Brit new battle helmet looks like that of Star Wars stormtroopers

Daily Mail on Sunday:
It may look more like something out of the Star Wars films - but this is the new face of the British infantryman.

The revolutionary robotic anti-ballistic helmet weighing under 3lbs provides unprecedented protection for soldiers and will be in service on the battlefields for UK troops this September.

It replaces the old ‘pudding bowl’ style helmet and will feature a mouth protector and ear protection to shield the user from explosions while allowing human voices to be heard clearly.

A video camera capable of sending images from the frontline back to commanders, allowing them to monitor tactics and powerful torches, feature on either side.

Stormtroopers: The new state-of-the-art helmet will give British soldiers greater protection on the battlefield, and will be made available to troops from this September. 
Stormtroopers: The new state-of-the-art helmet will give British soldiers greater protection on the battlefield, and will be made available to troops from this September. 

The development of the helmet over four years of trials comes after greater protection of the head and neck was made a priority following the high level of injuries sustained during more than a decade of combat in Afghanistan, and before that Iraq.

More than 5,000 soldiers sustained injuries in Afghanistan’s Helmand province where British forces bore the brunt of regular attack by the Taliban.

While there is no exact figure for those with head and face injuries, medical staff reported that IED blasts often caused neck, jaw and head injuries as the vehicles sustained the massive blast impact.

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There is more including more photos and a video at  the above link

The company providing the helmets is a Canadian based outfit working on a contract  with and Israeli defense contractor.  It reminds me of some dirt bike helmets I have seen, but with the addition of some top electronics.  I wonder if the NFL will look at similar designs to deal with the threat of concussions.

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