Helmet Cuts — High, Mid, Full

Modern ballistic helmets come in four primary cut profiles. The cut is not cosmetic — it determines what the helmet covers, how it interacts with communications and optics, and how much it weighs. Picking the wrong cut for a mission creates real operational problems.

The four cuts, bottom to top of coverage

Full-cut (PASGT lineage): covers ears, significant mandible coverage, extends to the base of the skull behind. Maximum ballistic coverage of the four.

ACH / MICH cut (mid-cut): the US Army's ACH adopted a slight cut above the ears for in-ear communications. Still covers the base of the skull and most of the mandible. ACH = Army spec; MICH = SOCOM / Modular Integrated Communications Helmet variant (shape similar, mounting different).

High-cut (FAST-style): aggressive cut above and behind the ears. Originated with Ops-Core FAST; now the dominant cut in SOF and most aggressive-posture LE. Maximum accessory mounting real estate, minimum weight, minimum comms interference.

Super-high-cut: even further reduction in coverage; often paired with ARC rails and specific ear-pro integration. The lightest cut available.

Coverage tradeoffs

Cut determines what the shell doesn't cover — and therefore where ballistic protection is absent:

Full-cut covers ears and most of the mandible. A round that would strike the ear region is defeated.
ACH/mid-cut leaves the ear exposed. A round to the ear is not defeated by the shell.
High-cut adds exposure above the ear into the temple region.
Super-high-cut adds exposure at the top-back of the skull.

Real-world data: the probability of a hit in the cut regions is low — the majority of helmet impacts are on the crown and upper-front. So the ballistic cost of cutting is less than it visually appears. The comms and NVG gains are substantial.

Comms

The fundamental driver for cutting above the ear is in-ear communications. Electronic ear pro (Peltor ComTac, Ops-Core AMP, INVISIO) sits in-ear; a full-cut shell forces a boom mic architecture (bulky, less-compatible with optics). A high-cut shell allows earmuff-style comms to seat around the ear without shell interference.

For LE agencies running patrol-rifle response with electronic ear pro + comms integration, high-cut is effectively mandatory. Full-cut is incompatible.

NVG mounting

Most modern helmets pre-drill for NVG shrouds (Wilcox L4 or Ops-Core VAS). Cut influences:

Full-cut — NVG mounting works but the helmet's moment arm + weight is fatiguing for extended wear with optics
ACH/mid-cut — good NVG balance; the standard configuration for most US military
High-cut — best optics-weight balance; what SOCOM NVG-heavy users generally choose
Super-high-cut — maximum NVG comfort; minimal blowback from helmet weight during extended wear

See NVG mounting guide for shroud specifics.

Weight

Approximate shell weights (bare shell, no pad, no accessories, size Medium):

Full-cut — 3.0–3.5 lb
ACH/mid-cut — 2.8–3.2 lb
High-cut — 2.4–2.8 lb
Super-high-cut — 2.1–2.5 lb

The weight differences matter on multi-hour wear, especially with NVG + comms loaded.

Which cut for which mission

Corrections — full-cut if blunt-impact hazard is primary, mid-cut otherwise
Patrol rifle response — ACH or high-cut, depending on comms stack
SWAT / tactical — high-cut is effectively standard
Federal / SOF — high-cut or super-high-cut depending on NVG loadout
Legacy / budget constrained — full-cut PASGT-lineage helmets are still fielded; upgrade path is to ACH-pattern high-cut