The Integrated Ballistic Helmet abbreviated as IBH is a helmet of American origin.
Overview[]
The Integrated Ballistic Helmet was manufactured around 1995 to 1996 by ILC Dover to USSOCOM specifications. Only 741 units were made, most of which were fielded by SOCOM units but some apparently made it into the hands of the FBI. The primary users within SOCOM appear to have been Navy SEALs, although it has also been seen worn by AFSOC operators. The IBH has been known to have been used by SEALs during the Iraq war as late as 2007 and possibly even later, although it was most likely supplanted by the Ops-Core FAST helmet when it was introduced in 2009.
The IBH was primarily designed for use in close quarters battle (CQB) and maritime operations. Existing ballistic helmet systems such as the PASGT helmet were often deemed unacceptably heavy and were not easily able to accommodate accessories such as night vision devices, and existing alternatives such as the popular Pro-Tec bump helmets offered no ballistic protection. The IBH can be considered a middle ground between the two systems.
An optional communications system was designed for use with the IBH, known as the Ambient Hearing System (AHS). Presumably it functions in a manner similar the the modern Peltor ComTac headsets.
The exact level of ballistic protection offered by the IBH is unclear.
Gallery[]
In popular culture[]
|
Media |
Notes |
Date |
|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | Worn by the Korean People's Army | 2014 |
| Battlefield 2042 | Part of the "Dust Shield" headgear for Mackay, with AHS and L2 G01 shroud[3] | 2021 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | Worn by Pantheon forces, anachronistic | 2024 |
