TUCSON, March 24 (UPI) -- A new ballistic helmet made by an Arizona firm is being marketed as the toughest to emerge on the market, offering unprecedented protection against gunfire.
Bourque Industries, Inc. said its new Kryronized aluminum alloy ballistic helmet would be presented in a live-fire demonstration April 1 as part of corroboration and support for its claim.
Invitees include Arizona elected officials, Mexican government representatives and military and law enforcement personnel.
The new technology will bring unprecedented ballistic protection for military and law enforcement personnel in a package that meets all other required specifications, the company said.
"No other available technology can provide a similar level of protection while meeting required weight criteria," said the company.
Bourque already produces several other Kryronized aluminum products, including Class III ballistic armor strike plates that exceed the NIJ-06 standard, reputedly the most comprehensive and rigorous body armor compliance standard that exists.
Kryronized aluminum is a proprietary metal alloy developed by Bourque Industries. The company says the alloy displays several characteristics that are unlike any other metal, among them excellent ballistic protection as a function of weight. The helmet has a very high melting point and is an excellent conductor of electricity but also an insulator for heat.
Bourque said it foresaw several commercial and industrial applications for Kyron in addition to ballistic armor marketed as its new helmet.
"Bourque Industries is committed to creating good-paying American jobs and the company anticipates it will create thousands of manufacturing positions in the next few years as it commercializes more product lines," said a company news release.
A combat helmet is one of the earliest forms of personal protection armor carried into the battlefield, the very first known ones attributed to Akkadian and Sumerian armies in the 23rd century B.C. Greeks and Romans used leather, brass and boar tusks as components for head armor before settling on iron, steel and steel alloys.
Although tougher helmets can guarantee protection against bullets they are no match for the effects of concussive shock waves from explosions, physical attacks, poisonous gases and radiation.
A vast range of ballistic helmets already is on offer in the market for military gear.
It wasn't immediately clear if Bourque aims to have its new helmet adopted as the standard gear for combat duties by U.S. and foreign armed forces.
