2,000,000 helmets may have substandard Kevlar cloth

Up to 2 million helmets issued by the military between 1980 and 2006 may have been manufactured with substandard Kevlar cloth.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the Sioux Manufacturing Corp., of Fort Totten, N.D., for allegedly producing Kevlar cloth that did not meet minimum standards for safety, which would violate its contract with the Defense Department, according to investigation documents obtained by Military Times...

At issue is the density of the Kevlar cloth — woven by SMC — that is attached to the shell of the helmet and provides ballistic protection. According to the minimum standard dating back to 1987, each square inch of cloth must contain 35 vertical strands and 35 horizontal strands.

Read the rest at Army Times

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