The Ops-Core Future Assault Shell Technology (FAST) Helmet, also known as the FAST helmet, is an American

combat helmet A combat helmet, also called a ballistic helmet, battle helmet, or helmet system (for some Modular design, modular accessory-centric designs) is a type of helmet designed to serve as a piece of body armor intended to protect the wearer's head du ...

used by

special operations forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

and

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...

tactical organizations in various countries, as well as the current standard protective headgear of the

Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces () are the armed forces responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Norwegian Coast Guard, Coast Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air ...

and

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

. The FAST helmet series features a distinctive shell shape, with ear cut geometry which extends coverage over the rear

occipital bone The occipital bone () is a neurocranium, cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone lies over the occipital lob ...

without load carrier interference, and optimizes weight distribution for increased stability, integration, balance, and comfort. The helmet features various suspension and retention systems, and ARC rails which, similar to

picatinny rail The 1913 rail (MIL-STD-1913 rail) is an American rail integration system designed by Richard Swan that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It forms part of the NATO standard STANAG 2324 rail. It was originally used for mount ...

s, enable users to mount items like helmet lights and cameras.

History

The FAST helmet was developed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in collaboration with the

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center The DEVCOM Soldier Center, sometimes CCDC Soldier Center (Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, DEVCOM SC aka CCDC SC), formerly the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), is a military research com ...

and the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier as part of the Army Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program, which also led to the development of the Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH). The name FAST helmet was coined by a manufacturing company called Ops-Core in 2005. In 2008, Ops-Core showed off their prototype helmet with their Head-Loc™ Helmet Retention System (a.k.a. Head-Loc Retention System) at the 2008

SHOT Show The SHOT Show, which is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show", is an American annual trade fair, trade show for the shooting sports, hunting, outdoor recreation, and firearm manufacturing industry (economics), industries. The ...

convention. The helmet was publicly revealed in 2009 at the annual SHOT Show. It was issued to U.S. special forces operators deployed in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. In 2019, U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Gentex a contract worth $95 million to supply Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmets that were released in 2018.

Development

Compared to standard combat helmets, the FAST helmet offers up to 25% weight reduction and is notable for its early use of

ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE), it has extremely long chains, with a molecular mass typically between 2 and 6 million amu. The l ...

fibers (UHMWPE) in its design. It was also designed to allow outside features such as wearing communications headsets which can be attached with rail adapters.

Design

District governor visits a local school 130415-M-BO337-031

The FAST helmet ranges in weight from about 667–1592 g (1.47–3.51 lbs). The type of UHMWPE material for the ballistic FAST models provides increased protection against NIJ Level IIIA

handgun A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun, long barreled gun (i.e., carbine, rifle, shotgun, submachine gun, or machine gun) which typically is intended to be held by both hands and br ...

rounds. It can be fitted with a mounting bracket, patented first in 2014, for accessories like

night vision Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night v ...

goggles Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...

and communications headsets, similar to PASGT and

MICH Mich or MICH may refer to: People * An abbreviation for Michelle (name) * Mich Dulce (born 1981), Filipina fashion designer, milliner, corsetiere, feminist activist, actress, artist and singer * Mich Matsudaira (1937–2019), American businessman ...

. Users can wear it with different communications headsets with ease and comfort. The

Velcro Velcro IP Holdings LLC, trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced ), is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of ho ...

featured on to the helmet also allows for the wearer to attach national flag or the emblem of unit which they belong to, in addition to other IFF (Identification friend or foe) patches such as call sign and blood type. It has different color options, such as foliage green, black, olive green, ranger green, tan 499, urban grey,

MultiCam MultiCam is a Military camouflage, camouflage pattern designed for use in a wide range of environments and conditions which was developed and is produced by American company Crye Precision. The pattern has found extensive adoption globally. Var ...

and desert

MARPAT MARPAT (short for Marine pattern) is a multi-scale camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, designed in 2001 and introduced from late 2002 to early 2005 with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU), which replace ...

