N093-161 TITLE: Next Generation Helmet System

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Materials/Processes, Battlespace, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Program Manager for Infantry Combat Equipment (PM ICE), ACAT IV (T) program

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a Next Generation (N-Gen) helmet for the Marine Corps ground forces that provides improved protection against blunt force, ballistic, blast, blast pressure, fragmentation, flash heat, and battlefield noise. A N-Gen helmet will be designed as a scalable, modular system that offers attachment points for additional ballistic coverage of the mandible of the face and eye region of the head, noise reducing hearing protection, and common military devices such as night vision devices and flashlights.

DESCRIPTION: A N-Gen helmet will balance the Marine Corp�s need for a helmet design with improved survivability, modularity, and reduced weight over the current Light Weight Helmet (LWH). A N-Gen helmet will provide the ground forces with the ability to increase or decrease the area of and level of protection required based on the anticipated threat level for a mission. At a minimum, a N-Gen helmet should: provide better protection than the current LWH against blunt force, ballistic, blast, blast pressure, fragmentation, and flash heat; address critical human factor elements such as comfort, thermal management, weight, stability/center of gravity, and safety; provide seamless integration with and attachment points for additional ballistic protection (including but not limited to mandible face and eye region and nape), noise reducing hearing protection, current military devices such as night vision goggles and other common head mounted systems; be flame resistant and provide equal or greater durability that the LW helmet and be capable of operating in a wide range of military environments.

Additional features such as integrated voice communication, enhanced hearing for sound detection and localization, integrated visual displays, and other features of value are also desired.

USMC is open to new helmet design concepts and geometries to achieve the desired performance capabilities. Small businesses may design their own design/geometry or use the Army's Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) geometry as an initial baseline design/geometry for the N-Gen helmet.

PHASE I: Identify and analyze common head mounted military equipment that must seamlessly integrate with a N-Gen helmet. Develop N-Gen helmet designs and concepts, including helmet shell and attachment points. Develop technical drawings for the proposed helmet geometry and attachment points, analyze and select final helmet shell material. Develop or identify potential N-Gen helmet suspension and retention systems. During this phase, the small business is encouraged to form any corporate partnerships that may be necessary to acquire all raw materials and sub-components and to manufacture N-Gen helmets during Phase 2.

At the conclusion of Phase 1, the selected small business shall provide the government with: final N-Gen drawings and draft specifications (for helmet sizes Extra-Small, Small, Medium, Large, & Extra-Large); identification of the selected ballistic material for the helmet shell; a list, with estimated weights, for all N-Gen helmet components; and a list of potential suspension and retention systems to be evaluated as part of the N-Gen helmet test and evaluation effort in Phase 2.

PHASE II: Construct initial prototype N-Gen helmets (minimum quantity of 25) for test and evaluation. Prototype helmets should include helmet shell, suspension and retention systems, attachment hardware, and any other components required. Test and evaluate the prototypes to establish baseline performance against blunt force, ballistic, blast, blast pressure, fragmentation, and flash heat. Based on test results, refine and optimize N-Gen design.

At the conclusion of Phase 2, the selected small business shall provide the government with: final N-Gen drawings; a product description and performance specification for the N-Gen helmet; test results from Phase 2 testing; and a minimum of ten N-Gen helmets for government test and evaluation.

PHASE III: Conduct system level integration testing with existing fielded military equipment and other commercial equipment.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: A N-Gen helmet may have broad applicability to various federal, police, fire, and emergency responder markets that seek modular helmet solutions that allow users the ability to customize the system based on their specific user preferences and mission sets.

REFERENCES:
1. Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned. "Helmet Design and Testing". 31 May 2007.

2. Ivins et al. "How Satisfied Are Soldiers with Their Ballistic Helmets?" Military Medicine, Vol. 172, Jun 07, page 568.

KEYWORDS: Ballistic helmet; Light Weight helmet; Helmet

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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