Helmet Standards and Certifications, Explained: Combat Helmets

Team Wendy helmets undergo rigorous testing depending on use

In our last post, we discussed the testing standards for mountaineering and whitewater helmets, as well as the certified Team Wendy helmets that protect adventurers and SAR operators from the hazards of those activities.
 
Helmets like those are designed and tested for their ability to withstand bumps from being tossed about by rapids and impact from falling rocks. But members of the police and military face different kinds of threats – and need a different kind of helmet.
 
Law enforcement and soldiers stationed worldwide rely on Team Wendy helmets for mission-ready protection. Our ballistic helmets are rigorously tested to established standards, and many of our helmets meet the blunt impact protection standards for Advanced Combat Helmets.
 
Ballistics: NIJ III-A
 
The National Institute of Justice test protocol identifies five levels of ballistic performance determined by what caliber and at what velocity a bullet punctures the ballistic material and/or causes blunt trauma to the wearer. Team Wendy’s EXFIL^® Ballistic and EXFIL^® Ballistic SL helmets meet the Level III-A ballistic resistance standard.
 
Level III-A protective materials, per NIJ 0108.01, are rated to stop 124 grain 9mm FMJ rounds as well as 240 grain 44 Magnum, each at a nominal velocity of 1,400 feet per second.
 
There are two important measurements when it comes to ballistic helmet testing. The first is backface deformation, where a helmet is mounted on a clay headform and fired upon. Testers measure the indentation left by the bullet’s impact; beyond a certain amount, the helmet fails.

The second standard measures the helmet’s performance against fragments from explosions or detonations. This is measured in regard to V50, meaning the velocity at which 50% of the shots penetrate the helmet and 50% are stopped. A greater V50 value indicates greater protection.
 
Team Wendy’s ballistic helmets have a minimum V50 of 2,400 feet per second with 17-grain FSPs and maintain deformations below 25.4mm for 9mm bullet impacts.
 
Advanced Combat Helmets
 
Our EXFIL^® Ballistic, EXFIL^® Ballistic SL, EXFIL^® Carbon, EXFIL^® SAR Backcountry and EXFIL^® SAR Tactical all meet or exceed ACH Blunt Impact Protection requirements per AR/PD 10-02. This U.S. Army helmet impact test is based on the Department of Transportation’s FMVSS 218 standard for motorcycle helmets and has been a tried and true standard since 2006.
 
This test requires the helmet be fitted to a DOT headform and dropped onto a hemispherical steel anvil at the crown, front, rear, right side, left side, left nape and right nape – two times each. The helmets are tested at ambient, hot and cold temperatures to see how they perform in these different environments. During these impacts, the acceleration of the headform is measured to ensure it stays below an established threshold. We strive to not merely meet these conditions, but provide the best performance in the industry, with accelerations often 50% below the requirements. This equates to a helmet that transmits less force to the wearer when they hit their head.
 
Creating top-of-the-line helmet systems to meet a variety of performance standards is just one way we innovate to protect. A full list of our products’ performance standards and certifications can be found here.
 
In the next post, I’ll break down the helmet standards crafted to protect skiers and snowboarders.
 
 
By Ron Szalkowski
Director of Product Development and Research Collaboration