It guarantees a large protective surface while allowing the usage of headphones or gas mask – these are the main advantages of the fresh HBT-02 helmet, developed by Maskpol S.A. The company has just completed qualifying investigation on its latest product. The first copies of modern helmets soldiers are to get in 2025.
The Polish Armed Forces Group, to which Maskpol belongs, informed about the completion of the qualifying studies of the fresh helmet. The company emphasizes that HBT-02 was created in consequence to the increasing request of armed forces for various types of composite helmets. – The fresh HBT-02 helmet developed as part of the "Titan Individual Combat System" task has a protective surface and ballistic parameters ensuring the safety of soldiers at the highest global level. Our company is prepared to start production and transportation of helmets for the needs of the Armed Forces of Poland – stressed Maskpol CEO Adam Ogrodnik.
HBT-02 absorbs up to 90% of high-speed impact energy. It is simply a low-cut helmet, that is, with a side line covering the ears. This is the main feature different from the flagship Maskpol product, the HP-05 helmet, which has a ‘high-cut’ sideline with a cut-out on the headphones, which means a smaller area of protection.
So far, the choice of the helmet active making a decision: greater protection, but besides the weight or lower weight of the helmet, but better adjustment to the headphones, at the expense of the protective surface. In the meantime, the HBT-02, despite its low-cut profile, is designed so that, while maintaining a large surface of protective headgear, it is possible to use, for example, headphones and gas masks. Thanks to the fact that it is besides light, it will work as equipment for e.g. onboard shooters.
A large asset is besides the anticipation of expanding HBT-02 with additional modules to defend the face and jaw useful during fighting or during activities in hard accessible terrain, for example in the forest. The usage of rails allows the addition of accessories. 1 can so attach to the helmet a informing and recognition subsystem, cameras, battlefield sensors or night imagination devices.
HBT-02 will be available in 3 sizes, with the anticipation of fitting to a soldier's head circumference. The prototypes of the helmet have already had the chance to test soldiers of the 18th Mechanized Division of Gen. Tadeusz Buk's weapons.
The soldiers will receive their first copies next year, and in time HBT-02 will replace the older models utilized by the Polish Army. At the same time, the company Maskpol will proceed to supply HP-05 helmets. The Armed Forces Agency late signed an annex to the agreement, on the basis of which an additional 10,000 copies will be sent to the armed forces in 2025. The value of the contract is about PLN 20 million.
