Test Parameters in the Conduct of Test and Evaluation During Pre-Delivery Inspection and Acceptance for Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) Level III

May 2, 2017

PNP MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2017-033

TEST PARAMETERS IN THE CONDUCT OF TEST AND EVALUATION DURING PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE FOR ENHANCED COMBAT HELMET (ECH) LEVEL III

1. REFERENCES:

a. Republic Act No. 9184 entitled "An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and for Other Purposes and Its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR)";

b. NILECJ-STD-0106.00 NIJ Standard for Ballistic Helmets (Dec. 1981);

c. HPW-TP-0401.01B Test Procedure — Bullet Resistant Helmet;

d. NAPOLCOM Resolution No. 2015-011; entitled: "Amending NAPOLCOM Resolution No. 2003-041; Prescribing the Minimum Standard Specifications for Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH)"; and

e. Memorandum Circular No. 2016-074; entitled: "Test Parameters in the Conduct of Test and Evaluation for Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) Level III."

2. RATIONALE:

To establish procedures in the conduct of test and evaluation during Pre-Delivery Inspection and Acceptance for Enhanced Combat Helmet Level III in cases when the respective Bids and Awards Committees (BACs) of the procuring entity opt for Post-Qualification Test on Documents and Post-Qualification of the item through Brochure evaluation only.

3. PURPOSE:

This Memorandum Circular (MC) sets forth the procedures and standards in the conduct of test and evaluation during Pre-Delivery Inspection and Acceptance for Enhanced Combat Helmet Level III (amended) when the respective BACs of the procuring entity opt for Post-Qualification Test on Documents and Post-Qualification of the item through Brochure evaluation.

4. DEFINITION OF TERMS:

a. Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the launching, flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, and the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.

b. Deformation is the maximum depth of indentation of the clay backing material below its pre-test surface level.

c. Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) is the type of ballistic helmet designed to withstand rifle bullets during combat operation.

d Fair Hit is a hit that impacts the helmet at an angle of incidence no greater than five degrees, and is at least five centimeters (two inches) from a prior hit or the edge of the helmet. A bullet that impacts too close to the edge or a prior hit and/or is of too high a velocity, but does not penetrate, shall be considered a fair hit for the determination of penetration.

e. Feet Per Second (FPS) is the unit measurement of velocity of an object.

f. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Bullet is a bullet made of lead completely covered, except for the base, with copper alloy. CAIHTE

g. Functional Testing is the actual conduct of test to ensure that a particular equipment works as designed, and that the design sufficiently meets the requirements of the end-user.

h. Grains is the unit or measure of weight for bullet and gunpowder;

i. HP White Laboratory, Inc. is an independent ballistics, ballistics resistance, and personal protective equipment laboratory providing specialized testing services for research and development, validation, certification and quality control of body and vehicular armor systems, sub-components and materials.

j. Major Defect is a defect, other than critical, that is likely to result in failure, or in reducing materially the protection capability of the ECH.

k. Maximum Effective Range is the distance wherein the projectile fired from a pistol/rifle will effectively hit the designated target.

l. National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is a law enforcement agency and a research and development branch of the Department of Justice of America.

m. Penetration is the perforation of the witness panel through which the light from a 40-watt lamp is visible.

n. Perforation is any impact that creates a hole passing through the helmet. This may be evidenced by any of the following: (1) the presence of the projectile, a projectile fragment, or an armor fragment at the inner surface of the helmet; (2) a hole that passes through the helmet and/or backing material; or any portion of the bullet being visible from the body side of the helmet.

o. Polycarbonate is a particular group of thermoplastics. They are easily worked, molded, and thermoformed as such, these plastics are very widely used in modern manufacturing. They are called polycarbonates because they are polymers having functional groups linked together by carbonate groups in a long molecular chain.

p. Shot, Fair is an unyawed projectile of the specified construction and specified velocity impacting at the specified angle of obliquity and intended shot impact location on the sample, also to include:

