Iraqi M80 Helmet
Encyclopedia
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
made of compressed canvas used by the Iraqi Armed Forces from the early 1980s onwards. They were used in the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
, The Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
/Operation Desert Storm and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq/Operation Iraqi Freedom. These helmets were originally manufactured in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
but in 1990 an Iraqi made version appeared, which is usually fitted with a distinctive rubber rim. Both types of helmet are still in limited service with the Iraqi Security Forces
Iraqi Security Forces
The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Government of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Air Force, and the Iraqi Navy....
but are being replaced by the American PASGT helmet.
History
Before the 1980s the Iraqi Armed Forces had used various steel helmets which were mostly of Soviet origin. These included Russian M40 and M60 helmets and Polish M50 patterns. During the early 1980s the M80 helmet began to replace these patterns. These new helmets were of a light weight composite construction undoubtedly inexpensive to purchase from their South Korean manufacturers, at a time when the Iraqi economy was severely stretched by the war with IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Design
Clearly drawing inspiration from the American M1 HelmetM1 Helmet
The M1 helmet is a combat helmet that was used by the American military from World War II until it was succeeded by the PASGT helmet beginning in 1985. For over forty years, the M1 was standard issue for the U.S...
which had first appeared during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it differed significantly in being constructed from compressed layers of fabric coated in plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
. This inevitably offered troops a much lower degree of ballistic protection than a steel helmet, or modern composite helmet such as the PASGT. The M80's liner is a direct copy of the Riddell liner seen on American M1 helmet
M1 Helmet
The M1 helmet is a combat helmet that was used by the American military from World War II until it was succeeded by the PASGT helmet beginning in 1985. For over forty years, the M1 was standard issue for the U.S...
s made after 1972 and used a US type T1 chinstrap. The helmets were supplied painted dark green, this was often overpainted in a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
tan colour which has a tendency to rub off, revealing the original colour underneath. They also have a tendency to fray at the edges, showing the layers of fabric used in their construction.
In 1990 an Iraqi made version of this helmet appeared which is of inferior quality construction. These later helmets are prone to splitting at the edges and have a protective rubber rim. The post 1990 helmets were supplied in desert tan colour only. Both types of helmet can be found with a variety of Arabic and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
unit markings, and are sometimes painted white with red markings for the Iraqi Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
. Many Iraqi helmets were abandoned in large numbers on the battlefields of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and proved to be popular souvenirs with western soldiers returning home from the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.