Description
BALLISTIC FACE SHIELD
NOVASTEEL
Face Protection Module
The NovaSteel Flip Mandible offers affordable and effective face protection from ballistic threats. Now with a durable sealed hinge that flips up quietly and holds position without latches or detents. You get ballistic face coverage with fast, one‑handed operation and no optical distortion.
The Vulnerability of the Face
The advent of truly effective body armor has resulted in new patterns of wounding. Torso injuries are down 13% since Vietnam. Face and neck injuries are up 30%.
If you are wearing the modern panoply of armor plates and helmet, your face has become the most vulnerable area of your body. By some accounts, it is hit 730% more frequently than its surface area would indicate.
Injury simulations clearly illustrate the vulnerability of the face to ballistic impact, even at low velocities.
Personal Vulnerability Simulation being used to compare the predicted damage of structures in the thorax. Using an 8 mm sphere at 400 m/s (left) and a 12 mm sphere at 800 m/s (right). Severity increases from 1 (minor) to 6 (maximal).
[From Breeze, John & Lewis, Eluned & Fryer, Robert. (2016). Optimising the Anatomical Coverage Provided by Military Body Armour Systems. 10.1007/978-3-319-21867-0_28.]
The NovaSteel™ Ballistic Mandible was created with this problem in mind.
Performance Overview
Ballistic protection:
High-performance ballistic protection for the face and jaw.
Multi-threat shielding:
Shields against pistol‑caliber threats as specified above, high‑velocity fragments, blunt impact, and debris.
One-hand hinge:
Sealed hinge raises or lowers with one hand and holds at any intermediate angle for ventilation, comms, or cheek‑weld clearance; motion is quiet and controlled.
Circlet-ready mounting:
Mounts to the integrated bosses on the Combat Circlet Gen 2, leaving rail space free; compatible with the ACH model; installation is fast and requires no drilling when used with the Circlet.
Low-profile visibility:
Fits close to the face while preserving a wide field of view and easy use of iron sights and common optics.
Eyewear compatible:
Fully compatible with most ballistic glasses and goggles.
Durable fog-free clarity:
Lighter and more durable than transparent ballistic visors, with no fogging and no optical distortion.
Ultralight:
Extremely lightweight, at well under one pound.
Simply put, the NovaSteel™ Flip Mandible module offers practical, no‑nonsense ballistic face protection with quiet, controlled, one-handed operation.
Engineered for Strength and Precision
Patented aluminum mechanism, lightweight yet durable, fully compatible with ACH helmets.
Lift Mechanism
Patented design
Secure design: strong, stable, and stays exactly where you set it.
Compatibility
ACH and High Cut
Compatible with our NovaSteel helmet models, ACH and High Cut profiles.
Lightweight Material
All-Aluminum Construction
Constructed entirely from high-grade aluminum.
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Ballistic Mandible – Combat Helmet Accessory
Add‑on armor designed to upgrade the area of coverage of the NovaSteel ballistic helmet so that it can offer facial protection from high‑velocity fragment, blunt impact, and pistol‑caliber threats. The updated model includes a durable sealed hinge that allows silent, tool‑free positioning from down to fully up.
Compatibility notice:
The Flip Mandible mounts only to its dedicated Combat Circlet that is supplied in the set. The rotator mechanism is permanently welded to this circlet. It will not mount to the Combat Circlet Mark II, standard Circlet variants, or any other helmet or face-shield mounting hardware.
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ACH & ACH‑Gen II Helmet Specification
The ballistic protection that the NovaSteel Ballistic Mandible offers exceeds the criteria set out in the ACH and ACH Gen II helmet specifications, though the specifications do not include any provision for ballistic mandibles. Blunt impact and backface deformation limits are also well within spec. The Mandible will stop 9mm FMJ at 1400 fps as well as similar or lesser threats and certain special handgun threats. No ballistic mandible in its weight class offers a higher ballistic protective rating; most are rated to 9mm FMJ at a reduced velocity.
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VPAM‑3 Helmet Specification
Though VPAM has no test protocol for ballistic mandibles, the NovaSteel Ballistic Mandible is in broad compliance with the stringent VPAM helmet test protocol. BFD is always within spec, and in many cases there is none at all due to the large standoff between the mandible and the wearer’s face. It is capable of stopping edge shots, even to within 0.78 in of the rim. It is also capable of withstanding high temperature conditioning to 168°F and beyond.
