmth from what I heard. I imagine being out in the desert of Iraq or Afghanistan with the sun shining on it all day might weaken the ballistic performance.
Asked my section commander in basic if my helmet would protect me from a round to the head, his response? “If it does you’ll have a broken neck to worry about” Excellent.
Which is a BS answer because the reality is that it won't break your neck and most helmets won't protect against most small arms but they want people to have confidence in the equipment to avoid being fixed in combat. There are helmets that do stop rifle rounds at close range but they cost $3,000 so only SOF has them.
@@DaveSmith-cp5kj mate a rifle round at close range will absolutely fracture your C-Spine. The energy transfer from round to helmet going on will send your head like a bobble head and your neck is turning into a pendulum. That’s actually a ridiculous statement. I agree with you saying they’re trying inspire confidence in your kit and equipment but to suggest your C-Spine would just be ok is ridiculous, it might not be a full break of the vertebrae but that’s definitely fracturing.
@@theenclave50 It wont break your neck, it's a myth. The only possible way it would be true is if everyone broke their neck every time they fired a single shot. A bullet doesn't gain momentum in flight, it loses it.
A lot of people forget too that a helmet stopping bullets isn't the first and true purpose of its use. Its to keep you from caving your head in on the environment and to help stop shrapnel and flying debris such as rocks kicked up by explosions. If you are hope for it to stop a bullet, you are already fighting a losing battle. Deflection and slowing it so it doesn't penetrate your skull is the real protection you get, and then, only once and even then, most of the time, you are out of the fight.
True that was its original purpose of design but nowadays there is a concerted effort to make them very effective against say pistol rounds, so you should definitely judge it on those capabilities. But yes, you are correct, in WWI, they were designed to stop shrapnel bits and the like, not for the guns.
But your gonna bash it if people atleast try ? Yea it stops bullets but its very sensitive to luck, chance, and coincidences. That being said i rather wear the helmet to up my odds of living to tell the tale.
@@scharnhorst_42 That depends on the helmet. Rifle-rated assault helmets do exist, they're just more suited to brief CQB operations like a SWAT raid than anything else due to their weight. A somewhat lighter variant made with new materials just might be useful for specialist assault units in some circumstances.
In 2008 in sadr city a soldier was hit with a 50 cal round from an enemy rifle. It went through the armor of the door and into the drivers ECH and stuck. The driver went unconscious but survived. CSM Daily took the helmet and used it for safety briefs as to why its important to keep your armor on inside the trucks
Hey man, huge fan. Where did you get that jacket? I’ve been looking for one like that for a while. I could definitely use one, I’m stationed at JBLM right now. 👍
Any example where soldier took a round to the helmet in interior cqb and survived. Luckily we never had a ln engagement in any interior cqb. It was always somewhere with a bit of distance. 20+ yards. Many times almost 100 yards.
Even seeing the ballistic dummy, I was not prepared to see the blood spattered helmet. On the next episode of Garand Thumb, overcoming traumatic stress.
I've handled a couple of them, they seem nice yet just not all they were cracked up to be. Strange Mid-cut setup & rail system. Cant wait to see how it fairs.
I’m really surprised that the new one is that much better impressive it stopped 5.45 at close range, and 5.56 at long range. They did a good job on the helmet nice so see it’s a big improvement I was expecting a pretty much the same performance buts it’s lighter and has more attachment points for more uses and will make soldiers safer and better equipped
You should do a video about the efficacy of shotguns vs quad copter drones at varying heights. The amount of grenades dropped in Ukraine has me baffled seemingly no one has employed shotguns to down these things
As a retired First Sergeant, I can assure you that all those rounds would have been survivable if you had fastened the chinstrap.
I love this 😂 the memories
Jesus, Top, just let me pretend to be John Wayne.
@@teamflyboys buckle your fuckin chinstrap John Wayne
@@teamflyboys no one needs a John Wayne 🤌🏽
Truth. Second only to the most lethal mistake; hands in pockets.
One of the most important factors that should be considered when choosing a helmet is how cool it looks
That is why I wear a portable freezer for ballistic protection.
90% of being cool is looking cool.
@HeWhoIsWhoHeIs say what you will about the nazis but their helmet designs is what paved the way for modern helmets.
That's why everything from Russia is way cooler
Woo hoo! Total burn on my girlfriend ! Blah blah blah" You sent $450 bucks on a stupid Ironman mark V helmet"
As a former veteran of a WW2 reenactment I can tell you those rounds wouldn’t have penetrated if they were blanks
Lol bUt HaVe yOu tEsTeD iT????!
I mean… he’s not wrong
hahahahahahahaha you got me bruh
My brain is hurting from hearing this
The logic, penetranted
As a former ODST who served on Reach, I can tell you that those helmets absolutely would not save you from a needle rifle
As a former marine from new Mombasa, I can tell you these helmets absolutely would not save you from a 9.5x40 from a br55 from a friendly fire incident
Prior service ODST here, 23/65, a buddy of mine actually did survive a needle rifle on his helmet (though no this one) before. The round bounded off his helmet, which was beyond lucky. Getting called "pin head" for the rest of his time was not. rip
My buddy died to a brute shot wearing those helmets 😭
@@Scotchtapee :|
Neither would a spartan helmet, did you hear what happened to NOBLE team’s technical expert
Personally witnesses an ACH deflect a point blank 5.56 coming out of a SAW during a MOUNT training mishap. Guy was severely concussed but ended up being okay.
Really glad the guy was okay, and really really glad I wasn't in their unit.
ACH and ECH both are excellent helmets
Thank the good LORD for the saved life. 👍
exceptions to the rule aren't the rule
@Delsin Hays unless we're talking about sperm.
@@GarandThumb How can two things be good at the same time though? Is that legal/allowed? I thought it was required that only one thing was good so we could be upset about the other thing.
