Report: US Army equips soldiers with next-gen combat helmet

The U.S. Army has commenced the fielding of the Next-Generation Integrated Head Protection System (NG-IHPS) to approximately 2,000 soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, marking a significant milestone in enhancing soldier protection.

Replacing the Integrated Head Protection System, the Advanced Combat Helmet, and the Enhanced Combat Helmet, the NG-IHPS is the Army’s latest combat helmet. It comprises a retention system, suspension system, helmet cover, and a night vision device bracket capable of integrating a mandible protector, hearing protection, communications, and heads-up displays such as the Integrated Visual Augmentation System and the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular.

“This fielding marks significant progress for Soldier protective equipment as it equips Soldiers with protection against relevant battlefield threats, and the innovative helmet design is a purpose-built platform for integration now, and with future Soldier-enabling devices,” stated Lt. Col. Ken Elgort, product manager for Soldier Protective Equipment.

Designed for the close-combat force, the NG-IHPS interfaces with next-generation night vision devices, while a mandible protector adds an extra layer of defense for 6% of soldiers operating in a mounted configuration.

Maj. Matthew Nulk, assistant program manager of the Head Protection Team, emphasized the NG-IHPS’s superior ballistic and fragmentation protection, achieving a 40% reduction in weight compared to previous models. “This sets a global standard for rifle threat protection,” he remarked.

Lead engineer for the Head Protection Team, Alex de Groot, highlighted the NG-IHPS’s boltless retention system and night vision device bracket, which maintain the helmet’s structural integrity while enhancing protection.

The 2nd and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams, 82nd Airborne Division, are slated to receive the NG-IHPS this quarter, with fielding to all close-combat force units expected to be completed over the next three years.

Under the oversight of the Program Executive Office Soldier, responsible for rapid prototyping, procurement, and fielding of equipment, the NG-IHPS forms part of the Soldier Survivability portfolio. This portfolio, the largest within PEO Soldier, includes the Modular Scalable Vest, the Ballistic Combat Shirt, the Blast Pelvic Protector, and the Vital Torso Protection hard armor plates.