RBR helmet Id

[feldgrau33]

Hello, in some of my ballistic helmet collection i have this rbr helmet.
As you can see, there’s a green paint on the lower layer. I guess this helmet once used by the indonesian peacekeeper or navy? Its really unfortunate the seller didn't asked about the full info of the ex-servicemen from whom he got this helmet.


Green paint


The interior not in perfect condition. The rear strap is almost snapped



The only RBR Id left in this helmet


The adjustment strap was stitched


Some of the photos the indonesian soldier used the same style helmet


The indonesian peacekeeper (Pasukan Garuda)


My question to the fellow collectors in here is what kind of rbr helmet is this? I mean is there any brand name or at least it’s military namecall designation?
Thank you

[Greg Pickersgill]

I am reasonably sure this is an RBR F6, though with some of these commercial composites its hard to be certain, especially when working only from photos. Assuming I am remembering all this correctly this would have been made when RBR was a British-based company; they seem to have been completely absorbed into a US concern now. There is one shown here on CompoSite - Composite Helmet, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets UNITED KINGDOM, UK HELMETS, BRITISH helmet, Kevlar helmet - tagged as RBR - EXPORT MODEL ? See also the one below. (I've also discovered an RBR Armour Systems based in Australia. Wonder if they would have exported to Indonesia?) The F6 is not currently in production, I think. There are a couple of other RBR helmets shown on CompoSite - search 'RBR' at the start page.

[feldgrau33]

Ah i see. Thank you very much sir!

[Greg Pickersgill]

The name of the company which took over RBR was Lightweight Body Armour aka LBA INTERNATIONAL, still based in the British Isles and not the USA as I was thinking in a sort of time-to-go-to-bed half-witted way last night. See their current helmet range at Military Helmets and Ballistic Combat Helmets by LBA International LTD. There were a number of RBR/LBA helmets very similar to yours with minor detail differences, but unless I can be shown otherwise I am happy to say this is an RBR/LBA F6.

[James C]

nice looking example feldgrau ,ive yet to see these become available in the british surplus market so well done ,great link greg you mention the us ,im wondering now have they been absorbed by gentex ? i also believe the norwegian army trialled these also for a time

[Opex]

Very nice RBR, these composite helmets have a really pleasing shape and functionality in my opinion,great reference pictures supplied too, and the bonus of seeing the world famous DPM camoflage in use by the Indonesian troops,brilliant and thanks for showing.

[Greg Pickersgill]

They do come up on such as Ebay from time to time - there was one on just this last week, which I rather wanted (I don't have one myself yet) but I suffered a little financial diversion (ie I bought something else instead - not a helmet). See above for LBA as inheritor of RBR. I don't know that the Norwegians ever trialled any RBR products, but they did, in certain circumstances, use another british helmet, from tetranike, which has some similarity to the RBR helmet which started all this off. Well, the shell looks similar anyway, the internals are not.

NB Because of the various changes of ownership, and sometimes changes of badge (label) applied for various sales areas, and of course the high likelhood of there not neing a label in residence anyway and the vendor not knowing what it is, you have to keep an eye open for these helmets, a simple search for what you believe it to be called is likely to be useless. I've also seen them on sale in Ebay Germany and France.

[feldgrau33]

Thank you again gentlemen and great info too.

[James C]

Tan Variant of the LBA F6 unsure of the Mach number but must be quite modern i should also point out it has been what looks like factory fitted with British Mk7 comfort pads ,seen in use by Qatar Armed Forces