1) An otherwise fair shot, but yawed projectile, which produces a penetration shall be declared a fair shot;

2) An otherwise fair shot, striking at a greater angle of obliquity than that specified which produces a penetration shall be declared a fair shot;

3) An otherwise fair shot, striking at less than the specified velocity which produces a penetration shall be declared a fair shot; and

4) An otherwise fair shot, striking at velocities greater than the specified maximum velocity which DOES NOT penetrate shall be declared a fair shot.

q. Shot, Unfair is any of the following categories of shots shall be declared unfair and shall not be used in evaluating the test samples:

1) Any shot which penetrates at a velocity greater than the maximum specified;

2) Any shot which does not penetrate at a velocity less than the minimum specified;

3) Any shot which does not penetrate and is yawed more than three degrees;

4) Any shot which does not penetrate whose striking angle of obliquity is more than three degrees;

5) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE REQUIRED SHOT TO A HELMET SUSPENSION SYSTEM FASTENER, any otherwise fair shot which penetrates a test sample by striking that sample within 1.5 inches of the edge of the sample (center of impact to edge) or within 3.0 inches of another shot (center-to-center of impacts); and

6) Any otherwise fair shot which penetrates a test sample that has been previously impacted with five or more prior shots.

r. Test Parameter is a characteristic, feature, or measurable factor that can help in defining a particular system relative to assessment/analysis.

s. Type III (High-Powered Rifle) is a test weapon, may be a rifle or test barrel chambered for 7.62 mm ammunition.

t. Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus polyethylene, (HMPE), or high-performance polyethylene (HPPE).

u. Witness Panel is a sheet of aluminum used in the bullet resistance test to confirm or deny bullet penetration.

6. GENERAL GUIDELINES:

a. The post-qualification test and the conduct of inspection and acceptance test shall be based on the most recent standard specifications issued by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) for Enhanced Combat Helmet Level III (amended). Additional technical requirements imposed by the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) may only be considered in the conduct of test if the same are properly reflected in the bidding documents or in its supplemental bid bulletin (SBB).

b. The composition of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the conduct of post-qualification test and the TWG for Inspection and Acceptance shall be selected by the BAC and Committee on Inspection and Acceptance (CIA), respectively. The TWG shall be headed by the most senior Police Commissioned Officer (PCO) who shall be appointed by the BAC in case of post-qualification test, or the CIA, in case of inspection and acceptance test.

c. The Chief of the concerned division of the end-user unit or other competent PCO from the same office shall be automatically selected as member of the TWG. To strengthen check and balance or to maintain transparency, in no case shall a member of the TWG for post-qualification be selected as member of the TWG for Inspection and Acceptance.

d. In case there is a need to conduct additional tests, which are not included in the approved test parameters, the same shall be allowed only if the additional test parameters are properly reflected in the bidding documents or in its SBB.

e. All the members of the TWG shall sign the result of the post-qualification test. In case there are disagreements on the findings of the TWG, the member who did not conform with the findings/results is allowed not to sign the report, provided that he will submit his written explanation, which shall be attached to the report of the TWG. DETACa

f. The report of the TWG on post-qualification shall be submitted to the BAC; while the outcome of the inspection and acceptance test shall be submitted by the TWG to the CIA, copy furnished TDRD and the end-user unit.

g. Consistent with the "pass or fail criteria," non-compliance with the NAPOLCOM approved standard specifications during post-qualification test is a ground for post disqualification.

h. If during the inspection and acceptance test, the items delivered by the supplier failed to pass any test and/or inspection or do not conform with the specifications, the same shall be subject to the provision of Clause 16.4 of the General Conditions of the Contract of the Philippine Bidding Documents.

i. For monitoring purposes, sample/test specimen/prototype used in the test and evaluation shall not be part of the delivery to the PNP and the same shall be returned to the proponent.

j. The sample size shall be determined using MIL STD 105-E. All the randomly picked samples shall be subjected to visual and dimensional test. Subsequently, one sample for functional test shall be picked.

k. The BALLISTIC PENETRATION TEST requires that the sample helmet shall be subjected to a total of five fair ballistic impacts from 7.62 mm FMJ ammunition (front, back, left and right circumferential quadrants and crown).

l. All expenses incurred during the conduct of test and evaluation shall be shouldered by the supplier/proponent.

