The M50 series protective mask consisting of the M50 and M51 variants, officially known as the Joint Service General Purpose (JSGPM) is a lightweight, protective mask system consisting of the mask, a mask carrier, and additional accessories. It was adopted by the U.S. military in 2006 and is manufactured by Avon Rubber. The mask was designed/made to incorporate the state-of-the-art technologies to protect

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

and the allied forces from current and anticipated threats from all types of

weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natur ...

. It is an above-the-neck, chemical-biological (CB) respirator that protects against battlefield concentrations of CB agents, toxins, toxic industrial materials and radioactive particulate matter. The M50/51 masks replace the M40 field protective mask and M42, MCU-2/P series masks and the M45 of the Land Warrior Program. There are two mask variants: M50 (ground and shipboard use) and M51 (ground vehicle use).

History

The M50 series mask entered service in December 2006. In July 2014, Avon Protection received a contract to supply 135,000 M50s under a $33 million. In March 2016, it was announced that 166,623 M50s were purchased by the Department of Defense (DOD) under a $42 million contract.

Description

The M50 series is certified to MIL-SPEC PRF-EA-10003. The mask design features improved performance against chemical and biological agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and nuclear fallout. The dual, low profile filters reduce weight and bulk while reducing breathing resistance by fifty percent over the M40 series mask. The filters incorporate a shelf-life indicator patch which changes colors from white to blue when the filters are no longer serviceable. The mask face blank incorporates self sealing filter mounts that allow for filter changes in a contaminated environment. The single element eye lens gives the mask a 96 degree field of view and improved compatibility with military equipment and battlefield optical systems. The drinking system of the mask allows for greater liquid flow however, is not compatible with previous drinking systems. Consequently, the mask is normally issued with an M50 series compatible canteen cap. The lifetime ownership cost of the mask was reduced by fifty percent when compared with the M40 series mask due to a lower repair part count, all maintenance being completed at the operator and unit level and color coding of repair parts which decreased on-hand repair part inventory.

Variants

FM - Foreign Military Export (civilian market sales will have this designator) * M50: Gas mask made to replace existing gas masks in use by the US military. * M51: Consisting of a M50 gas mask with a CVC hood for head/neck protection and a flexible pipe to connect to combat vehicle overpressure systems. * C50: 40mm NATO STANAG threaded version to use standard and conformal filters, primarily sold to police and export markets. * M53/FM53: This series gas mask is based on the M50 and specifically developed to meet the unique requirements of

Special Operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

Forces (SOF) operators. * M53A1: Improved single filter port variant of the M53. * M54/FM54: Current generation dual 40mm ports on all models, Improved fire and chemical resistance same overall build to the M53.

Users

* : Adopted by the Belgian Army. * : Adopted by the Finnish Army. * : Used by Iraqi special forces under Counter-Terrorism Service. * : Awarded contract in January 2021 for the Dutch Army. * : Adopted by the Norwegian Armed Forces. *: In service with the Philippine Army and Philippine Navy. * : In service with all branches of the U.S. military.

References

External links

* US Air Force: ,
Avon Protection M50 product brochures

Avon Protection M53 product brochures

Avon Protection M53A1 product brochures 2020 pdf
{{Gas masks Gas masks of the United States United States Marine Corps equipment Military equipment introduced in the 2000s