BK-3 helmet vs Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

AProtective equipment

BK-3 helmet

Combat helmet

BProtective equipment

Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops

Combat helmet and bulletproof vest

First system

Second system

Measured figures

Head to head

5 of 53 rows sourced on both sides

—

3.2–4.9kgdepending on size Vest depending on size

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

3.2–4.9 kg

depending on size Vest depending on size

Single source

1.41–1.91 kg

Helmet

Single source

Configuration

Details

BK-3 helmet and Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops configuration
Specification	BK-3 helmet	Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops
Type	Combat helmet^[source]	Combat helmet and bulletproof vest^[source]
Manufacturer	Šestan-Busch^[source]	Gibraltar Industries (first known helmet/vest manufacturer) Made by numerous manufacturers, such as Isratex, Inc.^[source]
Used by	Croatian Armed Forces^[source]	United States Navy United States Coast Guard U.S. Army (historical) U.S. Marine Corps (historical) U.S. Air Force (historical) See Users for other foreign military/law enforcement users^[source]
Material	Aramid fibre

Protection	level IIIA according to NIJ 0106.01 and antiballistic protection v50≥ 650 m/s according to STANAG 2920^[source]	—

Chin strap	three-point chin strap^[source]	—

Mounting	integrated side rails for lights and front NVG mount^[source]	—

Country of origin	Croatia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 4, cell 4; revision 1377597373; retrieved 2026-09-30	—

Place of origin	—	United States^[source]

In service	—	1983–2003 (U.S. Army & Marines) 1983–present (U.S. Navy) 1985–present (other countries)^[source]

Wars	—	Invasion of Grenada (first usage) Invasion of Panama Persian Gulf War Operation Gothic Serpent Yugoslav Wars Global War on Terrorism War in Afghanistan Iraq War Russo-Ukrainian War 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]

Designer	—	U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center^[source]

Designed	—	1975 (vest), 1977 (helmet)^[source]

Variants	—	U.S. Navy Flak Jacket (Mk 1, Mod 0)^[source]

Protection standard	—	The shell is made from 19 layers of Kevlar , a ballistic aramid fabric treated with a phenolic resin system, and is rated at Threat Level IIIA .^[source]Open-source estimate; PASGT helmet shell, not the PASGT vest It meets the 1800 requirement of MIL-STD-662 E.^[source]Open-source estimate; PASGT helmet; the source does not supply a unit for its stated 1800 requirement Based on testing conducted for the Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing Company, former ARDEC research engineer John Ervin stated that the PASGT vest is equivalent to NIJ level II or IIA protection: able to stop multiple 124-grain 9×19mm FMJ pistol rounds to its main torso panels (front and back), but susceptible to several closely spaced rounds or shots to the thin neck and shoulder panels.^[source]Open-source estimate; PASGT vest torso-panel independent-test comparison to NIJ II or IIA; the neck/shoulder limitations are retained

Protection standard

—

The shell is made from 19 layers of Kevlar , a ballistic aramid fabric treated with a phenolic resin system, and is rated at Threat Level IIIA .^[source]Open-source estimate; PASGT helmet shell, not the PASGT vest

It meets the 1800 requirement of MIL-STD-662 E.^[source]Open-source estimate; PASGT helmet; the source does not supply a unit for its stated 1800 requirement

Based on testing conducted for the Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing Company, former ARDEC research engineer John Ervin stated that the PASGT vest is equivalent to NIJ level II or IIA protection: able to stop multiple 124-grain 9×19mm FMJ pistol rounds to its main torso panels (front and back), but susceptible to several closely spaced rounds or shots to the thin neck and shoulder panels.^[source]Open-source estimate; PASGT vest torso-panel independent-test comparison to NIJ II or IIA; the neck/shoulder limitations are retained

Reported operators	Reported operator · Croatia Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Lithuania Reported operator · Turkey	Reported operator · Turkey Reported operator · Afghanistan Reported operator · Argentina Reported operator · Armenia Reported operator · Brazil Reported operator · Bolivia Reported operator · Bosnia and Herzegovina Reported operator · Chile Reported operator · Costa Rica Reported operator · Dominican Republic Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · El Salvador Reported operator · Estonia Reported operator · Greece Reported operator · Haiti Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Kazakhstan Reported operator · Lebanon Reported operator · Mexico Reported operator · Moldova Reported operator · Nicaragua Reported operator · Philippines Reported operator · Portugal Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Slovenia Reported operator · Taiwan Reported operator · Thailand Reported operator · United States Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · Uruguay Reported operator · Venezuela Reported operator · Vietnam