7. SAMPLING PROCEDURE:

a. Visual and Dimensional Test

Random sampling for the visual and dimensional test shall be based on the Military Standard 105-E under the "Special Inspection Levels S-1" using "Single Sampling Plans for Strict Inspection" with 0.010 AQT Quality Accept Limit. Refer to table below:

 

Extract of Military Standard 105-E

Lot or Batch Size of Items/Equipment	Sample Size Code Letter under Special Inspection S-1	Single Sampling Plans for Strict Inspection
Sample Size QTY	AQL Quality Accept Limit (0.010)
Accept	Reject

2-8	A	2	0	1
9-15	A	2	0	1
16-25	A	2	0	1
26-50	A	2	0	1
51-90	B	3	0	1
91-150	B	3	0	1
151-280	B	3	0	1
281-500	B	3	0	1
501-1200	C	5	0	1
1201-3200	C	5	0	1
3201-10000	C	5	0	1
10001-35000	C	5	0	1
35001-150000	D	8	0	1
150001-500000	D	8	0	1
500001-Over	D	8	0	1

b. Functional Test

Test samples for the functional test shall be taken from the randomly picked samples for the visual and dimensional evaluation. Two representative samples shall be taken from the lot, one sample must be used for each condition, the "dry condition" and "wet condition."

8. TEST PROCEDURE:

a. Phase I — Visual and Dimensional:

SPECIFICATION

1) Helmet Shell

a) Shell Weight: 2.0kg (maximum) (helmet shell body only)

b) The helmet shall consist of a shell body with complete padding suspension system and chin strap.

c) The fixation system must be made of a quick release buckle.

d) One size helmet with adjustable strap to fit different head sizes. Must cover the forehead. Ear level at the back of the head.

e) The ECH is compatible with all currently used components of combat equipment. (e.g., with picatinny rail for Night Vision Goggle, Flashlight, Helmet Camera).

2) Visor/Face Shield (Optional)

a) Material of Visor: Polycarbonate (Laminated)

b) Weight of Visor: 4.4 lbs (2kg) (maximum)

c) Thickness: 20-30 mm

d) Protection Area: 4.5 sq.dm (minimum)

e) Fitting: Shell must befitted with the fixative screws or visor fastening system.

f) Comfort: Construction is designed in a way preventing any marked motion, thus, limiting the upward and downward movements of the Helmet Shell from the user's head.

3) Features

a) Visor is scratch resistant.

 

b. Phase II — Performance Requirements for ECH Level III:

1) Enhanced Combat Helmet Shell

a) Test Matrix:

TYPE OF HELMET	Test Ammunition	Nominal Bullet Mass	Required Hits Per Helmet part at 0º angle (Front and Back)	Required Bullet Velocity	Distance of Firing
Level III	7.62 mm FMJ	150 gr	1 - Front	2,750 ft/s + 50 ft/s	15 m
1 - Back
1 - Left
1 - Right
1 - Crown

 

b) Procedures:

b.1) Prior to the helmet penetration test, two test samples shall be thoroughly pre-conditioned, one for each condition, as follows:

b.1.a) Dry Condition. The helmet test sample shall be conditioned at +70.0 (+/-5.0) degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 4.0 hours; and

b.1.b) Wet Condition. The helmet test sample shall be pre-conditioned by soaking in water for 20 minutes. HEITAD

b.2) The testing must be completed within 30 minutes of removal of the test sample from the conditioning environment. Samples not completely tested within the 30 minutes requirement shall be reconditioned, at which time testing will be completed.

