The Sfera (russian: Сфера, ), officially called STSh-81, are bullet-resistant combat helmets of

titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resista ...

and steel manufactured with protective

GOST GOST (russian: ГОСТ) refers to a set of International standard, international Technical standard, technical Standardization, standards maintained by the ''Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC)'', a region ...

rating of 2. They are worn by the

Internal Troops The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...

of the Interior Ministry in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and its

successor state Succession of states is a concept in international relations regarding a successor state that has become a sovereign state over a territory (and populace) that was previously under the sovereignty of another state. The theory has its roots in 19th- ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. These helmets continue to be used today by the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

and special purpose troops.

History

As early as 1984, the

KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...

had titanium helmets developed at military research facilities, which were further used and further developed by the FSB and special forces of the military after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Design

Unlike most combat helmets, they are not one piece, but consist of three separate plates: two round ones on the sides of the head, and one bow-shaped one that sits on top, stretching from the neck to the forehead. These plates are kept together by a padded cover, with drawstring to adjust the size and fit of the plates. The helmet may also be camouflaged with a helmet cover which appears in such patterns as VSR and Flora.

Versions

STSh-81 Сфера

Introduced in the year 1981, the STSh-81 was the first example to be produced by НПП КлАСС (Classcom) and the material of choice was

. STSh-81 helmets are no longer in production. The last year of manufacture of the titanium helmet was 1993. It was discontinued for cost reasons.

SSSh-94 Сфера-С

The SSSh-94 is the successor to the STSh-81 and is currently produced by Classcom. Outwardly similar to its predecessor, the introduction of steel armor allowed for improved quality and protection at the cost of additional weight (The STSh-81 weighs 2.3kg while the SSSh-94 weighs 3.3kg). The steel used in the SSSh-94 is of the same type as that used in the Maska series of helmets.

Users

* : Some Sferas used by Russian Army. * : Used by Ukrainian military and police forces. Made by TEMP-3000, SCIENTIFIC AND PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE COMPANY.http://uoe.com.ua/products/en/?id=0&pid=catalogue&language=eng&catalogue_id=426&type=content

Former users

* : Passed onto successor states.

Notes

External links

Manufacturers website
{{Soviet and Russian MVD and security agencies equipment, state=expanded Combat helmets of Russia Military equipment introduced in the 1980s Soviet military uniforms