Another fantastic demonstration of how a ballistic helmet's primary function is NOT protection from rifle/pistol rounds but rather a secondary function. They are primarily designed to protect from shrapnel and blunt force trauma.
yes
Good to know my head will be caved in while my body is perfectly safe from bullets. lol
Should of stuck with the Bastion Diamond Age.
so exactly the same as the old helmets from ww1...
@@ugandanknuckles3900 not all of your body just the middle-ish of your plate
it saves when it'd be a lethal hit without it with at least some sort of angle to the shot rather than a dead-on shot.
When I did my mandatory military service in a central-European country, I asked what calibers the helmet would protect us from. Got the answer "None. It'll protect against some shrapnel. Maybe". Very confidence inspiring.
Makes ya keep your head down lol
Better to not find out
Helmets have saved lives. If it is at a weird angle it may well deflect the round or take enough sting from it to save someone's life. Your head won't.
Considering 80% of the casualties in Ukraine are from shrapnel, it's probably fine that it only protects from shrapnel. You make the helmet too heavy and soldiers won't wear it. Doesn't matter how many rounds it can stop if it's on your backpack and not on your head
I cannot tell you the amount of times I bumped my head into stuff, either on accident or due to being in a shaky transport. That helmet saved me from a lot of concussions.
as someone with no combat experience whatsoever, i can confirm that those rounds wouldn't have caused any major damage if they weren't fired.
Except if you sat down on them.
Same as with any other hard objects.
You are supposed to fall on them from a ladder while cleaning naked!
@@Seelenschmiede Ah, yes, sure.
#Accidentally 👍👍
😁
Lol.
🤣
Not a combat veteran but I have read numerous reports and seen multiple videos of US soliders in both Iraq and Afghanistan take rounds to the head and survive due to oblique angles and long ranges, the ECH is no joke, its an excellent standard issue ballistic helmet.
What I saw from the IHPS in your video I definitely agree that it seems to be a complete upgrade with weight savings, additional blunt force trauma improvements (this being the critical part), and it even managed to stop a point blank 7.62x39 round (anything with 25 meters is point blank in terms of ballistics). I think the US Government got this one right, even a broken clock is right at least twice a day.
There is video of one in Iraq. Completely destroyed the helmet knocked the soldier out and saved his life
Guy from my church took a direct 7.62 to the head in afghanistan during a convoy ambush and survived relatively unharmed. ECH the GOAT
The new body armor is also leagues better than the IOTV
It's definitely a damn broken clock.
A broken clock is accurate twice as often as a broken military clock.
I remember a range Sgt at Ft Benning who was a vet of Grenada. He went in with, I believe, 82nd Airborne. Anyway, he had a 1st Gen K-Pot, the super heavy bucket with the double thick rim around the edge in front & back and the double thick side protection over the ear area. He caught an AK to the noggin, right on that thick rim in front. It snapped his head back, sprained his neck, but did not penetrate. It actually stuck in that rim. He got to keep the helmet and turned it into a conversation piece.
My drill seargents in 73 told about one of their friends, also a DI, who got hit in the side of the head by an AK round. Apparently it hit, amf imbedded 1/2 inch into the side of his head. “He was STRAK before. He’s very mallow now compared to before.”
@ 30 years ago, I worked with a guy who was a squad leader in Germany, on the Czech border. He said there were constant border issues, and nothing made the news.
One incident was when they got this HUGE black private. He was so big, his steel pot wouldn't fit even at the loosest setting; it looked like a helmet from Beetle Bailey on his head. So, one day on patrol, this private suddenly pitches face first into the dirt. He stands back up, wobbly, touches the back of his head, and comes away bloody. He then pitches face down again, and stands up wobbly. He feels the back of his head again, and again comes away bloody. After this, everyone got low, left the area, and hunted cover. They called for a medevac, and the wounded private was taken back to base while the rest went on a sniper hunt. The shooter wasn't caught, but the 2 spent 7,62x54mmR cases were there, roughly 1,200m away from the spot where the private was standing. He recovered and from then on was known as "Hard Hat", because the 2 rounds DIDN'T PENETRATE; his skull bone was literally 1" thick!
Same Sgt, different patrol, he and his RTO had to get up high to get signal in a mountainous area. So, they're up on this peak, next to a steep dropoff (his description), when up out of the dropoff comes a Czech Mi-24 Hind. He said that Hind just hung there, the 4-barrel 12,7mm machinegun tracking every little movement they made. He told his RTO to freeze, then held up his right hand (the radio handpiece was in his left), and gave a slow wave to the crew in the Hind. He said the pilot did a wing waggle, gave a little wave, then flew off. They were scared shitless that those Czechs were going to light them up .
Holy shit, that sniper probably just ran away, after shooting a guy twice in the head and him just getting up and rubbing his head 😂
My grandfather was hit with a round from the space shuttle door gunner and he has the thruster from the space shuttle
@@Dragon_Werks you're telling me the thin strip between west Germany and Czech Republic had armed conflict along the border and I never knew? Where can I read more
Resistance to blunt force trauma is a big one when you consider how many of the US Army's deaths are vehicle accident related.
des the helmet help against friendly fire tho?
@@Brooyah they should add IR strobes so the A-10 can friendly fire more precisely
@@0katze The a10 is so old it doesn't even have IR and people still say the its better than the F-35
@@BasedGrandmasKitchen whoosh......
I used to wonder why tank personnel wear helmets inside of their thick armor. Seemed a bit superfluous.
Helmets went into widespread use during WW1 and for specific reason of protecting head against shrapnel and rocks flying around after an explosion, raining down on entrenched soldiers. Nice to see how far technology got in getting even limited protection against close range bullet shots.
Helmets were always used.
Not when it came to firearms, don't think a bicorne qualifies as a helmet.
@@Tojo89 That's a hat. A shako is a helmet of that time for example. Romans already used the cassis.
There are other options, just nothing practical and price effective. Most samurai’s had little to no armor. The beautiful armor prices you see were only owned by wealthy samurai.
