Helmets

Not all important military technology issues involve multi-million systems. Sometimes, simple and basic systems, like helmets, pose difficult issues.

The Marines worry that the Army's helmet does a better job of protecting soldiers, than theirs does despite the fact that it is a 2003 vintage piece of equipment that was a popular improvement over its predecessor. They worry because their 3 pound helmet is inferior to the Army helmet at cushioning powerful shocks.

The Army's new helmet was introduced a year later and was less popular at the time. Army soldiers worry about areas left unprotected by their 3 pound design.

Nobody, however, wants to return to the 20th century models, such as the immediate predecessor to both of the current designs, the 3.6-4.2 pound helmet called the PASGT, which was also inferior to both designs in its protective capacities, or the crude steel pots that preceded them.

Hat Tip to Murdoc Online.