Article about: Ok so it hasn't been called the Mk8....yet.... I saw a few at Bovington last weekend and was surprised to see two different shaped mandible guards (that's the jaw bit!) fitted...one was angu
Whilst at the “Tankfest” Show yesterday I took the opportunity to talk to members from a handful of very different Regiments of the British Army who were attending about what they’ve currently got in the way of head protection…and then what they’re allowed to do about camouflaging it. As the results cover 3 different helmets I’m going to copy this post it here making it difficult for folk looking at the Mk6 and Mk7 posts to find.....I'm like that :-)
....not sure how useful this is but I thought I’d share it anyway………
Paras - have Virtus - One Para regiment doesn’t permit ANY scrimming of helmets due to a problem fitting devices to mounts during an old exercise…other Para regiments permit scrimming BUT 7th Para insist any net etc has to go under the NCG bracket mount which means dismantling that aspect of the helmet (and one has to go on a course for that). Any scrim that IS applied has to fit under the rim of the helmet ie can’t be glued/taped to the outer rim and any scrim should not hang down below helmet edge.
Logistics - soldier (female) still has a Mk6 helmet as it’s almost impossible to get anything newer in SMALL. “All Mk6As had to be handed back a while ago”. She’s expecting to go straight to Virtus from Mk6
Lancers - have Virtus and are scrimming them
Recce - have Virtus and are scrimming them up
6th Armoured - have Virtus and Mk7s but no scrimming ..based on concerns re flammable nature of material used. Of the two soldiers I spoke to one had Virtus (“frontline”) the other had Mk7 (“support”)
Other comments:-
Virtus...”no one uses the helmet goggles (drop-down from NVG mount) except if you’re in a Jackal”…this was almost identical to a comment made to me when Virtus was being issued in ‘15
Favoured scrim (cover or net) attachment method is now Super Glue (presumably on Mk7s and earlier). Rubber bands and rings from NBC boots and the like are no longer permitted due to their flammable nature.
“There’s not enough extreme (XL & SMALL) sized Virtus available so for the time being blokes like me with big ‘eds are stuck with Mk7s”
“some of the lads didn’t have 7s and they’re going straight to Virtus”
Conclusions/Summary
It was interesting to hear that Mk6s remain in use (probably an exceptional case???)
Virtus is universally popular albeit not yet universally issued
There appears to be no Army-wide ruling re the application of additional camo in the form of Scrim etc
The usual supply problems with the less-common sizes continue
…here endeth the lesson in the bleedin’ obvious…..:-)
Very interesting. Though I a bit appalled at the Superglue use - that means it will be damned near impossible to get all that untidy and obscuring stuff *off*. Not an issue for those primarily interested in either the camo specifically or just 'warriness' generally, but for a helmet fan...
The other point - from what you say re the paras, does this mean that not only is the Para LW being phased out, but that the Virtus is also actually a jump helmet? This may be obvious but I hadn't grasped it before.
I’m pretty sure the LWP is history now....certainly if dealer stalls at the Fairs I’ve been to this year are anything to go by. The Paras I talked to all talked about their Virtus Helmets.......Im assuming that one of them would’ve said somat if they used another Helmet type.....or perhaps with defence cuts the Paras simply don’t jump anymore :-)
According to the BBC today 450 additional UK troops are going back to the Gulf....although not front-line combat duties. It'll be interesting to see what's on their heads.....Virtus presumably????
A good pic of some variations in Virtus camo as used by A Coy (the Royal Welsh) when they conducted trench clearing drills this time last year in Estonia
Interesting pic Jerry......looks like they’ve made a conscious decision to not worry about quick access to their NVG Mount, their side rails, their mandible piece or their Helmet visor......no surprise there then. :-)
Well, Virtus progresses and it looks like a new helmet cover is out. This new cover, said to be part of Virtus 3, is more of a blunt instrument.....it doesn’t look as tailored and fit under the brow bracket....it goes over everything with holes for the front NVG Mount and side bracket sockets. Presumably the need to un-bolt and re-fit stuff every time a cover needs fitting / replacing was too much.
A new helmet cover for a new-ish helmet........shall we wait till the Virtus is an ex-Helmet or shall we try to keep up rather than catch up? :-)
The Royal Engineers will be using the Visor and jaw guard in place of the mine visors that were used with the mk6/mk6a helmets ,but with some old hands still having mk7 helmets its a nightmare at the moment until all get the new helmets
really?...comparing the two the older visor looks like it could take a minor blast-ette but the ol' flip-downs on the Virtus look as if a top gunner would struggle with a large fly
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its just an opinion.
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