It is Ashigaru you are talking about. Samurai were nobles, they were expected to have a certain standard in gear and atire. Often going as far as lending money and going bankrupt to keep the requirements.
2009 Afghanistan I was the victim of a command det IED made with a Russian 152 Artillery round the blast bounced me off of an MRAP and out of the whole round one piece of shrapnel hit me in the side of my helmet and it went through just far enough to split my scalp about 6 inchs on the right side of my head, my interpreter ran out a grabbed my oh shit handle on the back of my body armor and drug me behind the MRAP, The piece that hit me was about the size of a Gerber tool, our Doc had to pull the piece out of my helmet with a pair of pliers to get my helmet off, they medivaced me back to Bagram where they xrayed me and found no fractures stitched me up and held me over night, I thank the guys who invented that helmet for my life, I still get headaches but I'm alive and still able to hold my wife and grandkids because of that helmet.
A true miracle. I am lucky to have never put this helmet to the test in my deployments. God bless you and I thank him that you're still with us.
God bless you.
@@calid.this is bait
@@replexity idk what u r talking about
that is what you get when you get involved in the affairs of other countries, stay at home you will be better
This helmet is designed to be worn together with a PT belt. This is not an accurate test as the helmet will not perform properly without a PT belt in the direct vicinity...
If a PT belt would of at least been on the table. That helmet would of stopped an API. Of any caliber!
Is there anything gayer than a PT belt, oh yes, soccer.
A pt belt is like a strength buff I would bet money if it had a PT belt on it, it would stop a 50 from 3 yards with 0 deformation
@@jpop3583 oh no for sure bud. Lol.
Hard
I had a buddy who served in Afghanistan around 2013 as a Combat Engineer and took a 762x39 to his back plate and the side of his head. Miraculously the round caught and he spent a good bit in the hospital but he’s still kicking. Those helmets are life savers. (Forgot to mention it was his back plate and the side of his helmet sorry for confusion)
These helmets won't catch a 7.62. Ol boy might have been telling a tale.
@@bowdezaufa2609o he's probably not lying, there's been plenty of cases where a 7.62x39 round from far away lodged itself into the ACH or went around the rim and got stuck in the kevlar fibers, if the round it from far away and has lost energy it's not a surprising case but yea normally it's 3A rated.
@@thegalapagos57 Theres just far more cases of that round making a clean pass through the ACH with a soldier wearing it, but from an angle or hundreds of yards ...you're right.
@@bowdezaufa2609 In Afghanistan and Iraq, if someone got shot by a terrorist from far distances everyone just assumed it was from an AK, but the Taliban in Afghanistan had a large supply of SVDs that the Soviets left behind in the 1980s Soviet-Afghan War along with a lot of 7.62x54mmR and those could and would punch through an ACH from the 2000s era. SVDs weren't as common in Iraq but they were readily available on the black market along with the ammunition for it. That made a significant amount of what I did in Iraq, a buddy and I would confiscate weapons from potential arms dealers.
@@MisterNi I served in Afghanistan in 2010 and 99% of the weapons we confiscated were AKs and pistols. A 54r would go through any ballistic helmet made even today.
That .22 damage was way more than I'd expected, and I've caught one of those in the calf as a kid! 😮
That hurt didnt it
@@duonglethai8701 Naw, he built a tolerence by shooting himself with increasingly powerful airguns.
Why were you going around shooting baby cows? That's just mean.
My step dad and his cousin were playing war when they were young back in the 70s he shot a piece of tin my cousin was behind and hit him in the neck with a 22 he thought he was gonna die then my cousin shot back at my step dad who was behind a tree and he caught bird shot in his leg from a 410. It was a skinny tree he still has the shot in his leg.
@@Sk4llikinsane reference
I was issued an IHPS last year. Absolutely love it compared to the ACH. Fits better on the head and NVGs mount a lot more firmly with little to no wobble.
That nvg mount is fragile asf
UltimateDan1 Was the helmet lighter at all?
oxide was the first to expose the army. the ech is far superior to ihps. what's the point of catching the bullet if the deformation kills you. just wear extra large helmet? with softer padding. please..
@@wirelessone2986 build a stronger neck and helmet weight is a non issue
@@cagneybillingsley2165 that’s definitely not the right answer. Even having a helmet that’s half the weight is bad for your neck when worn for long duration, no matter how strong your neck is. Any weight savings is always better.
Note that the size of the helmet does actually affect its structural integrity. The smaller the helmet, the tighter the radius of the dome, the more resistant it will be to buckling under stresses.
Wdym?
Smaller helmet less blackface deforestation
@@futuretrunks3158 What?
Smaller helmet= more a altoid velocity
Smaller helmet = less blackforest discrimination
It’s a good day when Father Garand uploads.
You read my mind.
Indeed it is
So garand daddy?
He uploads almost every Sunday.
yep😊
Can't tell you how much this channel has helped me, going through separation and your the bro vibe I need ,
Shoot, I completely forgot we got these right before deployment. Definitely enjoyed the weight savings...Time to see if it would actually have saved my butt though lol. As always, thank you Flannel Daddy for answering the burning questions I didn't know I even had lol
@@Pallium_Industries They don't want to compromise on the ballistic protection
@@vaitomanocu5562 Who cares about ballistic protection when you can look cool with a high cut though lol
It won't save your butt but maybe your pie hole
@@spencer7197 IHPS looks cooler to me.
@@MrDK0010 I respect that. I will say compared to ACH I was rocking before the IHPS (keep wanting to say IHOPs), the IHPS was a huge quality of life improvement. Not just the weight savings but the multicam shroud is just attached with velcro (no need to pop the bolts out for the chinstrap to attach a shroud), no helmet band to tie down with 550 cord (just had to put name and blood type on a little hook panel for the IHPS), I felt that the chinstrap was a little better (didn't need to adjust and tighten constantly when running NODS). Might not seem like much but all these things definitely made this a huge improvement.
