Helmets

m/62

Two main types of helmets are used in the finnish army. The most numerous would probably be the m/62 that is mainly stored as a reservists helmet. m/62 uses the same shell as m/40 (and swedish m/37) but with a improved liner. In the 80's chin-straps was further improved, adding three straps instead of the earlier two. The helmet on the picture below is of the earlier model. The shape of the helmets shell and quality of the 1.1-1.2 mm steel used is claimed to make it having a better ballistic protection than many other of types of steel helmets. The shell comes in two sizes, 69 and 72. It uses an reversible helmet cover.


- Right picture © Finnish Defence Forces

Protection: N/A (shrapnel)
Weight: size 69 1120 g, size 72 1190 g
Country of manufacture: Sweden (shell) and Finland

m/91

This finnish-made composite helmet with the now so popular PASGT-shape was starting to get issued in 1992, but because of the cost of it, it is not until recently that nearly all of the active units have got their m/62´s replaced with the m/91. Altough having the same shape there are several variants on the m/91 helmet, since the ideal was to have a helmet with a weight of about 1 kg the protection on the newer K99 helmets have been been slightly reduced from the K96, to get a lighter helmet. It comes in three sizes, small, medium and large. It uses an reversible helmet cover.


- Right picture © Finnish Defence Forces

Protection K96 variant: 1.1 g fragment v50 610 m/s, 9 mm 7.5g FMJ 420 m/s
Protection K99 variant: 1.1 g fragment v50 580 m/s, 9 mm 7.5g FMJ 420 m/s
Weight: (K96), 1.3 kg (K99), 1.1 kg
Country of manufacture: Finland