. As well as having mesh and cloth

helmet cover A helmet cover is a fabric covering that fits over a combat helmet. It provides camouflage, protection, and accessory management. It helps conceal the helmet by matching the surrounding environment, reduces glare, protects the helmet from wear ...

s in varying camouflage patterns. The FAST RF1 High Cut Helmet System released in 2021 is a rifle rated ballistic helmet at an average of 3.5 lbs (1592 grams) able to protect against

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

rounds like the 7.62×39mm and 7.62x51mm due to the 0.400" (10.16mm) shell thickness. The different color options are tan 499, ranger green, MultiCam, black, and urban gray. The FAST XR Helmet System released in 2022 represents an intermediate in protection between the SF line of helmets and the RF1 Helmet System, protecting against 7.62×39mm rifle rounds at a distance of 10 feet, but not against larger rounds such as 7.62×51mm. This is due to having a shell thickness of 0.280" (7.112mm). It is far lighter than the RF1, averaging at only about half a pound heavier than the SF helmet, depending on the type of chinstrap. It is available in Tan 499, Ranger Green, MultiCam, Black, and Urban Gray. In addition to military and law enforcement, the non-ballistic version of the helmet also has gained considerable popularity among civilian occupations, such as outdoor sportsmen, journalists, disaster relief personnel and other field workers due to its modular design.

Users

The FAST family of helmets are ubiquitous across military, police, and other uniformed services around the world.

Current

* : Used by the Algerian special forces. * : 20,000 Sentry XP Mid Cut-type helmets ordered in 2016, adopted by the

Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian Armed Forces () are the combined military forces of Austria. The military consists of 16,000 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 1.0% of national GDP (including pensions) or €3.317 billion (20 ...

in 2017. * : Mostly used by special forces. Few used by reconnaissance, scout, and infantry divisions. Seen in 2021

Armed Forces of Armenia The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia (, abbreviated ՀՀ ԶՈՒ, ''HH ZU''), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army (), is the national military of Armenia. It consists of personnel branches under the General Staff of the Armenian Arme ...

exercises. *

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

: Used by the

Brazilian Army The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...

and the

Brazilian Marine Corps The Brazilian Marine Corps (, CFN; or 'Corps of Naval Riflemen') is the Brazilian Navy's naval infantry component. It relies on the fleet and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Naval Aviation and fields its own artillery, amphibious and land armor, COMA ...

. * : Used by the Special Forces of the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

. * : Used by the Jaeger Corps and other SOKOM units. * : Worn by Finnish Naval Special Forces Coastal Jaegers and the Guards Jaeger Regiment's urban jaegers as well as other front-line troops. * : Used by police and state security special units. DH MK-III made by

STC Delta , type = State-owned enterprise , industry = Defense , founded = , founder = , hq_location_city = Tbilisi , hq_location_country = Georgia , area_served = Worldwide , key_people ...

issued to GSOF and other military units. * : In 2016, a contract was signed with Usahawan PSE Sdn Bhd to supply FAST helmets to the Malaysian military under RM45.9 million. The first Malaysian unit issued with the helmet is the 7th Royal Ranger Regiment. * : In 2024 it was announced that as part of the SPPE OPS-CORE Hi cut helmets would be introduced to all soldiers of the

starting with Tranche 1 in July 2024, Tranche 2 will deliver to the remainder of units in Mid 2025. OPS-CORE Fast variants have previously been in use with

New Zealand Special Air Service The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, is the special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It was formed on 7 July 1955. It traces its origins to ...

troopers. * : In 2011, the Norwegian Defense Logistic Organization (NDLO) selected the FAST helmet as the new standard issue protective headgear for the Norwegian Army and National Guard. The decision was made after positive results from rounds of ballistic and safety testing and has been previously fielded by the Norwegian Special Forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This replaces the PASGT made by Cato Ringstad. * : Different variations of Ops Core FAST. helmets and clone copies are used by different units in the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...

and

Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...

but the most notable users are the Philippine NAVSOCOM as they are the first unit to use them starting late 2015. * : FAST Ballistic High Cut helmets used by

JW GROM The GROM Military Unit (Polish: ''Jednostka Wojskowa GROM''), is a Polish special forces unit and forms part of the Special Troops Command of the Polish Armed Forces. It is believed to consist of around 250 operatives plus support personnel. GR ...

