Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an excellent, very scarce example of an early experimental ceramic PASGT helmet. While many versions were created in attempts to find a solid replacement for the famed M1 helmets, many countries and corporations took to researching the different types of material that could be used, this is one of the lesser variations created. This exact example was part of the second phase of the PASGT "development program" that tested two different ballistic materials, one being Kevlar and the other was Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP). Helmets were compression molded in both materials and subjected to a battery of tests (a few being Durability, Arctic, Compatibility and Operation).
This example is made from Kevlar and is painted with the designation P-2 on the front, with P-1 having been the Glass-Reinforced Plastic (GRP) variant. Other exterior markings include TEAM 1, GETD, and 02.
Designed in the mid-1970s as a replacement for the M1 helmet and previous fragmentation vests, prototypes of the PASGT were tested in the late 1970s before being fielded in the early 1980s. In the early 2000s, the PASGT vest began being replaced by the IBA and the PASGT helmet was replaced soon thereafter with the LWH and MICH. As of 2018, the only remaining U.S. military users of PASGT in any capacity are the U.S. Army Reserve and the U.S. Navy, the latter of which retains the PASGT helmet for use by sailors aboard its warships, in addition to a PASGT-derived vest known as the "U.S. Navy Flak Jacket".
The helmet itself is in fantastic condition and still retains the lovely ERDL woodland type camouflage painted on the outside of the shell. Since these were never fielded, the wear that is present is consistent with long term storage. There is no extensive damage present and the suspension/sweatband system is still intact.
A great, rare example ready for further research and display.
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
