USGI OPFOR Helmet (SSH-40)

Ah yes.. The “Opfor” helmet.. I wonder what they could possibly be emulating as the opposing force.. hrmmm

During the Cold War, the US, like any other self respecting military did a LOT of wargaming. It’s important to practice “Force on Force” if you want to put theory into practice. Enter the idea of the “Opposing Force” or Opfor for short. In a wargame or simulation, the US traditionally divides into two teams; Bluefor (The US) and Opfor (definitely not the Soviets). For the Opfor, for decades, instead of running different weapons and uniforms, the US originally had their soldiers wear one of these Opfor Helmets on top of their M1 helmet liner in order to give the silhouette of a Soviet helmet and thus a Soviet soldier at distance. Later they would implement actually using AKMs, AK74s and different uniforms. You will find photos of different eras showing these helmets used in both situations.

These helmets are INCREDIBLY rare with very few ever being sold online. They are in very good condition. When these sell out they will likely never be stocked again.

NOTE: These helmets are not built to provide any protection at all, neither bump nor ballistic. They are a plastic shell meant to be worn for training exercises.