Singapore m.C1 combat helmet

Gum chewing will not be tolerated in Singapore.

For this post, I asked friends if they have ever been to Singapore, and to very briefly describe it.  Here is a sampling:

• •  Regimented grid masquerading as a cosmopolitan island country

    

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• Yes, it’s a beautiful city/state with repressive laws

  

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• Active

  ‘73 aboard Higbee. Stunningly beautiful and unlike any other city we visited that cruise. A jewel.

  

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• Been there many times. Probably as close as you can get to visiting a British colony these days. Very strict. Nice people. Good food. The cabbies spy on you. Great aquarium. Where are the British surrendered without a fight.

  

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• Yes, in 1997. Hot and expensive

  
  

My minimal research tells me that Singapore is very wealthy, very safe, very beautiful, and more than a little authoritarian with a certain distrust of democracy.  It is also illegal to chew gum, parade nude in your own home, and gatherings of more than three people are prohibited.  Seems like they would have more pressing things to worry about.

Singapore has a well-funded military, spending one of every four dollars on their armed forces, but with Red China at the front door, ample military spending may be pointless considering that the active-duty membership of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is around seventy five thousand troops and China is 2.19 million.  Though to be accurate Singapore has mandatory conscription with reserve obligation to age 42.  This means that Singapore would be able to field a little more than a million troops...provided that they have enough time to do it.

Nonetheless, small and well-funded, the SAF has some great gear, including this kevlar helmet from the 1990s.

The m.C1 is manufactured in South Korea for export to Singapore.  Too tiny to have an industrial base, but wealthy enough to order out,  Singapore gets most of its military materiel from abroad...and only the best.

By way of comparison, here's the SAF helmet on the left and the first-generation US kevlar PASGT helmet on the right.

The shells and the screw placement are identical, the only visible differences are the finish...

and the manner of fastening the chinstrap bails - screws on the American, and rivets on the SAF.

Compared to a US airborne kevlar, one sees that the m.C1 also has the foam jump-pad in the rear.  This, and the three-point chinstrap makes me think that the SAFis airborne as well.

The helmet was adopted by the SAF in 1989.

 The US introduced the Kevlar helmet in 1982, so, though not an early adopter, Singapore did get with the ballistic-fiber program in a timely fashion.

The factory-finish woodland pattern adds to the effectiveness of the helmet for the soldier, as well as the attractiveness of this helmet to my collection.

As with the PASGT, the suspension is affixed with screws.

As mentioned, rivets affix the three-point chinstrap.

Like most airborne helmets since the 1940s, a rudimentary chin-cup is integrated into the strap.

The chinstrap furniture is blackened brass.  The strap is fully adjustable.

The release is velcro and very easy to use in a one-handed manner.

The suspension is the familiar and reliable Riddell-style that has been with us since the Second World War.

The m.C1 was delivered in both woodland pattern camouflage and flat olive.

Silver Star of South Korea is the exclusive manufacturer of the helmets supplied to the SAF.

The clips that attach the headband to the suspension are also no strangers to those familiar with the American version.

Given the tiny size of the SAF, I guess it shouldn't be unexpected that I was able to find so few photographs of this helmet in field use.

Although the Singapore Armed Forces may be no match for the People's Liberation Army...

just let the invaders try and get away with chewing gum.

See you next time with another cool helmet from the collection.

Mannie