Sikh soldiers in the Indian Army will soon get ballistic helmets designed especially for them. Officials in the Army have claimed that this is the first such order for procurement by the Defence Ministry, though a company had designed such helmets for Sikh soldiers last year.
According to the Request of Proposal issued by the Defence Ministry, it plans to buy 12,730 ballistic helmets for its Sikh troops under emergency procurement via the fast track mode.
According to an official document, the ministry will buy two type of helmets — 8,911 large and 3,819 extra-large helmets will be procured and the content must have majorly indigenous design.
Since India has the highest number of Sikh troops, this would be the world’s first procurement specially designed for them to suit their needs and make them more comfortable and battle-ready, an official said.
Helmets currently in use aren’t very well suited to the protection and comfort of Sikh soldiers who wear turbans and whose faith prohibits them from cutting or trimming their hair. This poses a problem particularly in tough terrains.
The latest order of procurement was released after understanding the issues with the current helmets. According to the document, the new helmets should be able to suit the head size of Sikh troops and should have a centre-bulge design. It should also facilitate unhindered use of communication radio handset, in-service night vision devices, personal spectacles and respirators or chemical hoods.
Sources said that since more than 10% of Indian Army troops are Sikh, the government will procure more helmets in the near future after analysis and review. Sikh soldiers serve in the Sikh, Jakli, Para and Punjab regiments of the Army among others.
Punjab has the second highest number of soldiers in the Army among all states and Union Territories in the country. Around 90,000 Army personnel are from Punjab.
A company had last year invented helmets specially for Sikh soldiers. According to reports, the helmet is the first-of-its-kind across the world as till date Sikh soldiers were unable to use helmets that could be worn over the turban comfortably. This exposed them to injuries, leading to death in some instances.
The helmet is also fully compatible with Multi Accessory Connector System (MACS) that would enable soldiers to use the latest head-mounted sensors, cameras, torches, communication equipment and night vision devices for their operations.
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