The customised IHS was developed over several years under an Other Transaction Agreement with MCSC to meet the Marines’ specific operational needs. The no-through hole, hi-cut helmet—introduced commercially as the Hellbender platform earlier this year—features a proprietary geometry combining an ECH front shape with a ridged-back design for structural stability.
It incorporates the latest version of Galvion’s Apex™ lining system, enhanced through direct Marine feedback to improve fit, balance and stability for SBNVG and ECOTI mounting. The E.D.G power management system integrates into the helmet, offering scalable operational capability, while standardised components are designed for ease of maintenance and logistics support.
Prototypes were designed, built and tested for integration with existing USMC equipment, including communications and visual augmentation systems. Over 1,000 systems in two configurations—‘Block 0’ Baseline and ‘Block 1’ Integrated—were delivered to meet trial and evaluation requirements.
Todd Stirtzinger, CEO at Galvion, said: “This is an incredibly proud moment for the entire Galvion team. This program has been a uniting force across our organization and has driven us to innovate, integrate and collaborate faster and better as a team.”
He added: “The United States Marine Corps are some of the world’s most demanding users, and our solution offers them a fully integrated helmet system that has been designed specifically to evolve with technology to support the Marines’ advanced mission needs. We incorporated feedback after every evaluation stage to ultimately deliver a system that has been designed by Marines, for Marines.”