I was issued the IHIPS and I also have an ACH the weight difference is amazing. Im glad to see these helmets able to perform just aswell as the older helmets
The fact that both held up from multiple shots shows how far the tech for them has come.
Thank you for the video. While I'm not exactly a survivor of the Battle of Belleau Wood my service time was a while ago, but I still find this stuff pretty interesting.
Back in the day we all wore our helmets with really no idea how they would perform under certain circumstances. I think it's nice that today that all this kind of information is out there for the troops.
When you were in, it really depended on which blacksmith made your helmet, didn't it?
@@Centermass762 😆
*Bollywood
Be honest, you wore a turtle shell on your head and were issued 30 caliber rocks.
@@Centermass762bruh
I absolutely love the fact that "If you're not fit, you're gonna die" is still a thing.
Currently I am trying to get as fit as possible due to this dad advice. Thanks GT!!!
@Donald McRonald bro was the main character
@Donald McRonald lol it’s not a difficult task to “single handedly” kill any number of folks when you’re a sniper and have enough targets to shoot at. Not to mention the guy was a psycho before the war. He definitely had the means and the attitude to be a rather successful killer.
@Donald McRonald Are you suggesting a farmer, who does manual labor every day, was not in shape?
@@YouReallyDontKnow just like the confederate meatriders to celebrate a murderous sniper 💀
@@Outlander.-. he prolly meant fit in a more traditional way like going to the gym and what not but still a bad example on his part cool story though
We got in a TIC at my COP in Afghanistan back in 2010. The gunfire had ceased for a few minutes. My team leader stood up for way too long and took a single round through the helmet (ACH) behind his right ear. We believe the shot came from about 200m out. He lived for about an hour after he was hit but died at KAF.
Most rounds have an optimum range at which they penetrate better than when fired at point blank range
Shit man. Mad respect to you guys. My TL did some time in Afghanistan too and got hit in the plate carrier at some point.
At least give the man's name so we can honor him.
@@mikehutchinson2191 wait how does that work :o?
@@slushypuppies I don't know anything about the subject but I would assume that at the initial speeds, some rounds have so much energy they shatter on impact rather than hold shape and penetrate
The Army and Marines have made some very different acquisition choices over the last 5 years. I cool video would be a comparison not only of capabilities, but of the different ideologies behind their different choices.
If you can. Go into a little detail in your opinion on the difference choices and the ideologies please.
Yeah, dont the marines have high cut helmets now?
Oh, yes please. Army vs Marine comparison on their choice of helmet
Easy answer
USMC = unfunded
Army = slightly more funded
And yes I am AD Crayon Eater
@@jaidroldan145 I am only seeing M27IARs High cut helmets and in general more well Equipped Soldiers than the US Army
"There are tons of good helmets out there..." - unfortunately, these two no longer qualify. "...My old man's a TV repair man. All I need's a few tools and I'll have this baby looking good as new." - Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. ..... A comprehensive, no-nonsense evaluation. Well done.
They issued the IHPS to my unit before deployment, and speaking from experience I can say that it is extremely comfortable, light, sturdy and does it’s job with NVGs and mounts. It is honestly everything you want and more In a combat helmet. It’s a million times better than the old ACH and other helmets I’ve worn in the Army.
I might just lose it in a boating accident…who knows? 🤷♂️
CIF won't care if you lost it in a "boating accident." Still paying for that bad boy.
Loose?
Thank you for your service.
So that FLIPL will state that you lost it. Got it. A turd is a turd. Also, that plastic bracket lever rattles with NOD's and has a lot of play. Don't exaggerate how superior it is. All it is is more comfortable.
@@mattmarzula Lighter and more comfortable is VERY important.
ACH was a huge improvement over PASGT where comfort is concerned. That webbing was only nice in the summer for airflow over the dome piece
I recommend looking into getting shock indicator labels to cheaply measure blunt impact. They're a few dollars each and could be useful with testing armor and helmets
Sounds good, but it doesn't provide meaningful information in ballistic helmet testing. Similar to this video.
@800lb Gorilla helmets weren't originally meant for ballistics though. A majority of deaths they prevent come from shrapnel and vehicle related head injuries. Yes, they are now made to help stop ballistics, but the point of a helmet is shrapnel and blunt force trauma, not ballistics.
@@jdub8925 The PASGT helmet designed in *1977* was explicitly built to provide ballistic protection, specifically NIJ Level IIIA using Kevlar Aramid, in accordance with MIL-STD-662. So if by "yes they are now made to help stop ballistics" you mean for the last 46 years, you're right. Thanks.
@800lb Gorilla how long have militaries been fielding helmets? Romans? Vikings? The Crusaders? Safe to say a few thousand years right? So if something with a history that long was remade in 1977, it's pretty safe to say they have recently been made to help prevent injuries to ballistics. Point being, helmets still save more soldiers from blunt force trauma than ballistics. And the key word in YOUR statement being "ballistic protection" because they are far from being bulletproof.
@@jdub8925No armor is "bulletproof".
Plates aren't 100% either.
In the scale of things, being not dead is the goal.
Also I assure you I'd rather be wearing an old timey helmet if I was struck by an arrow or sling bullet. I might actually live that depending.
So protection from projectiles has been a thought going into the design to one degree or another since y'know
Like the bronze age.
While I realize you really need a new helmet each time you shoot it for a real test, this still was interesting and enjoyable. The lightness of the helmet seems more important as helmet mounted gear becomes more important.
Wore the ACH in 2010, I would definitely wear an IHPS. Looks like a solid helmet
happy that it performed at the same level as the ECH
@Mega Comet they have been getting worse and worse over the last year. Make sure to report them when you see them, youtube can't keep up without people reporting bot accounts
The- ACK
I wouldn’t want to wear a soft helmet
@Mega Comet They are trying to get clicks from curiosity. Don’t use their links.
I was always confused when watching ballistic tests of the IHPS vs the ECH. I figured the shell construction would be roughly the same between the two helmets. I'm very curious as to why so many other peoples tests show massively more backface deformation on the IHPS, while yours shows nearly identical or better performance to the ECH. Great video, it's always awesome to see an additional data point.
