U.S. Government Order Totals 114,000 Enhanced Combat Helmets from 3M

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M today announces it has received additional orders from U.S. government for its Enhanced Combat Helmet that provide military personnel with protection against head injury from ballistic threats and blunt impacts. 3M will deliver 35,000 helmets for the U.S. Army and 2,500 helmets for the U.S. Navy in addition to the 77,000 ordered for the U.S. Marine Corps last fall.

The new orders bring the total contract value for Enhanced Combat Helmets and associated spare parts to $107 million. This contract for over 114,000 helmets is an outcome of the joint procurement program led by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army to improve head protection for Marines, Soldiers and Sailors.

The Enhanced Combat Helmet features technology designed and manufactured by Ceradyne, Inc., a 3M company. It is the only helmet that has passed the U.S. Marine Corps Enhanced Combat Helmet specification protocol. The helmet, which is equivalent in weight to current fielded helmets, provides over 35 percent improved ballistic fragmentation protection compared to others currently in use. This means additional protection from ballistic threats that has never before been possible in a military helmet.

The Enhanced Combat Helmet was named one of the 100 greatest innovations of the year in Popular Science’s 26^th annual “Best of What’s New” issue published in December 2013. It appeared in the security category. 3M also makes combat hearing and respiratory protection, body armor and communications systems for the U.S. Armed Forces.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

About Ceradyne, Inc., a 3M company
Ceradyne develops, manufactures, and markets advanced technical ceramic products and components for defense, industrial, energy, automotive/diesel, and commercial applications. In many high performance applications, products made of advanced technical ceramics meet specifications that similar products made of metals, plastics or traditional ceramics cannot achieve. Advanced technical ceramics can withstand extremely high temperatures, combine hardness with light weight, are highly resistant to corrosion and wear, and often have excellent electrical capabilities, special electronic properties and low friction characteristics. Additional information about the company can be found at www.3M.com/ceradyne.

3M and Ceradyne are trademarks of 3M Company.

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