Ballistic 

Helmets
WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

The Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency

Established 1961

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DLA

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DLA Clothing & Textiles 

Ballistic Helmets

Jennifer Scarpello 

IST Chief 

Safety Gear Team 

November 16, 2023
WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

DLA C&T Mission 

Provide world-class integrated logistics solutions for

clothing, individual equipment and textile items to 

Warfighters and Emergency Responders in peace and in 

war, around the clock and around the world. 

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WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

Product Line Overview

• Safety Team Stats

– Overall manage approx. 900 different items

– Items include:

• Ballistic Helmets and components (Retention Systems, Pad 

(Suspension) Systems, Covers)

• Flyers Helmets and components (Visors, Chin Straps, ...)

• Anti-G Garments

• Anti-Exposure Garments

– Sales

• FY 23 - $62.7M

• FY 22 - $66.2M

• FY 21 - $67.7M

• FY 20 - $82.0M

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WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

Open Procurements 

• Advanced Combat Vehicle Crewman’s Helmet (ACVC-H) 

Liner 

- Unrestricted Solicitation – Fixed Quantity (20,000 units) 

- SPE1C1-24-R-0011 Opens 11/6/2023 with a 30-day

 closing 12/6/2023 

- POC: Lisa Pizzo 

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Future Procurements 

• Advanced Combat Vehicle Crewman’s Helmet (ACVC-H) 

- Unrestricted Solicitation – Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite

 Quantity (IDIQ) 4-Year Tier Contract 

- Solicitation issue 3Q2024

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Future Procurements 

• Advanced Combat Helmet Generation II (ACH Gen II)

- IDIQ Five (5) year tier contract; Projected Issuance of

 Solicitation 1Q2025 

• Next Generation Integrated Helmet Protection System 

(NG - IHPS) Helmet

- IDIQ Five (5) year tier Contract – Projected Issuance of

 Solicitation 2Q2025

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WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

Future Procurements 

• Next Generation Integrated Helmet Protection System 

(NG - IHPS) Components 

- IDIQ Five (5) year tier Contracts – Projected Issuance of

 Solicitation 2Q2024 through 2Q2025

- * Night Vision Bracket (IHPS & NG-IHPS)

- * Rail Assembly 

- * Boltless Retention System – Ability One w/NIB

- * Suspension System – Ability One w/NIB 

- * IHPS Cover – under contract w/NIB 

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Soon to be Awarded 

• Improved Retention System (IRS) for ACH 

- Mandatory Source w/ Ability One 

 IDIQ Three (3) Year Tier Contract – Target award 12/23

• IRS for Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) 

- Mandatory Source w/ Ability One

 IDIQ Three (3) Year Tier Contract – Target award 12/23

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WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

Safety Team Points of Contact 

• Michael Medora: Division Chief 

– michael.medora@dla.mil

– 215-737-3274

• Jennifer Scarpello: IST Supervisor

– Jennifer.scarpello@dla.mil

– 215-737-3164

• Dan Price: Contracting Officer

– daniel.price@dla.mil

– 215-737-8101

• Contract Specialists:

– Mara Cremen: mara.cremen@dla.mil 215-737-8094

– Lisa Pizzo: lisa.pizzo@dla.mil 215-737-8076 

– Bob Rounay: robert.rounay@dla.mil 215-737-7123

– Rabah Yisrael: rabahben.yisrael@dla.mil 215-737-0636 

– Natalie Wilson: Natalie.wilson@dla.mil 

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WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

Thank 

You

for 

Your 

Support

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GO 

BIRDS!!!
WARFIGHTER ALWAYS WARFIGHTER ALWAYS 12
Product Manager 

Soldier Protective Equipment

LTC Kenneth Elgort

Product Manager

Soldier ProtectiveEquipment

Sarah Coleman

Deputy ProductManager

Soldier ProtectiveEquipment

Product Manager Soldier Protective 

Equipment (PM SPE)

Joint Advanced Planning Brief to Industry 

Head Protection Session

Every Ounce Matters, Every Bullet Counts

15-16 November 2023

Controlled by: PEO Soldier

CUI Category: OPSEC

Distribution Statement B

Limited Dissemination Control: FEDCON

POC: MAJ Matt Nulk, 703-223-1871

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Agenda

 Mission, Vision, and Priorities

 Next Generation Integrated Head Protection System 

(NG IHPS)

 (NG) IHPS Mandible 

• Product Overview

• Solicitation Timeline

• Solicitation Requirements

• Technical Requirements

 Suspension System Comfort
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Mission

