Special forces units get all the cool toys. The British SAS (Special Air Service) is reportedly using a new helmet that looks like it’s straight out of Star Wars. So much, in fact, that elite soldiers have appropriately nicknamed it the “Boba Fett helmet.”
Developed by a Japan-based company called Devtac Designs, the “Boba Fett Helmet”—also known as the Devtac Ronin Kevlar Level IIIA Tactical Ballistic Helmet—weighs in at 4.5 pounds. According to the hype video—which you can check out above—the full Kevlar shell boasts 7mm ballistic plates supplemented by N50 neodymium magnets. Also included are replaceable polycarbonate lenses with built-in microjet fans, creating an air-flow system that prevents condensation from collecting. In addition, a NVG mount and Picatinny rail are thrown in.
The helmet is reportedly capable of stopping a .44 Magnum round. That’s some serious dome protection.
But that’s not all it does.
According to the Daily Mirror, the Devtac Ronin “Boba Fett helmet” features a GPS system that enables troops to bring up maps and check positions. There’s also an infrared setting that helps the end user find enemies in dark conditions. The helmet sports a “friend or foe” feature that picks up signals from other soldiers wearing the same type of headgear.
First used by Delta Force and Navy SEAL operators, the SAS and SBS (Special Boat Service) are now taking a crack at the “Boba Fett helmet.”
While there’s been no official announcement on the helmet, a military source said the following to the Daily Mirror: “For years the defence industry has been trying to find a way of protecting the head and this is the next development. The helmet, already being used by special forces, is much more versatile than just stopping bullets. It is fitted with the latest communications technology and will help the soldier see the enemy no matter what the circumstances.”
- RELATED STORY: Great American War Helmets Of World War I
That’s great. Now can us folks here at Tactical-Life.com try one, please?
