The helmet was developed by
Military Institute of Armament Technology based on the German
Schubert helmet. The internal equipment is based on a profiled rim with a so-called hammock. The sweatband is made of black leather (similar to the
wz. 93 helmet). It was attached to the supporting hoop with Velcro. The suspension bands are black. Produced in three sizes - from 1 to 3 (1 is the smallest and 3 is the largest). The ballistic resistance of the helmet is at the level of general military helmets of this type (>610 m/s). The main disadvantage of the wz. 2000 is limited compatibility with helmet-mounted
night vision devices according to
NATO rules. The wz. 2000 helmet can be fitted with cloth
helmet covers in
wz. 93 Pantera camoflauge pattern (woodland and desert version) or blue cover intended for
UN forces. In addition to the basic version, a version for aeromobile forces was developed (an additional rear leather cushion was inserted inside the helmet) and an optionally mounted face shield. The main producers of helmets were
RESAL and
Maskpol. The wz. 2000 helmet was produced for a short period of about 5 years when it was replaced by the
wz. 2005 helmets. It was used by Polish soldiers during the wars in
Iraq and
Afghanistan. It was completely withdrawn from use in the Polish Army in the second decade of the 21st century. After the warranty expired (10 years from the date of production), the helmets were directed to civilian sale in the
military surplus. This coincided with the outbreak of the
conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The wz. 2000 helmets, along with the older
wz. 93 models, were bought by various pro-Ukrainian organizations and sent to fighting units.The situation repeated itself in 2022. == Users ==