Indian Army helmets in the spotlight. Upgrades over the years and how they compare to US and Chinese gear

New Delhi: The India-U.SYudh Abhyas‘ in Rajasthan last month has prompted comparisons between the helmets worn by Indian and American troops. While US soldiers wore ballistic helmets during the joint military exercise, Indian troops were equipped with mere bulletproof helmets, which provide little protection.

It is not the first time that such comparisons have appeared. In 2018, when India and the United States conducted the ‘Yudh AbhyasIn Uttarakhand’s Chaubatia, the US Army’s official X-handle posted a photo of an Indian Army personnel testing the advanced combat helmet of one of the US troops. Many social media users, at the time, noticed the drastic differences in the helmets of the two sides.

The 1974 model, with its fiberglass body and nylon strap, could withstand a round from a 9mm carbine, but an AK-47 round at close range could easily pierce it. In 2018, the Indian Army ordered 1,58,000 bullet-proof helmets from MKU, but these do not help against AK-47 bullets.

When it came to counterinsurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, Indian soldiers made a played—pats. Thick rounded steel with a battle cloth around it, a duck it protects soldiers from short-range heavy fire, for example, from an AK-47 used by militants. However, pats they are raw and heavy, weighing approximately 2.5 kg. Also, pats they do not provide full protection, covering only the forehead and back of the head. There have been cases where soldiers use pats were injured by blows to the head or ricochets.

In 2018, the Indian Army, apart from the MKU helmets, ordered nearly 1.6 lakh Kevlar-based helmets, which are lighter. But to this day, soldiers in various operational areas continue to rely on it pats during close encounters with the insurgents.

In 2020, the Army began acquiring ballistic helmets by issuing an RFI (request for information). Currently, 4.8 lakh frontline troops have ballistic helmets. According to Army sources, 40% of the recruitment is complete, while 50% remains. About 10 percent of the procurement will be left untouched for future development, meaning that in the event of technological advances, the Army will get new versions of these helmets, ensuring that at least some front-line troops get the newer versions.

Several Army commands and specific units have already opted for specialized ballistic helmets that provide better protection and allow the soldier to use multiple devices. For example, Special Forces troops use EXFIL ballistic helmets, which feature a hybrid composite shell for increased strength and unique geometry for optimal fit. India acquired the US-made EXFIL High Cut ballistic helmet in limited numbers in 2020.

In addition, MKU has designed its first combat helmet for Sikh soldiers. The Kavro SCH-112-T, a special ballistic helmet that Sikh soldiers can wear on top of their turban, provides “comprehensive ballistic protection.”

MKU has exported more than 30,000 helmets to the Philippine military and police forces, according to a report. Several other countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Egypt, have shown interest in MKU body armor, including helmets.

MKU, in November last year, presented its latest product, the Kavro Doma 360 lightweight ballistic helmet, at MiliPol in Paris.

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A look at what major armies use

The USA

The United States replaced most of the Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) helmets with the Advanced Combat Helmet, known to be lighter than the PASGT and equipped with a night vision goggle support hole ( NVG).

Various types of advanced helmets, now used by militaries around the world, are more than just a protective helmet. Currently, technology-enabled helmets aim to boost situational awareness for the troops using them.

The latest helmet has several connected devices, such as night goggles or electro-optical devices, GPS devices, and various other HMDs (head-mounted devices). These devices enable real-time situational awareness that Soldiers can relay to command and control centers for inter- and intra-squadron operational efficiency.

One of the main changes in hard hats is that newer versions are lighter in weight but provide greater protection against ballistic penetration or resistance to ballistic fragmentation. There is also a difference in the material used to make the helmets: “aramids”/Kevlar in the older helmets and polyethylene in the newer ones.

The United States has been making progress in incorporating new types of helmets. according to Army timethe US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division received the Next Generation Integrated Head Protection System helmet, the latest version of the Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS), in February 2024. The new helmet weighs about 3.27 pounds. The Army time further reported that the helmet provides greater ballistic and fragmentation protection while reducing the weight required to achieve this level of protection by 40 percent.

The US Army also has some PASGTs and the Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH) in service.

Russia and China

The Russian army uses the 6B47 helmets. These are ballistic helmets, which are part of the Ratnik infantry combat program, intended to modernize the Russian army. Helmets use aramid material. It is capable of being equipped with mounting communication equipment.

Russia also has the Bars-L helmet, designed by the Steel Research Institute, which is part of Rostec’s Kalashnikov Concern. Russia first demonstrated the Bars-L at an arms exhibition in St. Petersburg in April 2024.

Russian forces also use the 6B7 helmets, which have replaced the older SSh-68 helmet.

Although not much information is available on the helmets used by China, the QGF-O3 helmet took design elements from the US PASGT and German M826s, according to Tactics of the Far East. Helmets use Kevlar composite material. Previously, the Chinese military used the GK80 steel helmets. The Chinese military is now hoping to get the PLA Type 21 helmet.

Reports suggest that China has also created advanced aerial helmets, equipped with buttons to activate bombs, including a “self-destruct” button.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)

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