History
MICH is one of the two standards to ballistic helmet for the United States Military today. MICH is the abbreviation for Modular Integrated Communications Helmet. They also go by the ACH, or Advance Combat Helmet. It is the successor to the PASGT ballistic helmets that were issued to soldiers in the 1980s to the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. PASGT are still used by the Reserves and National Guards but many are phasing to the MICH. The Marine Corp and Navy uses an improved version of the PASGT called the Lightweight Helmet (LWH).
The soldiers of the United States Army are issued these for combat. Along with them, many Special Operation Forces and Special Response Teams are also given the MICH 2000 or one of the two other models. Such units as and not limited to the US Navy SEALs, US Marine Corp Force Reconnaissance, and many SWAT units. Aside from the US, many international allies are using the MICH. The United States Army uses the 2000 model for their troops.
There are three total models for the MICH, the 2000, 2001, and 2002. The 2000 is the model where the Kevlar comes down and covers the ear completely. It is sometimes referred to the "No Cut" as there isn't any cut on the ear piece. The 2001 model, sometimes called the "full cut", is the ones where there is no Kevlar protection on the ear, this is for communication units to have more space and not make the operator have his head crushed by the helmet. The last model is the 2001, sometimes referred to the half cut model; this one is where the Kevlar comes about half way down. The 2001 and 2002 models are lighter due to the lack of Kevlar on the ear. They also come in various sizes from small to X-Large. Weight of the helmet depends on the size of the helmet.
The MICH provides more protection than the PASGT from rounds fired out of a handgun. It also uses a four point chin strap, rather than a two point as seen on most PASGT helmets, so that the helmet stay put on a soldier’s helmet. This was a reason for the four point strap, as medics occasionally had their helmets move and block their sight or just fall off while patching up a wounded comrade. There are also larger gaps near the ear to provide space for a communication unit or electronic hear protections such as the MSA SORDINs and the PELTOR COMTAC s. You can adjust the straps on the chin strap to accommodate different head sizes. There is a chin loop the baskets you chin and a nape pad, padded rectangular cushion on the rear of the chin strap, to give more comfort.
I have two MICH 2000 in my possession. Both come from private purchase from good friend of mine. One made by a company called Specialty Defense System (SDS) and the size is a large, while the other is made by Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) and the size is a medium. I only use them in Airsoft to replicate the look of real US SOF operators that are through the world. Though they are both the same design, there are some minor differences from each others. I cannot test the ballistics of the helmet, and probably will not test it due to the price of the helmets or god forbids I ever get shot in the head to test it.
MSA MICH 2000 Helmet
SDS "Warrior" MICH 2000 Helmet
Difference
In the review, I am excluding the fact that they are different size and weight. The first difference would be the feel of the externals. On the SDS helmet, there are bumps all over external skin. As seen in the below first picture, you see all the bumps. On the MSA helmet, it is very smooth surface without any bumps unlike its SDS brother. It’s very flat surface.
SDS Helmet
MSA Helmet
The second difference on two MICHs are the helmet pads that are used inside. In the PASGT helmets, it used a crown to support the head. One of the notable upgrades to the MICH was the pads it used. There are seven pads that are used on the hemlets, two square pads for the front and rear, four small rectangular pads for the sides, and one large circular pad for the top of the head. On the SDS model that I bought, the pads were extremely hard and well cushioned. When I bought the MSA model, the pads were very soft and feel like the Tempur-Pedic foam. Though the MSA is softer, they are still very cushioned to help soldiers withstand shock from a bullet, banging their head against a vehicle, and etc. I prefer the MSA pads because provide me more comfort than the SDS pads.
I currently have the MSA pads inside the SDS helmet as that is my size, while the SDS pads are on my Protec Helmet which I modified (soon to come with a review). Inside my MSA helmet, I have Protec soft foam pads.
