Delta Three Oscar™ Impact Protection Specified by US Army

Delta Three Oscar is proud to be the specified helmet suspension pad supplier in the recently awarded Integrated Helmet Protection System (IHPS) Suspension System contracts. The split awards to VisionCorps (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), and Winston-Salem Industries For The Blind Inc. (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), are Firm Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, with deliveries through 21 June 2023. Under the terms of the contract, Delta Three Oscar will deliver up to 100,000 suspension pad sets per year. Building on parent brand D3O’s past performance delivering IHPS helmet pads to the U.S. Army as a sub-tier supplier during the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) program phase, these latest awards cement Delta Three Oscar’s market position as a leading provider of next generation head protection to the US Armed Forces.


The IHPS is one of four subsystems of the cutting-edge Soldier Protection System (SPS), a modular, scalable, tailorable platform designed to defeat current threats at a reduced weight in comparison to the Army’s existing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) system. SPS increases the warfighter’s survivability, mobility and modularity by optimizing soldier protection while effectively reducing weight with the latest technologies and managing all lifecycle aspects of personal protective equipment. SPS provides the soldier with multiple levels of protection tailorable to a broad range of missions.

The IHPS consists of a helmet, with provision for adding mandible protection and/or ballistic visor for mounted use. The system is designed to protect a soldier’s head, enabling soldiers to configure its various components to optimize protection to the specific threat and mission.


An integral component of an operator’s PPE kit is the helmet, which offers critical protection against threats including ballistic impact from arms fire and explosive devices, blunt impact from falls or contact with solid objects, and blast overpressure from explosive devices.

The helmet’s core components include an external hard shell, an internal liner and suspension system to achieve a customized fit and minimize acceleration and deceleration of the head while providing comfort, and a retention device such as a chin strap to secure the system to the wearer’s head.

These components work together to reduce the risk of injury by preventing penetration from a ballistic impact and absorbing energy from a blunt impact or blast event – any of which can lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI), where the brain’s normal function is disturbed.

Delta Three Oscar, the defense arm of D3O, with offices and Berry Amendment-compliant production capability in the US, was the first to simultaneously meet the IHPS system’s rigorous 14 foot/second impact protection requirement while delivering improved performance for the traditional 10 foot/second requirement. The company is now producing a one-size-fits-all IHPS helmet pad system that is also lighter and more comfortable than the previous generation. This reduces soldier burden, allowing for increased survivability, agility, and maneuverability.

To develop the system, Delta Three Oscar leveraged its previous helmet pad design expertise supplying multiple Defense customers, including prominent international protective kit providers, as well as its expertise developing market-leading impact protection across the industrial, sports, motorcycle and electronics markets. The result, developed in collaboration with the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), is a helmet pad set that exceeds the requirements set by the US Army. Delta Three Oscar commenced IHPS Generation I LRIP in summer 2018.


Our ultimate goal for the SPS IHPS program is to bring the benefits of next generation D3O Impact Protection to those that need it most. Our next generation helmet pad systems meet the most stringent impact standards while being suited for a wide array of helmet shells, offering maximum protection to the warfighter. D3O invests heavily in its new material and product engineering pipeline initiatives and is proud to serve US Army needs with this latest technology.

Bill VanMullekom, Executive Vice President, said: “Our ultimate goal for the SPS IHPS program is to bring the benefits of next generation D3O Impact Protection to those that need it most. Our next generation helmet pad systems meet the most stringent impact standards while being suited for a wide array of helmet shells, offering maximum protection to the warfighter. D3O invests heavily in its new material and product engineering pipeline initiatives and is proud to serve U.S. Army needs with this latest technology.”

The new offering complements Delta Three Oscar’s head protection range, consisting of the original TRUST Stealth and Berry Compliant TRUST Nimbus, the company’s latest lightweight system tested for use in both aramid and polyethylene helmet shells for greater versatility. Nimbus is available in 7- and 9-pad configurations, the latter affording end users the option to remove a single pad to create a channel for over-the-ear hearing communication straps. A study conducted in the second quarter of 2020 to obtain both military and law enforcement user reviews on TRUST Nimbus confirmed it is suitable for wear all day, every day. A majority of users advised this system was better or much better in terms of comfort, breathability, weight and overall than their prior helmet liner, and 100 percent recommended a change from their prior system to the TRUST Nimbus system.


TRUST Nimbus™ Helmet Pad System

Designed for performance and comfort, TRUST Nimbus™ is Berry Compliant and our most lightweight helmet pad system yet.

TRUST Nimbus™ couples lightweight design and state-of-the-art comfort with superior impact protection performance.

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