Kaska-1M

The Kaska-1M is a combined-arms bulletproof Kevlar helmet, which is developed and manufactured by the Ukrainian company NPP TEMP-3000 LLC.

History
In the 1990s, work on the creation of new types of protective helmets was not a priority for the state structures of Ukraine due to the presence of significant stocks of Soviet-made steel helmets SSh-68, SSh-60 and SSh-40, the number of which exceeded the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result, only in 1997 was a document established and approved that established general requirements for protective helmets. — GSTU 78-41-004-97 "Helmets for protection against bullets. General technical conditions."

The development of a protective helmet made of para-aramid material was started by "TEMP-3000" in the mid-1990s and completed in the 2000s, when the company mastered the technology for the production of a composite bulletproof helmet made of polymer-coated Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Later, using computer simulation, several prototypes of the helmet were made, which were submitted for shooting tests. The reference sample of the tested variant of the bulletproof helmet (which was later called "Kaska-1M") withstood five hits of bullets of the 9 × 19 mm "Parabellum" cartridge, fired from a distance of 5 meters.

In 2010, GC "Ukrspecexport" included the helmet "Kaska-1" (under the name "Kaska-1") in the catalog of products offered for export by enterprises of the Defense industry of Ukraine.

Before the war in Donbas in the spring of 2014, there were no Kaska-1M helmets in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After the outbreak of hostilities, the needs of the Ukrainian army for personal protective equipment increased. In the first half of 2014, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine signed a series of contracts for the supply of helmets of the Kaska-1M model for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (according to official data from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, only in the period up to June 6, 2014, 10,000 helmets were ordered for the Ukrainian Ground Forces at a price of 2,800 hryvnia per unit). and began to enter the army.

In the first half of 2015, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received another 64,580 Kaska-1M helmets. In the future, the supply of helmets to the troops continued. Only in the period from 1 January to 8 September 2015, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received 75,000 helmets of the Kaska-1M model. In addition, in 2015, helmets began to be purchased for the National Guard of Ukraine.

However, as of the beginning of 2017, the bulk of the helmets in service with the armed forces and the National Guard of Ukraine were Soviet-made helmets.

In 2017, the serial helmet was tested in the Teijin Twaron ballistic laboratory in Wuppertal, in accordance with the STANAG 2920 standard for NATO personal protective equipment. It was found that when a helmet is fired with a 1.1 gram FSP fragment simulator, the value of the V50 parameter (the average speed at which the protective equipment is pierced through in 50% of cases) is 660 m/s.

In September 2017, helmets of this type were tested by Russian Naval Infantry – specifically the 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade, of the Black Sea Fleet. These tests included firing weapons at and striking the helmets. It was found that the protective properties of helmets decreased with use, compared to those in storage. In general, the helmets' "V50" parameter – the magnitude of force that would penetrate them in 50% of cases – was equivalent to 600 m/s for about three to four years; afterwards their "V5" decrease to 588 m/s.

In March 2019, the selling price of Kaska-1M helmets was UAH 3,149/piece. (9% more expensive than November 2018).

In the future, during the increase in the number of Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2020–2021. (including through the creation of territorial defense units), the need for protective equipment has increased. On 26 January 2022, the German government agreed to provide Ukrainian troops with 5,000 helmets, On 8–9 February 2022, a batch of helmets was delivered from the UK. After February 24, 2022, the volume of military assistance was increased (in the period up to May 27, 2022, 50 thousand helmets were delivered from the U.S., from Sweden, another 5,000 helmets, additional helmets were supplied by other countries. As a result, by the beginning of June 2022, several different types of helmets were used in the armed forces and other paramilitary formations of Ukraine.

Description
The design of the helmet was developed on the basis of the design of the American ACH and ECH helmets, it has a streamlined shape that allows the use of the helmet along with chemical protection equipment, and also provides the ability to use optical devices, communication equipment and wear active headphones.

Structurally, the helmet consists of a package of ballistic fabric with good thermostability. (it is reported that the presence of a helmet of the Kaska-1M model on the head makes the head of a soldier less visible to thermal imaging), outer cover (polyurethane waterproof compound painted with matte paint) and a four-point harness system for fixing the helmet on the head. On the lower contour, the helmet is framed with a polymer piping.

The helmet provides anti-fragmentation and anti-bullet protection according to protection class 1A of the state standard of Ukraine and is available in three sizes (large, small and medium).

Variants and modifications

 * "Helmet 1M complete set No. 7" (TOR-D) - a lightweight helmet for paratroopers with a reduced protection area, equipped with a BOA suspension system made in the US.

Accessories
The helmet comes with a fabric cover, and can be additionally equipped with a mount for a night vision device or a universal Picatinny rail (for mounting a flashlight, video camera or other helmet-mounted equipment on the side of the helmet).

Operators

 * 🇺🇦 ukraine:
 * Armed Forces of Ukraine — in the mid-2000s, a small number of helmets were tested in the units of the Ukrainian contingent in Iraq; after completion of testing in 2014, the helmet was approved as a standard combined-arms protective helmet for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
 * National Guard of Ukraine

In addition, helmets are offered for export by the state enterprise Spetstechnoexport.