The third and last minor difference I noticed was the chin strap and the mounting system of the chin strap. On the SDS helmet, I got a grey color chin strap. The mounting system on the SDS is simple flat head screw and large nut. The nut is inserted into one of the four mounting brackets on the chin strap. There is a hole burnt into the nylon bracket which has a plastic frame for support. There is a plastic triglide adjuster that hooks the actual chin strap onto the helmet. Both chin straps uses an ITW buckle that secures it firmly onto the head. The MSA helmet uses a plastic mounting bracket rather nylon ones that the SDS uses. The SDS brackets swivel a little more, while the MSA brackets do not move at all.
SDS Helmet
MSA Helmet
The chip strap on the MSA helmet uses the MSA strap. The straps are black nylon and are little bit sturdier than the SDS strap. The nape pad has feels like there is no padding compared to the SDS nape pad. The MSA chin strap still features the chin loop and the ITW buckles like its brother. (You can somewhat see the difference in the last picture above where you see the inside of the helmet).
Enhancements
There are simple enhancements and modifications the user can do to his or her MICH. The most common is to glue or stick hook Velcro onto the helmet for identification patches and to stick on small illumination devices such as strobes. Many MICH has a small hole drilled in the front so you can mount a night vision mount or shroud. You can then attach an arm to the mount with your Night Observation Device (NOD). The USGI NOD mounts and the Rhino arm can be found for cheap on several tactical forums and Ebay; but if you got money to spend, companies like Norotos and Ops-Core makes great shroud that SOF operators are currently seen with. Many NODs that are commonly used with the MICH are military specification NODs such as the PVS-7/14/15s used by ground troops and ANVIS 9s used by pilots.
There are several third-party companies that make enhancements and equipment for the user’s MICH. Enhancements such as chin straps, helmet pads, and modular rail systems are seen on the tactical market. Ops-Core makes their Head-Loc Retention system, which has been popular amongst helmet owners. They also make rail placement units, where you can have 1913 picatinny rails to attach flashlights, lasers, and many other devices needed for the owner.
The US Army has issued an armor padded nape pad to give further protection to the back of the head.
You can also get goggle retention straps. These are comically known as Bunny Ears as they’re two straps of nylon that sticks straight up on the back of the helmet. You can loop the goggle straps through the bunny ears so you don’t drop or lose them by accident. You can see the bunny ears on the rear of both my helmets.
Conclusion
I love my MICH helmets. You can find these MICH on ebay or other tactical forums running $150 and above. It is something I had to get used to at first since I have about 5+ pounds on my head.
The SDS fits me more comfortably for me. I can use my MSA Sordins with the large. The Medium is small on my head so I replaced the pads to fit my large head. I do not have any NODs to attach onto my helmet, though I probably won’t be using it in airsoft or paintball unless for larger national size event that adds night scenarios into the event. I just like to keep my helmet simple to give me protection from bb pellets from hitting my head and to prevent serious injuries when I bump my head against a wall or floor. At most, I’ll just have a strobe unit and or flashlight stuck on via Velcro on my helmet.
The Norotos mount on my MSA helmet is a replica that cannot fit on an arm with a NOD. My friend drilled three small holes into the helmet and it was screwed down so it doesn’t fall off.
On my SDS helmet, I have a Surefire Helmet Light that has three small white LED and two infrared LED. You can adjust the level of brightness by clicking on a button on the side. It also has an infrared strobe that blinks continuously. You cannot see infrared with your naked eye; you would need a NOD to see the light.
For airsofter, paintballers, and those who need one for costume play but cannot afford one or do not desire to own a real one, there are replicas on the market. Of course they do not provide protection from real bullets as they are made from carbon fiber or plastic. These replicas can be bought for around $50. From my experience, these are great and durable replicas. You can use real accessories for comfort. The replicas, that I've own, feels more like the SDS texture with the bumpy skin. The replicas are mostly the medium size from my usages. There are several companies that make them one of them being CONDOR Outdoors, these are not shown on their website’s catalog but you can find them at many large airsoft stores. Many Asian airsoft companies also carry them. They also come in the different models, but again all are in the Medium size.
Thank You for reading my review. Sorry for the length of the review, but I just want to be as precise to a review that I can.
Please let me know how it is. Criticizing is my best friend when it comes to writing.
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