b.3) In preparation for the tests, five impact areas are to be marked on each helmet, one for the dry condition and the other one for the wet condition.

b.3.a) Crown — Six-inch diameter circle entered about a point on the top of the helmet which intersects the coronal and sagittal centerline.

b.3.b) Front — 45 degrees on either side of the sagittal centerline extending from the crown marking to the lower edge.

b.3.c) Rear — 45 degrees on either of the sagittal centerline extending from the crown marking to the lower edge.

b.4) Position the witness plate into the slot of the witness panel holder.

b.5) The helmet test sample shall be positioned on a rigidly mounted headform at a distance of 16.5 feet from the muzzle of a test barrel to produce zero degree obliquity impacts. A strapping/suspension system shall be used to affix the helmet to the headform. It shall be adjusted to insure a proper "snug" fitting on the headform.

b.6) Fire one shot within each of the five required impact locations, subject only to the fair/unfair shot.

b.7) After each shot, the helmet shall be removed from the headform, the witness panel inspected and a determination of penetration made. Witness panels that indicate a penetration, and any loose material within the helmet cavity, shall be retained for future reference. The helmet strapping system shall also be inspected after each shot; however, no repairs, replacements, or adjustments beyond re-tightening of the chin strap shall be made.

b.8) The helmet shall then be remounted.

b.9) Additional shots within one or more of the defined locations may be necessitated as a result of the first shot being declared "unfair." Should one or more of those additional shots be declared a "penetration," those shots shall be declared "unfair" as well. If there has been no prior fair shot penetration, a penetration by a second shot at any location shall cause the testing of that helmet to be declared "inconclusive." Testing of any helmet declared "inconclusive" shall be repeated in its entirety with a new (untested) helmet of the same style, model, and size.

b.10) Once testing of a helmet sample has been initiated, testing shall continue until all required locations have been impacted, regardless of the pass/fail results of those shots.

c) Standard: Penetration by any fair shot shall deny compliance and acceptance of the helmet model design.

2) Visor/Face Shield (If applicable)

TYPE OF HELMET	Test Ammunition	Nominal Bullet mass	Required Hits Per Visor at 0º angle	Required Bullet Velocity	Distance of Firing
Level III	7.62 mm FMJ	150 gr	1	2,750 ft/s + 50 ft/s	15 m

 

c. Phase III — Material Composition:

SPECIFICATION

Helmet Shell Body

1) Material of Shell: The shell body must be made of multi-layered Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) or any lightweight ballistic material

 

d. Labeling Requirements:

Miscellaneous: It shall be permanently and legibly labeled with the following information:

1) Name, designation, or logo of the manufacturer

2) Type of Material: Multi-Layered Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) or any lightweight ballistic material

3) Month and Year of Manufacture

4) Lot Number

5) Certification of compliance.

Note: • Items 3 and 4 may be incorporated into a single number, e.g., a serial number. • The label markings must not be easily removed or destroyed when rubbed by • The label markings must be rubbed by hands for 15 seconds with cotton • The label marking within the representative area must remain legible.

 

e. Workmanship:

The helmets shall be free from dents, blisters, cracks, crazings, slits, chipped holes or sharp corners, and other evidence of inferior workmanship.

9. APPLICABILITY:

This MC shall not repeal or rescind any existing guidelines regarding Enhanced Combat Helmet but rather to be used in cases when respective BACs of the procuring entity chooses to conduct Post-qualification on Documents and Post-Qualification of the item through brochure. Thus, the test and evaluation of the item is still mandatory to be conducted during Pre-Delivery Inspection and Acceptance.

10. EFFECTIVITY:

This MC shall take effect immediately after 15 days from filing a copy thereof at the UP Law Center in consonance with Section 3, Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive Order 292 otherwise known as the "Revised Administrative Code of 1987," as amended. aDSIHc

 

(SGD.) RONALD M. DELA ROSAPolice Director GeneralChief, PNP