and

JW Formoza , (Military Unit Formoza) (2007-2011 ) (Naval Special Operations Unit), previous names: (Polish Navy Special Operations Sections), (Special Frogmen Groups). History JWF is now part of Special forces of Poland, Wojska Specjalne (1975-2008 ...

operators. 50 thousand HP-05 ordered for Polish Army. * : FAST helmets used by most Gendarmerie units. * : FAST Maritime Helmets used by

Särskilda operationsgruppen The Swedish Special Operations Task Group ( (''SOG''), ), is a special forces unit within the Swedish Armed Forces which has been active since 2011. The unit is headquartered at Karlsborg Fortress in Karlsborg, Västra Götaland County. Histo ...

. * : Used by special forces of

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; , TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The TAF consist of the Turkish Army, Land Forces, the Turkish Navy, Naval Forces and the Turkish Air Force, Air Forces. The Chief of ...

, with a reported incident where a Turkish soldier's life was saved when his Ops-Core Sentry-type helmet was shot at in 2015. * : Used by

Special Operations Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

. * : The UAE Presidential Guard is equipped with the FAST Ballistic High Cut helmet, announced in 2013. * : Used by the

Pathfinder Platoon The Pathfinder Platoon is a Pathfinders (military), pathfinder unit of the British Army, and an integral part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team. The Pathfinder Platoon acts as the brigade's advance force and reconnaissa ...

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

and the

United Kingdom Special Forces United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forces A ...

. High Cut helmets are also in use by CTSFO units of Metropolitan Police Service. * : Used by

. FAST XP and FTHS is used by

Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), also known as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as Task Force Green, is a Special operation forces, special operat ...

. FAST Maritime and FTHS is used by

DEVGRU The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and unofficially known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often r ...

Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...

have used the LBH with AOR1 shell until it was replaced by FTHS. LBH with AOR2 shell is used by SWCC. AFSOC,

Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

75th Ranger Regiment The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as the United States Army Rangers, Army Rangers, is the United States Army Special Operations Command's premier light infantry and direct-action raid force. The 75th Ranger Regiment is also part of Joint S ...

and

Marine Raider Regiment The Marine Raider Regiment (MRR), formerly known as the Marine Special Operations Regiment (MSOR), is a special operations force of the United States Marine Corps, which is a part of Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Renamed ...

use the FAST Maritime and the FTHS. ** In use with the

LAPD The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

, where a

officer credited the helmet for saving his life from being shot in the head in 2017. Also used by the NYPD ESU. ** Small number of FAST SF helmets purchased by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

SWAT teams. Also seen use by FBI

Hostage Rescue Team The Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) is the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) elite tactical unit. The HRT was formed to provide a full-time federal law enforcement tactical capability to respond to major terrorist incidents throughout the Uni ...

operators.

Former

* : Used by the

Afghan National Army Commando Corps The Afghan National Army Commandos (formerly ANA Commando Brigade; ANA Commando Battalion and Afghan National Army Commando Corps) was a commando (special operations capable) force of the Afghan National Army. During the Taliban insurgency, the co ...

Gallery

File:A U.S. Marine with a Marine special operations team assists with security during the construction of an Afghan Local Police (ALP) checkpoint in Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 30, 2013 130330-M-BO337-085.jpg File:Finnish Naval Special Forces, Trident Juncture 15 (22641111371).jpg File:Gen. Ray Odierno observes a live fire exercise.jpg File:Eager Lion '15 concludes with monumental military demonstration 150518-A-XL223-006.jpg File:10th CWS releasing weather balloon at Eglin.JPG File:LAPD SWAT Exercise 3.jpg File:Special Operations Air Insertion, RIMPAC 2014 140710-N-PX130-101.jpg File:NAVSOG at the SEACAT 2018 Exercise 002.jpg File:104rmo training5.png File:Indian MARCOS and Japanese SBU at RIMPAC 2022.jpg File:Operatore Vympel anno 2018.jpg File:GSOFtrojanfootprint24 1.jpg

References

External links

FUATURED PRODUCTS FAST Helmet
{{Helmets Military technology Combat helmets of the United States Military equipment introduced in the 2000s