I wonder if those performing the other tests were using legitimate IHIPS? I wonder if it's possible they may have used a knockoff? GT mentioned it several times as well that he was surprised based on other testing he had watched via video. I think it's a good question and worth looking into. Maybe these other channels who experienced substantially different results could revisit their tests, ensuring a genuine IHIPS as their test subject?
What I suspect is that Oxide tested the helmet without any padding on a roll of paper (Unlike the dummy skull in this video, which can provide some support to reduce the back face deformation)
@@dustinfrey3067 the first channel I'm thinking of that tested the IHPS and showed lesser performance vs the ECH was Oxide. I'm pretty sure he was using a legit IHPS, he has a pretty good track record with these tests. It's also interesting that in his ECH test it performed much better than in this test. All in all I think these tests were both really good, I just wonder what factors could have caused these differences.
@@chrisblack6258 I'll have to re-watch Oxides video. that certainly could cause the difference.
ACH
I was Issued the IHPS on my deployment in 2020 and i can comfortably say it is far more comfortable then the ECH so if the ballistics are similar then i see it as a win.
Good luck.
As someone whos used the ACH, IHPS, and OPSCORE throughout my career(as well as messing with a HHV a little) I can confirm nothing was more disheartening in this new wave of gear they're pushing out than hearing everyone would be getting the IHPS. Nobody in a unit using OPSCOREs would ever touch them, and most people in traditional units I've spoken to are denying issue of them so they can continue using their ACH. And that's not to mention the IHPS isn't even compatible with half of our NVGs. Total disaster and such a disappointment when the alternative was OPSCOREs for all.
I had an ACH for the entirety of my Army career thus far (11B) and it was never an issue for me. The weight never bothered me and I liked the way that it fit my head because I have a rather large cranium. I was issued the IHPS when I PCSd to fort Bragg after airborne School and I hate it. It's uncomfortable, it fits goofy, and the structural integrity of it during airborne operations was never fully tested as it should have been so we cannot remove any of the screws from the helmet even though we are supposed to jump them slick without nods mounts (psq42). Interesting helmet to say the least.
I looked like a dumbass with mine but also i was a medic in the guard so that should tell you all you need to know. But for real the helmet with all the padding made it look absolutely ridiculous on my skinny ass.
Im in the same boat brother (11B). I hate it. Over here in Hawaii I only wear it over my ACH because it's a little more comfortable with over the ear comms headsets.
As a retired Larp I can tell you all the shots are survivable if you had your PT belt on
This is true.
Very funny. That is one of the reasons that I believe now that a CSM is a waste of a great First Sgt.
And if the chin strap was secured😅
All you need is hydration
Yes, only issue I have with the current high cut Tac helmets is the head sides being a little too exposed. Solution needs to be incorporated for both armor and comms together to fill in the gaps. I support the Army's new direction with the IHPS and I hope they can continue to improve on it's effectiveness. No helmet is 100% guranteed but I've always preferred the better coverage provided by the ECH, along with the PASGT and the MICH 2000.
"better coverage" lol.
@@21kiwi24 Yup! Those new high cuts worn by operators nowadays provides as much coverage as a "bicycle helmet" lol
@@danleonhart1 have you worn one? What I've found in my unit having worn pasgt, ACH and opscore, is that people are more consistant with their fitting and wearing of them. Because they are ergonomic and fit well, and are significantly lighter that rate of use is higher. For the sake of marginally additional coverage with an inferior aramid fibre I think that's a worthwhile trade off. It only offers protection when people are wearing it, not when it's sitting on the dash, or with the chinstrap undone, or strapped to your pack and you wearing a boonie because of the climate.
@@21kiwi24 oh no problem, although no helmet is guranteed.. rather reduce the risk of headshot with better helmet coverage. Just be reminded the exposed skin and bone on both sides your head. With the added ear protection gear that won't prevent rounds penetrating. If you rather die comfortable, just be sure to inform the bad guys to ambush your unit by aiming the back and foreheads only.
@Steve Sherman agreed. It comes down to the individual operator's risk assessment. Also on recommendations based on mission types and duration.
Late to this video, but helmet designer/maker here. There are ballistic bolts and screws, so there should be no worries if there are exposed bolt/screw heads if the right material and proper construction is used.
Hi, I was part of the project while producing these helmets for the army, at the time the company was owned by 3M. If the products we are putting out saves lives, then I am glad we made them.
What if we put a ERA panel on the helmet? Serious answers only.
....lol.
@@InsanoBinLooney Dude- this needs to happen.
I think Ceradyne is still owned by 3M, that is who made my rifle rated helmet. Did you have any experience with RF1 or RF2 helmets? If so how did the perform during testing?
@InsanoBinLooney probably instant death. They explode and since the helmet wouldn't have the same armor as a tank would have it would blow your head off probably. It's the reason why light armored vehicles have indentation craters from era going off.
@@some_Russian_dude just put another layer of ERA under it to protect from the explosion.
it would be interesting if you could test the army's newly selected rifles/ammunition against some other common calibers in terms of armor penetration
I somehow have the feeling that this information is classified.
As far as i know it works similar as an 18-20" .308 but from much shorter barrel lenght. Which is beneficial if everyone gets an surpressor by default.
He Did!!
@@uwesca6263I mean, the data on the round is available, and I think the ammo might be physically available to some degree?
And the rifle platform it isn't hard to make guesses on, since the exact same thing in .308 is on the market.
Plug the public ass data from these two things together and you could figure quite a bit.
If you got a helmet
I got the new M855A1 and the Mk-318 mod 1 ammo
Plus the Mk-262….
I would do a vid for you.
New units shred game changer on the BF for sure
The lighter design by itself is already a win. I'm assuming it was this new helmet, but my buds got issued new helmets through RFI and I couldn't believe how much lighter the new one was. A lot less sore necks lol.
