The Ballistic Protective Maxillofacial Shield, made by Gentex Corporation, is a piece of personal protective equipment made to shield a Marine’s face from shrapnel and other ballistic threats faced on today’s battlefield.
The shield comes in two models, the MFS 800 and MFS 1800 models. The 800 model offers protection comparable to ballistic protective eyewear. The 1800 offers protection up to the National Institute of Justice’s level IIIA rating, which is no penetration with a 124-grain full metal jacket 9 mm projectile traveling at 1,350 to 1,450 feet per second.
The system is light, with the both models weighing under one and 1.9 pounds respectively. The system can be retrofitted to existing helmets, attaching to holes already in the helmet.
“The MFS is easy to install and use,” said Richard Long, product manager, U.S. and international sales with Gentex Corp. “You just attach the brackets to your helmet and in a few minutes you’ll have it snapped in and ready. You can remove it in seconds and work the shield up or down with one hand. It takes away another vulnerable spot. Instead of aiming for the head, enemies are aiming toward the face because it’s unprotected. The MFS fixes that.”
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