Бронезащитная система для пехоты PASGT: история и применение.

Military equipment

Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT, pronounced '/p//æ//z//ɡ//ə//t/ PAZgət) is a combat helmet and ballistic vest that was used by the United States military from the early 1980s until the early or mid 2000s, when the helmet and vest were succeeded by the Lightweight Helmet (LWH), Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH), and Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) respectively. Designed in the mid 1970s as a replacement for the M1 helmet and previous fragmentation vests, prototypes of the PASGT were tested in the late 1970s before being fielded in the early 1980s. Around the early or mid 2000s, the PASGT vest began being replaced by the IBA and the PASGT helmet was replaced soon thereafter with the LWH and MICH. As of 2018, the only remaining U. S. military users of PASGT in any capacity are the U. S. Army Reserve and the U. S. Navy, the latter of which retains the PASGT helmet for use by sailors aboard its warships, in addition to a PASGT derived vest known as the "U. S. Navy Flak Jacket".

PASGT is an acronym, standing for Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops. When used by itself, PASGT refers to both the vest and helmet together. In the U. S. military, the PASGT helmet was most commonly known by its wearers as simply the "Kevlar". The nickname has since been adopted for usage with other helmets. The PASGT helmet was also referred to by its wearers in the U. S. military as the "K pot", similar in name to the colloquial nickname "steel pot" for the steel M1 helmet, which was in widespread U. S. military usage from the 1940s to the 1980s, including the Vietnam War. The PASGT helmet was also, but less commonly, known by its wearers as the "Fritz" helmet for its resemblance to the Stahlhelm, which was the standard helmet used by the German military forces in the First and Second World Wars. On the other hand, the PASGT vest was colloquially known as the "flak jacket" or "flak vest" by its wearers in the U. S. military, a continuation of the nickname from earlier nylon and fiberglass based protective vests.

The PASGT helmet is a combat helmet first employed by the U. S. military in 1983 and eventually adopted by many other military and law enforcement agencies internationally. The shell is made from 19 layers of Kevlar, a ballistic aramid fabric treated with a phenolic resin system, and is rated at Threat Level IIIA. The helmet offers protection against shrapnel and ballistic threats. It meets the 1800 requirement of MIL STD 662 E. It weighs from (size extra small) to (extra large).

The PASGT helmet is typically painted olive drab, though other colors such as tan, grey, and black could also be used. Camouflage was available in the form of cloth helmet covers with varying camouflage patterns, such as woodland, six color desert, and three color desert. Some PASGT helmets were retrofitted with newer camouflage colors, such as the Universal Camouflage Pattern and MultiCam. Outside military use, the PASGT helmet has been used by SWAT teams, where it is often painted black. It has also been used by United Nations peacekeepers, where it is often painted United Nations blue. When worn with a helmet cover, the PASGT helmet is often fitted with a band around it that has two light recharging glow patches (sometimes known as "cat eyes") on the rear, intended to reduce friendly fire incidents. These bands are also used to hold vegetation or small personal items, as with the M1 helmet before it. These bands can have names and blood types printed on them to identify the wearer and their blood type in the event of a casualty. In the U. S. Army, PASGT helmets often featured a patch with the wearer's rank insignia on it stitched onto the front, and/or a second patch showing the symbol of the wearer's unit on the sides. The U. S. Marines wore the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia on the front of the helmet as an iron on transfer, similar to the one worn by Marines on the breast pocket of the BDU. This practice continued with the adoption of the LWH, but fell out of use and was discontinued because the mounting base for night vision devices covered the emblem, and required a hole in the fabric to attach, defacing the symbol.

The PASGT helmet was developed by the U. S. Army Soldier Systems Center after the Vietnam War during the mid to late 1970s. the vest was only ever designed or intended to stop small fragments without injury to the user. The PASGT vest weighs approximately , a small increase over the previous model. Based on testing conducted for the Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing Company, former ARDEC research engineer John Ervin stated that the PASGT vest is equivalent to NIJ level II or IIA protection: able to stop multiple 124 grain 9x19mm FMJ pistol rounds to its main torso panels (front and back), but susceptible to several closely spaced rounds or shots to the thin neck and shoulder panels.

The PASGT vest is typically covered with woodland pattern nylon fabric, either the ERDL pattern or U. S. Woodland. A very limited number of vests were made in olive drab, but only woodland versions were issued to U. S. forces. Like the PASGT helmet, camouflage covers were available to be worn atop the vest in various patterns. Early camouflage covers were in DBDU but later came in the DCU pattern. and was tested by in the late 1970s before being fielded in the early 1980s. The USN Flak Jacket is sage green or brown in color. Although this vest is quite similar in appearance to the PASGT vest, it actually is a different model of vest altogether.

In order to provide protection against high velocity bullets, the PASGT vest was, in 1996, combined with the Interim Small Arms Protective Overvest (ISAPO) pending the adoption of Interceptor body armor. The ISAPO weighed about and consisted of a carrier to hold two protective ceramic plate inserts. A PASGT armor system with overvest weighed more than and was criticized by many U. S. troops as unacceptably cumbersome in combat. The ballistic fill consists of 13 plies of water repellent treated Aramid (Kevlar 29) fabric. The inner and outer cover,
shoulder pads and front closure flap of the vest are water repellent treated 8 oz. ballistic nylon cloth. While it had been phased out as frontline body armor by the start of the Iraq War in 2003, the PASGT vest saw some limited wear and usage by U. S. military personnel during the early stages of the war, where it was worn behind the frontlines by rear echelon support personnel and navy sailors such as Seabees. Some U. S. Army soldiers used old PASGT vests as makeshift armor for their vehicles in the absence of actual up armor kits.