Negligible difference. Replacing millions of helmets...again? Wow. U.S. taxpayers getting soaked.
@@SteffiReitsch the old ones probably doesnt get destroyed. The get shelved so as soon as someone else need a lot of helmets the US can provide them asap.
@@SteffiReitsch if the upgrade makes the soldiers more comfortable, thus increasing their battlefield performance, that's kind of the purpose of DOD upgrades.
@@SteffiReitsch you're right, we should save money and keep using M1 helmets and M1 Garands
Another example is uniforms. At least a hundred million blown on replacing the Armiy's green service uniform with blue, for no good reason. Trying to look like the civil war? Then, after a short time they've decided they don't like the blue and are changing to WWII brown! Another hundred million+ squandered. Navy, similar thing. Tons of money spent putting sailors in ridiculous infantry uniforms aboard ship- blueberry with white, so if they fall overboard they can't be seen? Then after a very short time and tons of millions blown, they ditched those blueberries for a forest green/black camouflage infantry uniform- for sailors aboard ship? LOL. Now after only a couple of years of that weirdness, the Navy is changing yet AGAIN! More millions. This time back to a blue dungaree style like the old days. OMG. Money to burn! Yeehaa.
Something you should keep in mind is that the helmet gets weaker with each impact especially around the region where the last strike was. That resin cracks on impact and loses its structure which means increasingly more back-face deformation. When we first got issued kevlar helmets in the Canadian army in the 90's, they actually told us that if we dropped our helmet on the ground, it had to be exchanged for a new one. Obviously that's a bit extreme and people didn't exchange their helmet because they dropped it on the ground, but it highlights the concern for weakening resin with impact shock.
Ahh yeah. We helmet posting this week.
lets gooooo
I would agree with your final statement. I also watched Oxide's video and we have to figure that his methodology was to chuck the most powerful threat he could at it, right at the start. I think all things considered this kevlar is still a quality product. Troops lives will be saved by this equipment.
12:58 I've never seen someone be headshotted like this or even seen combat but when I was an engineer I had a sergeant who once told me the most visceral story about one of his battle buddies in Iraq who took a shot from a rifle through his helmet (probably a PASGT or early ACH) so close to him. That image took me aback just then, like wow, it looks so real.
whether or not the troops actually need to be in a position that these will be saving their lives is a different story. all wars are banker wars never forget
Oxide is an idiot. He doesn't even put a dummy head inside the helmet, which means there is no outward pressure coming from the inside of the helmet to aid in structuring. Even NIJ testing has this.
I really enjoy these videos with the ballistic dummies.
If you could take some criticism on a key part of the test though.
Just like wimp wristing can cause a malfunction, these helmets were kinda wimped.
If you could attach the head and strapped the helmet on, then it would absorb more energy thus providing different results.
I never expected them to stop anything but a .22, what i'm more curious about is how they'd perform in their intended function, shrapnel.
Idk how hard it is to get a hand grenade but im interested to see how the helmets would hold up against the explosion and shrapnel from a grenade suspended, say, 5m/15ft above them.
Two things: A. As long as bullets carry the flbs. of energy necessary to be lethal they will cause either death or significant injury to the helmet wearer. The kinetic energy of bullet alone would cause a serious concussion. B. If you want the best military helmet that can be made, require that both a senator from the appropriations committee as well as a board member from the manufacturer participate by wearing the helmet during these tests.
I'd probably rather have a concussion than y'know, have my brain bits be outside my skull.
Like obviously it's still very bad, but that's armor in general.
Not taking damage when getting shot? Too tall an order. Reduce odds of dying instantly by a good margin? Now that's reasonable
it's more about momentum than about kinetic energy. Ultralight ultrafast bullet will just vaporize on impact, despite probably having a lot of energy.
At that point of the perfect helmet what stops you from aiming lower and removing problems that way....
Awesome topic. Congrats on 3 million subs.
Used this very helmet down range in Afghanistan during my time at Fenty in 2019-2020. They looked pretty decent and a lot lighter than our normal ach. Wish they would’ve let us keep ‘em and switch out or ach.
I went from the steel pot to the last generation ballistic helmet (ACH/ECH) worn in Afghanistan. The only problem I had was that someone figured out how to make a lighter helmet so freaking heavy by adding all sorts of crap on it. It caused me a lot of harm and 3 fusion operations later my neck still hurts all the time and I have permanent nerve damage in both arms.
GT: In today's episode of GT, we will vibe check this new helmet with various ammunition and fragmentation.
Micah: Where are the dummies?
GT:
Micah: WHERE ARE THE DUMMIES?!
If only...
Since the invention of the helmet, the number of TBI has increased from received shrapnel to the head.... Because if the helmet didn't let it kill you, it hurts like hell Instead ...
Got to love survivorship bias.
Would you rather die or have a TBI
I don't know how difficult it is to get multiple pieces of the same armor/gear, but I really wish you would have multiple helmets on hand, due to the helmets taking a great deal of damage throughout the video. I feel like each prior impact against each helmet muddies the tests with the application of prior moments of inflicted damage being involved with each trigger pull. Opinions you may be coming away with could be affected by damage that wasn't inflicted by only just one round.
I was always told no helmet was made to stop a rifle round. They’re for shrapnel and pistol rounds at the most. That was back when we had the PASGT and the MICH was just starting to be issued
PASGT my beloved
Another amazing day when garand thumb uploads!
I trained and deployed with the IHPS as one of the Guinea pig units. I'm thankful I never had to find out if it would really save me or not.
Unlike the Department of the Army, no palms were greased in the making of these tests.
Of all the vice we got, briber simply ain't one of them.
@@samsonsoturian6013 Yes it is, it's just legalized and shoved under the umbrella of lobbying.
I love the old intros and the Lab Coats 💕!!
Thing I like about these kind of videos is it actually gives us (frontline dudes) a glimpse at what our equipment can handle in real time before or if we ever have to get active.
