being worn over
fatigues. The PASGT helmet is a
combat helmet first employed by the
U.S. military in 1983 and eventually adopted by many other military and law enforcement agencies internationally. The shell is made from 19 layers of
Kevlar, a ballistic
aramid fabric treated with a
phenolic resin system, and is rated at
Threat Level IIIA. The helmet offers protection against
shrapnel and
ballistic threats. It meets the 1800 requirement of MIL-STD-662 E. It weighs from (size extra small) to (extra large).
Overview The PASGT helmet is typically painted
olive drab, though other colors such as tan, grey, and black could also be used. Camouflage was available in the form of cloth
helmet covers with varying camouflage patterns, such as
woodland,
six-color desert, and
three-color desert. Some PASGT helmets were retrofitted with newer camouflage colors, such as the
Universal Camouflage Pattern and
MultiCam. Outside military use, the PASGT helmet has been used by
SWAT teams, where it is often painted black. It has also been used by
United Nations peacekeepers, where it is often painted
United Nations blue. When worn with a helmet cover, the PASGT helmet is often fitted with an elastic band around it that has two light recharging glow patches (sometimes known as "cat eyes") on the rear, intended to reduce
friendly fire incidents. These bands are also used to hold vegetation or small personal items, as with the
M1 helmet before it. These bands can have names and
blood types printed on them to identify the wearer and their blood type in the event of a casualty. In the U.S. Army, PASGT helmets often featured a patch with the wearer's rank insignia on it stitched onto the front, and/or a second patch showing the symbol of the wearer's unit on the sides. The U.S. Marines wore the
Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia on the front of the helmet as an iron-on transfer, similar to the one worn by Marines on the breast pocket of the BDU. This practice continued with the adoption of the LWH, but fell out of use and was discontinued because the mounting base for night vision devices covered the emblem, and required a hole in the fabric to attach, defacing the symbol.
Development The PASGT helmet was developed by the
U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center after the Vietnam War during the mid-to-late 1970s. It completely replaced the steel M1 helmet in U.S. military service by the end of the 1980s. It first saw use in combat in 1983 during
Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, became standard issue for the U.S. military in 1985, and completely replaced the M1 helmet for frontline troops by the end of the decade. Army units stationed in Alaska were the last to receive the helmets, some not getting the PASGT until 1988.
Accessories Various add-on accessories were developed for the PASGT helmet, including an improved chinstrap to keep the helmet stable when worn by
paratroopers conducting airborne operations, as well as a helmet mount assembly to attach
night vision goggles, and a
riot protection helmet visor mount.
Replacement The PASGT helmet was replaced in U.S. military service by the
Lightweight Helmet for the U.S. Marine Corps and the
Modular Integrated Communications Helmet by the U.S. Army, which was in turn replaced by the
Advanced Combat Helmet. Both were eventually replaced by the
Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) around 2012 and 2014. The PASGT system is still used by some U.S. allies and still sees some continued limited use in the U.S. military as of 2017, serving as one of the options available for sailors assigned to duty aboard U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels. ==Vest==