When Did the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Realize the Importance of Helmets?

The Rapid Advancement of China’s Military-Industrial System Through Helmet Development

In the 1979 self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) infantry were largely unequipped with helmets, with only a few artillery units having helmets.

Since artillery units faced significant risks from counter-artillery fire, they were equipped with helmets, but not everyone had one — mainly the gunners did, while others did not.

During the 28 days of combat, the PLA suffered 8,531 casualties and missing personnel, with an astonishing 31% of deaths resulting from head injuries. This tragic statistic made the PLA truly recognize the importance of helmet protection.

However, before 1979, despite having a relatively complete military-industrial system, the PLA had never developed a standard helmet for its own use, making it impossible to quickly equip the combat troops with steel helmets.

As a result, they had to retrieve and repaint “spoils of war” from World War II and the Chinese Civil War stored in warehouses.

On the front lines, a variety of helmets could be seen, including Japanese Type 90 helmets from World War II and German-style M35 helmets captured from Nationalist forces.