My 1st deployment, I saw one of our MRAPS that hit a IED, everyone survived, but driver lost his left foot. But I trusted the MRAPS after that, because they hit a big IED.
It gives you none of that, this is entertainment.
You can request through your Company Commander copies of the Safety Release/Safety Confirmation produced by the US Army Test & Evaluation Command (USA ATEC) for any piece of kit you've been issued. Further, your unit can likely request additional Capabilities & Limitations Reports and the approved Fielding Plan/Memoranda. By Reg, they are all *supposed* to be delivered with initial fielding of materiel, but it rarely is.
@@silvermediastudio this video is supposed to be semi educational dude. Chill with that paragraph writing. If it helps someone you don't have to be boiling mad about it. Sheeesh
@@Tactical_wulf5.56 Educational should lead to actually knowing real things. Not fooling around on the range. Know the difference.
@@silvermediastudio well smart guy, since you're so mad about people finding a video and learning something from it I'll let you have that little bit. Cope and seethe friend, cope and seethe.
I was issued one of these during a recent deployment. Liked it a lot more than the regular ACH/MICH 2000.
Same. Understanding that helmets are not meant to be bulletproof (or even necessarily bullet resistant) and then taking into consideration how much lighter the IHPS is over the ACH, I was pleased with it. We all ditched the railsbecayse we weren't given the lights that are supposed to mount to them, and we used our Surefires and Streamlights instead. Other than that minor issue with supply, everyone I talked to about it liked them. It was definitely more comfortable over long periods than the ACH due to the lighter weight
There is some stickers you can use to test blunt force trauma. MythBusters used it. There’s a green you and red one. Both are different in amount of force you need
Thank you for the demo, Brother!
I would REALLY like to see you do a “review” of the NovaSteel helmet by Adept. Could be a very interesting curveball to throw it in the ring to look at steel again for helmets.
Also, their top of the line titanium plates could be interesting to test out, as I think their goal is to be future-proofed beyond current common penetrator rounds.
Novasteel must ring like a bell if you get hit 😆
I'm in the Marines and just got issued my hicut (probably saying it wrong, but that's what we all call it), and it's so much better than are old helmets. Lighter, better air flow on hot days, and feels more comfortable with my pvs 31
The fact that you spelled "our" as "are" checks out that you're a Marine.
@@chair2930 lol
Respect for your service brother
bro its not an acronym, y'all are calling them High Cuts because....they're cut high on the sides lmao
@@chair2930 took the words straight out of my mouth 😹
What are the chances of you guys getting your hands on the British militaries Virtus helmet? It would be interesting to see how it holds up.
It's just a Revision Batlskin so shouldn't be hard. There's a video of an ex squaddie in Romania or somewhere shooting one with a glock and it held up fine.
Edit: Oxide tested one recently
The cut, padding and suspension harness may have changed but materially its no better than the old Mk 6. They had the basic recipie right for plastic NATO lids by the 80s and all the later attempts to go lighter with less armamid and glass filled nylon are trying to dodge Newton's law.
@@zoiders seems about right. I've seen ACH show less deformation than the ECH even.
As a Desert Storm veteran, i got shot on my PASGT by an AK 74 The bullet ricocheted because they shot me at a bad angle. Luckily.
One thing that wasn't mentioned in this video, and not seeing in the comments, is that the IHPS does have an available armor applique that attaches to the central dome of the helmet for those who want/need it. This brings the weight of the IHPS from roughly 3lbs to more around 5lbs.
Nobody ever uses them though
Personally I love it, as an active duty infantryman I can say that me and my soldiers at first were not found of it, but so far we have had no problems with it and will be going on our next deployment with it.
I still hate it. I think the advantages dont out weight how goofy it looks Personally. Altho it you dress it up with cammo netting it looks a little less dumb.
@Donald McRonald give it a rest will ya culture warrior?
@@azovac Uh no, that bs is pretty important to call out. Keep in mind we have guys in prison as we speak for doing their jobs because of how nutty the Obama era leadership was.
@@azovac Tell it. The culture warriors on the right are damn near as bad as those on the left.
I think the most important thing that could be added to a newer gen helmet, protection wise, would be a slip plane like you find newer dirtbike helmets.
Garand Thumb: * uploads a video *
Me: "Finally some good fucking food"
Looks like IHPS still leaves the brain stem exposed. The last patch up for this problem was the soft armor NAPE pad added to the back of the ACH. The lighter weight was evident in the way you handled the helmet. Try that with a PASGT or my first helmet … M1 steel pot.
Impressive, very nice. Let's see Paul Allen's Helmet
He should try getting a reservation at Dorseas now...
This video was very intersting to watch. Keepaking these awesome high quality videos!👍
As a former combat engineer i can say all of this would have been able to be avoided if they had a PT Belt on.
I was so pleased with the primary arms SLX 3x, that I replaced all of my Sig Romeo's. And I had gone standardized on Sig Romeo for short-range Optics. The SLX allows me to reach out a little further, and the stadia really help with Kentucky windage
Yeah, my local supermarket is no longer gonna be using plastic bags so I have to get a few of those damn reusable things.
I used the old steel pot M-1 helmet, when I first enlisted in 1977. And the, new at the time, PASGT Kelvar helmet when issued for wear in 1982. Both were far better than the M-1 helmet and the M-1917 helmet used in WW-1. The PASGT Kelvar helmet did not have all the foam to cushion your head back then.
Whatever is the final result of levels of protection will be in the future. All polymer type helmets will be better than the old steel helmets. PASGT is Personal Armor System Ground Troops.
Any bullet, pistol or rifle, could go straight through the steel of both the steel helmets. Offering protection from only small sections of schrapnel. When something is better than nothing, it's still not too good.
Well not true as far as ANY pistol will penetrate the steel pot. One day at the pistol range 1978 I shot a steel pot at perhaps 8 ft away with our arms room rattle trap 1911 .45, ball ammo and it did not penetrate at all. I had set it on the ground and hit it square on front and center about the forehead area. It did look like someone slammed it wilth a sledge hammer. I always thought it would have broke the neck of a person wearing it.
