Maska

Маска-1

Following the successful development of the Altyn helmet for the KGB TsSN, the Interior Ministry of Russia was interested in obtaining an analogous bulletproof crash helmet. Although the СТШ-81 Sfera helmet had been availible to Interior Ministry troops and police since 1981, it was desirable to use a helmet more similar in function to the Altyn so research began to construct a replacement in the later half of the 1980's.

The result of the work was the Maska-1 as produced by НПП КлАСС (Classcom) with serial production beginning in 1991.

The first series of helmets featured a blue base liner by the neck and a steel visor with a bullet-resistant glass viewing area. Early models featured a rubber liner around the edge of the helmet shell, similar to that on the glass of the visor.

Later models featured a metal liner around the helmet shell, reportedly due to cost considerations.

As part of the helmet's modernization, the blue base layer was replaced with a black one in order to reduce the helmet's visibility. Final versions of the Maska-1 sport an all clear visor, identical to the one on the Zsh-1-2.

Маска-1Щ

The Maska-1Shch is identical to the Maska-1 in every form save the visor. Almost from the start, a steel visor was considered for the simplification of production as well as the reduction in and weight. Early versions simply added a steel panel to close off the large opening needed to install the glass set for the Maska-1. Later versions of the Maska-1Shch featured a purpose made, one-piece, all steel visor.

Troops in the field enjoyed the steel visor because it eliminated the distortion effects present in the Maska-1's glass visor.