Soviet SSh-68 Steel Helmet

The SSh-68 (Стальной шлем-68 / Steel Helmet-68) is a dark green steel combat helmet designed in the Soviet Union. Introduced as the successor to the SSh-60, it served as the standard-issue combat helmet for the Soviet Army and later the Russian Armed Forces. The model has been deployed in numerous conflicts, from the Soviet-Afghan War to modern operations.

Design & Key Features

• Distinctive profile: The helmet features a cone-like, non-spherical dome with a steeper front slope and a shorter brim designed to optimize the deflection of incoming fragments.
• Shell construction: Made of heavy-duty steel with a total weight between 1.3 kg and 1.5 kg.
• Internal liner: Utilizes a suspension system with three pads connected by a drawstring. This system was carried over from the SSh-60 and provides enough room to wear a thick winter hat underneath.
• Rivets: Identifiable by the three visible exterior rivets: two near the crown and one lower-placed rivet securing the chin strap.
• Sizes: Produced in three different sizes: P-1 (up to 58 cm), P-2 (58–60 cm), and P-3 (above 60 cm).

Protection Level

• Standard steel shell: Provides basic fragment protection and shields against trauma from blunt impacts or low-velocity shrapnel up to 250 m/s. The helmet does not offer protection against modern rifle bullets or handguns with a high muzzle velocity.
• SSh-68M & SSh-68N upgrades: Developed in the early 2000s as a cost-effective stopgap. These variants received an internal aramid (Kevlar-type) lining, upgrading the helmet to Class-1 ballistic protection. However, this increased the total weight to approximately 2.0 kg.