You guys should test out some of the 'Adept' brand armor things. The 'NovaSteel' helmets/mandible and the 'Colossus' level IV+ are super neat, but they're expensive and seem... too good to be true to a certain extent.
My Father's WW2 Helmet The M1 , Same As Combat Sergent Vic Morrows . Uncle Tony Was In Anzio , They Used To Wash And Shave Using Those Helmets .
Catching an AK round at that range is kind of insane. That much deformation takes that shot from a guaranteed kill to something much more survivable. Definitely would still hurt and could absolutely still kill you but that's impressive.
Really just the weight savings alone would already make it worth it, ya know as long as it kept the same ballistic protection.
That's a pretty good shot to hit a helmet at 300 yards. Back when I was in the Army, I had a hell of a time even finding the man sized target at 300 yards, much less just his helmet. Although, I was just using irons sights, so there was that.
@Steve Sherman you say this like it wasn't happening in the mountains of Afghan.
@Steve Sherman Nobody was using irons. You should read about it, instead of making assumptions.
One of the more eery tests thats for sure. Thank the editor for the music lol
Papa garand makes my day
You should try the IHPS in warmer Temps, because UHMWPE softens quite a bit from warmth from what I heard. I imagine being out in the desert of Iraq or Afghanistan with the sun shining on it all day might weaken the ballistic performance.
military helmets are tested at a colder and hotter temp than humans can survive
Would be interesting if you added some impact sensors to see how much energy is received through the padding
Asked my section commander in basic if my helmet would protect me from a round to the head, his response? “If it does you’ll have a broken neck to worry about”
Excellent.
Which is a BS answer because the reality is that it won't break your neck and most helmets won't protect against most small arms but they want people to have confidence in the equipment to avoid being fixed in combat. There are helmets that do stop rifle rounds at close range but they cost $3,000 so only SOF has them.
@@DaveSmith-cp5kj mate a rifle round at close range will absolutely fracture your C-Spine. The energy transfer from round to helmet going on will send your head like a bobble head and your neck is turning into a pendulum. That’s actually a ridiculous statement. I agree with you saying they’re trying inspire confidence in your kit and equipment but to suggest your C-Spine would just be ok is ridiculous, it might not be a full break of the vertebrae but that’s definitely fracturing.
@@theenclave50 It wont break your neck, it's a myth. The only possible way it would be true is if everyone broke their neck every time they fired a single shot. A bullet doesn't gain momentum in flight, it loses it.
A lot of people forget too that a helmet stopping bullets isn't the first and true purpose of its use. Its to keep you from caving your head in on the environment and to help stop shrapnel and flying debris such as rocks kicked up by explosions. If you are hope for it to stop a bullet, you are already fighting a losing battle. Deflection and slowing it so it doesn't penetrate your skull is the real protection you get, and then, only once and even then, most of the time, you are out of the fight.
If you are storming a trench, you just might want it to stop a bullet.
True that was its original purpose of design but nowadays there is a concerted effort to make them very effective against say pistol rounds, so you should definitely judge it on those capabilities. But yes, you are correct, in WWI, they were designed to stop shrapnel bits and the like, not for the guns.
@@crowe6961 ehh, thats expecting too much. If youre 5ft from the bad guy, just about anything being used on a modern battlefield will get through.
But your gonna bash it if people atleast try ? Yea it stops bullets but its very sensitive to luck, chance, and coincidences. That being said i rather wear the helmet to up my odds of living to tell the tale.
@@scharnhorst_42 That depends on the helmet. Rifle-rated assault helmets do exist, they're just more suited to brief CQB operations like a SWAT raid than anything else due to their weight. A somewhat lighter variant made with new materials just might be useful for specialist assault units in some circumstances.
In 2008 in sadr city a soldier was hit with a 50 cal round from an enemy rifle. It went through the armor of the door and into the drivers ECH and stuck. The driver went unconscious but survived. CSM Daily took the helmet and used it for safety briefs as to why its important to keep your armor on inside the trucks
Hey man, huge fan. Where did you get that jacket? I’ve been looking for one like that for a while. I could definitely use one, I’m stationed at JBLM right now. 👍
Any example where soldier took a round to the helmet in interior cqb and survived. Luckily we never had a ln engagement in any interior cqb. It was always somewhere with a bit of distance. 20+ yards. Many times almost 100 yards.
What jacket is GT wearing? Looks cool.
Arcteryx Leaf Alpha Gen 1
@@RGH0910 Thank you.
Even seeing the ballistic dummy, I was not prepared to see the blood spattered helmet. On the next episode of Garand Thumb, overcoming traumatic stress.
first rifle round shot on the ACH was what my buddy took, hit the back of his helmet zipped around the curvature cutting his head open but he lived.
Some people don't realize that armor isn't meant to make you invincible, its to give you a fighting chance.
So the issue is why don’t we have something that makes us invincible so we can just win. Instead of having that to doubt the odds and chances
@@AQWbladefireoh I don't know maybe because we fucking can't?
I've handled a couple of them, they seem nice yet just not all they were cracked up to be. Strange Mid-cut setup & rail system. Cant wait to see how it fairs.
Where is Charlie ?? I miss him
he’ll be back in a few episodes
I’m really surprised that the new one is that much better impressive it stopped 5.45 at close range, and 5.56 at long range. They did a good job on the helmet nice so see it’s a big improvement I was expecting a pretty much the same performance buts it’s lighter and has more attachment points for more uses and will make soldiers safer and better equipped
You should do a video about the efficacy of shotguns vs quad copter drones at varying heights. The amount of grenades dropped in Ukraine has me baffled seemingly no one has employed shotguns to down these things
They have. Not on official level, of course, but the use of shotguns combined with EW/anti-drone systems is widespread
I feel like this could definitely make a good video