The PASGT vest was succeeded in U. S. military service by the Outer Tactical Vest of the Interceptor Body Armor system, which was, in turn, partly replaced by the Modular Tactical Vest, Improved Outer Tactical Vest, and Scalable Plate Carrier. However, the PASGT vest still sees some limited use in the U. S. military as of 2016, where it serves as one of many vests for sailors assigned to duty on board U. S. Navy vessels.

: Australian made M91 variant produced by RBR Armor Systems and American made helmets used by the Australian Defence Force from the 1990s until 2005. Replaced by the Enhanced Combat Helmet. : PASGT helmets were first seen trialed by troops during Exercise Reforger 83 but only saw limited adoption by the Canadian Army in the early 1990s to replace the M1 helmet during United Nations peacekeeping activities in the Balkans, Somalia and Rwanda. The PASGT helmets were phased out by the mid 2000s with the adoption of the CG634 in 1997 to replace the older M69 fragmentation vests as early as 1990, seen during the Oka Crisis and would be used till the mid 2000s when it was fully replaced by the CTS Body Armour System from Pacific Safety Products. : PASGT helmets replaced by Delta manufactured combat helmets. : PASGT helmets formerly used by the Singapore Armed Forces made by International Scientific Pte Ltd. with some refurbished by All Defense Technology Pte Ltd.
: Replaced by the Interceptor body armor and Modular Integrated Communications Helmet. United States Marine Corps: Replaced by the Lightweight Helmet and Interceptor Body Armor. Los Angeles Police Department: PASGT helmets were formerly used by the LAPD SWAT.

NameOriginNotes M91 helmet Australian PASGT derived helmet made by RBR Armour Systems Pty Ltd. In service with all branches of the Australian Defence Force from the 1990s to 2005. Identical to the American PASGT helmet with the exception of having a 4 point chin strap. CABAL II Argentine PASGT derived helmet. Capacete Combate Ballistico Brazilian PASGT derived helmet. GOLFO Chilean PASGT derived helmet. The helmet is locally made by Baselli Hermanos S. A of kevlar and was introduced in 2000. It is capable of stopping a 9×19mm round at Gefechtshelm Schuberth B826 helmet German military helmet, used primarily by the German Bundeswehr, Swiss Armed Forces, Dutch Army, and the Estonian Defence Forces. SPECTRA helmet French military helmet, used primarily by the Danish Army, French Army and the Canadian military. Type 88 helmet Japanese military helmet, used by the Japanese Self Defense Forces and the Japanese Coast Guard. JK 96a light Light Steel Helmet Chinese military light steel helmet. PASGT derivative replica helmet, made of light steel and not Kevlar. Used primarily by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. JK 96b Light Steel Helmet Chinese military light steel helmet. PASGT derivative replica helmet, made of light steel and not Kevlar. Used primarily by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. NDH 2001 helmet Chinese helmet, produced by the China North Industries Corporation. Norinco produces two types of these PASGT derivative replica helmets, designed towards civilian police usage. NDH 2006 helmet Chinese helmet, produced by the China North Industries Corporation. Norinco produces two types of these PASGT derivative replica helmets, designed towards civilian police usage. OE Tech Tactical helmet Replica helmet only. ST 4 helmet Romanian PASGT derived helmet. M97 Helmet Serbian PASGT derived helmet. C 1 Kevlar helmet Used primarily by the Singaporean Armed Forces. M87 Kevlar helmet South African helmet issued to the SADF. Made by South African Pith Helmet Industries. Kevlar VestGuard helmet The British VestGuard helmet comes in two different variants, the M88 version, and the Kevlar version. Also made by LBA International Ltd. M88 VestGuard helmet The British VestGuard helmet comes in two different variants, the M88 version, and the Kevlar version. Also made by LBA International Ltd. Advanced Combat Helmet Used primarily by the United States Army and United States Air Force, although it sees widespread usage throughout the U. S. military and is widely used among civilian law enforcement throughout the United States. The ACH helmet is based upon the design of the Modular Integrated Communications Helmet, offering increased ballistic protection over the MICH helmet on which it is based. The ACH helmet has replaced the PASGT helmet in United States Army usage, and is the successor to the MICH helmet. Lightweight Helmet Used primarily by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy. Abbreviated to LWH, the Lightweight Helmet is heavily based upon the PASGT helmet design, being nearly identical in appearance, however it offers increased ballistic protection and wearer comfort over the preceding PASGT helmet. The Lightweight Helmet has replaced the PASGT helmet in United States Marine Corps and United States Navy service. Modular Integrated Communications Helmet Used primarily by the United States Army and United States Air Force, although it sees widespread usage throughout the U. S. military and is widely used among civilian law enforcement throughout the United States. The Modular Integrated Communications Helmet is the predecessor to the Advanced Combat Helmet, which is an improved design, based upon the design of the MICH helmet.