AUSA 2019: 3M's F70 helmet out for demonstrations

Minnesota-based conglomerate 3M has sent its new lightweight, mid-level protection helmet to law enforcement and special forces around the world for demonstrations and human-factors testing, a company official told Jane’s ahead of the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference, held in October in Washington, DC.

The F70 helmet was introduced in 2018 and has since been given to operators mainly in US law enforcement and European and Asian customers for trails and experiments, according to Terry Griffith, 3M’s global business manager for defence and law enforcement. The helmet has been designed with a night-vision goggle mount and mandible visor, and the company has seen interest in face protection from the mandible visor.

3M’s F70 was tested to NIJ IIIA ballistic penetration protection standards (9 mm). (3M)

The helmet meets National Institute of Justice (NIJ) IIIA ballistic penetration protection standards, which includes protection against 9 mm rounds, the company said. It provides V50 fragmentation protection against 17 grain .22 calibre FSP at more than 840 m/s when tested in accordance with NATO STANAG 2920, 3M officials have told Jane’s .

3M's Combat II Ballistic Helmet L110. (3M)

The F70 uses a ‘boltless design’ so there are no through-holes in the polyethylene helmets. Drilling holes in polyethylene can degrade its protective properties so accessories would be mounted to the F70 via a screw into additional material on the helmet’s outer skin, instead of into the helmet’s shell.