Report: UK Special Forces Test ‘Boba Fett’ Combat Helmet

The United Kingdom’s Special Air Service (SAS) is reportedly testing a high-tech helmet with a Star Wars-esque design.

With its insectoid eyes and aggressive form factor, the Devtac Ronin Kevlar Level IIIA Tactical Ballistic Helmet looks like a piece of gear from a galaxy far, far away. Yet the soldiers of this UK special forces division — similar to our own Navy SEALs — are deadly serious about their equipment, and there is nothing at all theatric in their use.

According to the New York Post, first employed by the aforementioned SEALs as well as the Army’s Delta Force, the helmet has now made a distinct impression on their European counterparts.

A sophisticated GPS system projects maps onto the visor of the helmet, which locates nearby friends and foes alike with its built-in heat vision and then distinguishes between them via signals received from similarly-equipped allies in the field. Should super-human situational awareness prove insufficient, the Ronin is “literally bullet proof,” according to its creators. The helmet can deflect shots from an AK-47, and even a .44 magnum, in its tracks.

Devtac hopes that the efficacy of its creation will help to catapult their brand into the military’s proverbial sights. In their words:

Over the last eight years, Devtac has invested heavily in the research and development of ballistic safety. With the release of the Ronin helmet, Devtac begins its long ambition to become a major contributor to ballistic protection products.

On their official site, a non-ballistic airsoft version of the helmet is also available for those who prefer to live out their future-military fantasies with balls full of paint, rather than bullets.

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