Ops-Core is fast becoming the Crye of the helmet world with its super high speed FAST Ballistic and FAST Bump helmets.
A good buddy of mine just spend a month in Afghanistan wearing one of the ballistic bad boys (which has an unfortunate sticker price of nearly $900) and loved it. It's a good bit lighter than the ACH and carries the same ballistic capability as the Army-issued helmet with a fraction of the weight.
But what my bro liked about it most, was the "construction helmet-like" adjustment capability. It's a full-on dial-a-noggin' system that uses a racheting nape adjuster that snugs up with a twist of the wrist, rather than a pull of a strap.
The helmet also uses a plastic Picatinny rail system on each side of the helmet for accessories and other protective equipment such as their "Side Armor" and "Mandible" face shields.
Our friends over at Soldier Systems Daily picked up a blip on the government contracting radar that indicated SOCOM was looking for a new helmet, and the site speculated Ops-Core was well in the running.
As usual, we'd like to hear from our readers what their impressions are of the FAST helmet. One thing that seems to hold true, however, is that the Ops-Core helmet may be lighter and more technically sophisticated than the current MICH or ACH, but it doesn't have any more ballistic capability than the current standard. That's a nut that has yet to be cracked.
