3M’s Enhanced Combat Helmets Named Among ‘100 Best Innovations of 2013’

3M today announced its Enhanced Combat Helmets were named as one of the “100 Best Innovations of 2013” by Popular Science magazine for making our world safer and more efficient.

The Enhanced Combat Helmets, designed and manufactured by Ceradyne, Inc., a 3M company, provide unparalleled ballistic and fragmentation protection over today’s standard-issued helmets.

The combination of advanced materials with unique 3M processing technology enables the new helmet design to have over 35% better ballistic protection at a lighter weight. “We’re incredibly honored to have been named to this year’s ‘Best Innovations’ list, especially for our defense support technology,” said Mark Colin, vice president and general manager, Advanced Ceramics Platform. “Advancing the science behind equipment that improves survivability and better protects our U.S. Armed Forces is some of the most rewarding work we do.”

The prestigious distinction comes on the heels of 3M’s September announcement stating it was awarded a United States government contract to supply 77,000 Enhanced Combat Helmets, and associated spare parts, to the U.S. Marine Corps. The contract was a direct result of a joint procurement program led by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army to improve head protection for Marines and Soldiers. The helmets will be fielded to deploying Marines and Soldiers starting in 2014.

This is the fifth award 3M has won from Popular Science in the last six years. Previous accolades include the 3M MPro110 micro projector, which won the “Grand Award” for the “Best New Gadgets” feature in 2008; the 3M/Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 with Zargis Cardioscan, which was named “Best of What's New” in 2009; and 3M Kind Removal Silicone Tape and 3M Noise Indicator NI-100, which were both named among the “Top 100 most innovative, high quality and revolutionary ideas” in the “Best of What’s New” awards in 2011.