Original U.S. Operation Iraqi Freedom M80 Helmet with Possible Unit Markings on Liner

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a great example of an Iraq War era helmet used by the Iraqi Army with some markings on the liner. The helmet is complete with its liner and chinstrap, with Iraqi writing on the sweatband.

This Iraqi M80 helmet is modeled after the popular U.S. M1 helmet, except the Iraq design integrated the liner and shell into a single piece. The chinstrap is in good shape with rusting on the clasp and bales. The liner is complete and has Iraqi writing on the suspension, likely the name of the soldier who wore it.

The Iraqi M80 Helmet is a military helmet made of compressed canvas used by the Iraqi Armed Forces from the early 1980s onwards. They were used in the Iran–Iraq War, the Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). These helmets were originally manufactured and designed in South Korea. Clearly drawing inspiration from the American M1 Helmet which had first appeared during World War II, it differed significantly in being constructed from compressed layers of fabric coated in plastic. This inevitably offered troops a much lower degree of ballistic protection than a steel helmet, or modern composite helmet such as the PASGT. The M80's liner is a direct copy of the Riddell liner seen on American M1 helmets made after 1972 and used a US type T1 chinstrap. The helmets were supplied painted dark green, this was often over painted in a desert tan color which has a tendency to rub off, revealing the original color underneath. They also have a tendency to fray at the edges, showing the layers of fabric used in their construction.