The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (DMA) has awarded a contract for new infantry helmets via a framework contract established by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in Luxembourg, according to a 9 November 2023 press release by the agency.
The helmet ordered by Norway is the Batlskin Caiman produced by Galvion. In Norwegian service it will be known as the Combat Helmet M/24. Norway’s choice of the Caiman helmet was based on a series of tests conducted in Norway, by the Norwegian armed forces and NSPA, in the winter of 2022. According to the DMA press release, the new helmets are lighter, more comfortable, and offer increased protection compared to the helmets currently in service.
The helmet is available in several different sizes and uses an adaptable design to ensure a correct fit for the individual user, ensuring wearer comfort and protection. The helmet weighs around 0.7 kg, depending on size, and offers ballistic protection up to level NIJ 0101.06 IIIA, meaning protection from high-powered handgun ammunition fired from long-barrelled handguns, as well as protection against fragments and, of course, general knocks and impacts. The Caiman helmet uses a cut-down design that trades slightly reduced coverage for reduced weight and less intrusion on the wearer’s field of vision. The Caiman is also prepared for the attachment of accessories, such as the visors, hearing protection and flashlights that are included in the Norwegian contract. The helmets will also be delivered with multiple covers in different camouflage patterns as well as in ‘UN blue’.
A further important factor in Norway’s choice of the Batlskin Caiman was the reduced logistic and environmental footprint of the Caiman design. The individual helmets are trackable via serial numbers, so their condition and service intervals can be monitored. Also, the helmets are designed to be maintained and, if necessary, repaired, which helps to extend their service life and reduce lifecycle costs.
As previously reported in December 2022, the NSPA awarded a framework contract to Galvion, which defines unit prices as a function of quantity, for defined periods (typically one year) of the contract’s duration. This framework contract allows NSPA member nations to place ‘call-off’ contracts against the framework for their specific requirements. A likewise previously reported example of this is Finland, which in April 2023 used the same NSPA framework contract to order new helmets.
The fact that the prices are known in advance makes logistic and financial planning easier for the nations and for the contractor, while the fact that the contractual terms and conditions are already in place and agreed means that the call-off contracts can be put in place within a very short timeframe. The NPSA framework contract with Galvion, for which Norway was the lead nation, has a total potential value of between EUR2.6 Bn EUR 2.9 Bn and a duration of up to seven years. The call-off contracts presently awarded mean that just under one million helmets will be delivered to NATO nations via this contract.
The first deliveries to Norway are expected around the end of 2023, after which one container with helmets will be delivered to Norway every two weeks until deliveries are complete. The DMA press release does not state the total value of the Norwegian contract or the total quantity of helmets.
