What’s considered to be the first modern combat helmet was introduced
roughly a year after the outbreak of World War One, and in the last
104 years, military helmets have come a mighty long way. With composite technology already affording today’s soldiers durable, ultra-lightweight helmets, the primary focal point for innovation as of late has been attachments and mounting hardware, and the latest company to introduce the next step in military helmet technology is Norway’s NFM Group with its new HJELM System.
Named after the traditional Viking helmet and constructed around a Generation Four combat lid, the HJELM seeks to minimize weight and bulk (and the potential for a snag) by only bestowing a helmet with the minimal amount of mounting hardware required for the task at hand. This is made possible through the Norwegian outfit’s patented “Edgemount Attachment System”, which is comprised of tiny, diamond-shaped mounts that around the helmet’s rim that can accommodate a Picatinny rail or optics, torch, or electronics mounts. A marked improvement over the existing velcro and rail setups, the system also benefits from its “Helmet Attachment System Pattern” (or HASP), an octagonal mesh-like composite that too can secure a bevy of accessories and peripherals, or be removed entirely — or even replaced on the fly, if damaged.
