Your Privacy Choices
As I drive closer and closer towards the night vision world, I am beginning to take notice of the near limitless amount of accessories available. And unless you plan on a weapon-mounted setup, shooting with night vision is going to require some sort of mounting platform – most likely a helmet. However, a side effect of mounting extra ounces to your forehead means that your helmet, and consequently your night vision, will want to pull the front of your helment downwards.
The Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC) has made a ballistic nylon counterbalance system that sits on the rear of a shooters helmet to help balance the load. The setup also doubles as a battery carrier an IR strobe attachment point.
From The TNVC Mohawk MK2 Product Page:
The TNVC Mohawk is a full spectrum counterweight / storage system for the modern combat helmet. Incorporating operator feedback as well as our staff’s own battlefield experience, we designed the Mohawk Mk1 to be a highly functional, modular accessory for all modern warriors. It provides useful storage and retention of mission-essential gear and will attach to any currently-fielded ballistic or bump helmet with Velcro.
The Mohawk is packed full of useful features for Armed Professionals and Civilian Hunters alike. No other helmet accessory system offers this level of versatility. Designed by TNVC staff, we tapped our good friends at Explosive Ops Gear (EOG) to produce it for us right here in the U.S.A.
- Signal Strobe Attachment & Retention – A vertically-oriented Mohawk strip is the centerpiece of the design. It features a Velcro pile surface that accepts attachment of all currently issued / fielded signal strobe devices. The continuous pile strip allows for precise placement of the device on the rear or top of the helmet. It also provides enough room for attaching a blast sensor device. An adjustable shock cord net provides secondary retention for the devices while not limiting access to their controls. This is important when performing high stress activities such as airborne operations and high angle work. Don’t wear a strobe light? No problem. The shock cord net provides excellent storage for a tourniquet – Easily accessible and always handy.
- Battery Box Storage Compartment – This is the main difference between the Mohawk Mk1 and Mk2. The Mk2 features a purpose-built pouch for holding remote battery boxes for NVG’s. The pouch is perfectly sized to hold the standard issue ANVIS Box, Adams Industries Ground Warrior Battery Pack, or the AN/PVS-31 BNVD “winter” Battery Box (also used for the GPNVG-18 and AN/PSQ-36). Dual top straps secure over the battery box lids, providing added security and protection, while leaving the center open for easy access to the power switch. What if you don’t use a remote battery pack? Well, the compartment can be used to hold all sorts of things such as an extra MBITR Battery or a can of dip.
- Ready Access Batteries – Two elastic loops are located on either side of the main compartment, providing immediate access battery storage. These loops allow operators to grab two batteries without ripping Velcro. They also provide secondary functionality by holding chemlights for nighttime airborne operations or field ID while hunting.
- Headset Cable Management- The Mohawk Mk2 has two bottom-located Velcro strips for bundling and storing communication headset cable. This extremely useful feature solves one of the most annoying issues facing operators. The headset cable that plugs into your body-mounted PTT is often left dangling to snag on everything during training or storage of the helmet. Or if you have dual comms (one for team radio and one to plug into the vehicle radio), one of the cables will be left to dangle when you dismount the vehicle. The Mohawk Mk2 cable storage straps will stow those pesky cables, protecting them and giving you freedom of head movement.
- Secondary Retention – The Mohawk Mk2 features two loops for routing 550 or shock cord on either side. This is for secondary retention of the entire system during high intensity activities. Velcro does not provide 100% retention on a helmet. The Mohawk Mk2 provides the opportunity for the operator to run cord from the system to the rear helmet bolts or rail. Doing so will keep your Mohawk Mk1 securely in place regardless of battlefield conditions.