To increase Warfighter lethality, survivability, and 

mobility by delivering cutting edge Soldier protective 

equipment

Vision

To continuously optimize Soldier protective 

equipment based on operational threats and deliver 

the right equipment, to the right Soldier, at the right 

time

Principles

Understand user needs

Have a plan/roadmap

Be responsive 

Simplicity matters

Data supported decisions

Fiscally Responsible

Priority 2 – Deliver Capability

 Right Soldier, right time, right 

place

• Support fieldings and RFI

• Maintain industrial base

• Understand supply chain risks

• Pursue flexible contract options

• Stay current on operating 

environment and threats

 

Priority 1 – People & Networks

 Build the team internally and 

externally 

• Balance workload

• Recognize, reward, and promote

• Build predictability into the 

workplace 

• Work across PM lines / integrate 

early 

• Nurture stakeholder relationships

Priority 3 – Improve & Innovate

 Continuous optimization

• Transparency with roadmap

• Track Industry and S&T 

advancements to better manage 

technology transition 

• Seek and incorporate User feedback

• Pursue inter-service efforts and 

collaboration 

Mission, Vision, and Priorities

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Next Generation Integrated Head Protection 

System (NG IHPS)

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Program Overview:

 NG IHPS will be transitioned to Defense Logistics 

Agency (DLA) for Sustainment

 Production contracts awarded under a Class 

Justification & Approval

Product Overview:

 Same design as the currently procured IHPS helmet 

with increased ballistic protection

 Compatible with the Product Manager, Soldier 

Maneuver Sensors (PdM SMS) universal Helmet 

Mount Assembly (uHMA) 

 No-Hole design: retention system and NVD bracket 

mounted without the use of a through hole.

 All components backwards compatible with IHPS –

except NVD Bracket

IHPS

NG IHPS
Mandible Product Overview

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Design Overview:

 Removing Visor with Maneuver 

Capabilities Development and Integration 

Directorate (MCDID) Letter of Clarification

• Lack of NVD compatibility- uses NVG 

Mount

• Authorized Protective Eyewear List 

(APEL) Provides Eye Protection

 Continuing to produce Mandible

 Same design as the current IHPS 

mandible (attached using IHPS rails)

 Mandible consists of:

• Two sizes compatible with (1) IHPS 

SM/MD/LG and (2) XL

• Attaches to IHPS and NG IHPS Rails
Mandible Solicitation Overview

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Timeline:

 1QFY24: Request for Information (RFI) Published

 3QFY24: Publish Mandible Full & Open (F&O) Contact 

Solicitation

 4QFY24: Deadline for Industry Proposals 

 2QFY25: Contract Award (minimum First Article Test (FAT)

 3QFY25: FAT samples due to Aberdeen Test Center (ATC)

 4QFY25: First lot due to Defense Contract Management Agency 

(DCMA)

Solicitation Parameters:

 Vendors to provide test data from ATC as part of proposals

• Mandible: 17-gr V50, Blunt Impact, Area of Coverage

 Vendors to provide PDM samples to Program Office for evaluation 

as part of proposal

 Selection decision will be based on review of test data, PDM 

samples, and paper proposals (Quality Management Plans, Small 

Business Participation, Past Performance, and Price)
Mandible Technical Requirements (Summary)

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Component Requirement Requirement Definition

Mandible

Weight 1.05 lbs (all sizes)

Fragmentation (V50) 17-gr at 1,850 ft/sec (A, H, C, SW)

Blunt Impact 15 g max at 5 ft/sec (A, H, C)

Blunt Impact 

Deflection 1.0 inches max at 5 ft/sec (A, H, C)
Suspension System: Comfort 

Options to the Soldier

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Program Overview:

 A suspension system that offers more options than current IHPS pads

 Support comfort for differing head shapes with known safety 

performance

 PdM SPE will consider reducing current Blunt Impact requirements to 

support comfort

• 10 ft/s is Threshold

• 14.1 ft/s highly desired but not required (Objective)

• Double impact reduced to single impact

• Focus on banded environmental conditions

• Human Factor Evaluations to measure comfort

Proposed Long-Term Path Forward:

 Qualified Products List (QPL) called List of Approved Pad Sets (LAPS)

 Similar to Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL)

 Soldier get a choice of pad set that has government approved safety rating

 Test Methodology and Lot Acceptance methodologies under development

 Government will share results of pad testing approach to support vendor 

development

 ATC testing

 Human Factors Evaluations