Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. The SSh-60 was the final helmet design change of the SSh-40 model. It retains the shape of the previous models but features a liner system made of four oilcloth pads without cushions. These could be loosened by the cord system and a fur cap or other piece of headgear could be worn underneath in cold weather.
This particular example is unique in the fact that it was used in the Soviet–Afghan War then converted for use after the war by the Afghan police force. It is in excellent condition with complete liner system and chin strap. It is stamped on the underside of the rim. The paint on the exterior is in very good condition and the Afghan markings are bright. Overall a very interesting eye catching helmet from a crucial point in Cold War history.
The Soviet–Afghan War lasted over nine years, from December 1979 to February 1989. Insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller Maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the Soviet Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan government, mostly in the rural countryside. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the United States and Pakistan, making it a Cold War proxy war. Between 562,000 and 2,000,000 civilians were killed and millions of Afghans fled the country as refugees mostly to Pakistan and Iran.
The Soviets initially planned to secure towns and roads, stabilize the government under new leader Karmal, and withdraw within six months or a year. But they were met with fierce resistance from the guerillas, and were stuck in a bloody war that lasted nine years. By the mid-1980s, the Soviet contingent was increased to 108,800 and fighting increased, but the military and diplomatic cost of the war to the USSR was high. By mid-1987 the Soviet Union, now under reformist leader Mikhail Gorbachev, announced it would start withdrawing its forces after meetings with the Afghan government. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989, leaving the government forces alone in its battle against the insurgents, which continued until 1992 when the former Soviet-backed government collapsed. Due to its length, it has sometimes been referred to as the "Soviet Union's Vietnam War" or the "Bear Trap" by the Western media. The Soviets' failure at the war is thought to be a contributing factor to the fall of the Soviet Union.
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