M50 Joint Service General Purpose Mask
Gas mask used by the US military
The M50 series protective mask, officially known as the Joint Service General Purpose Mask (JSGPM or JSGPM/M50), is a lightweight, protective mask system consisting of the mask, a mask carrier, and additional accessories. It was adopted by the U.S. military in 2006 and is manufactured by Avon Rubber, the rubber-producing department of Avon Protection. There are two variants, the M50, for ground and shipboard use, and the M51, for ground vehicle use.
The mask was designed to incorporate state-of-the-art technology to protect soldiers from current and anticipated threats from all types of weapons of mass destruction. It is an above-the-neck, chemical-biological (CB) respirator that protects against battlefield concentrations of CB agents, toxins, toxic industrial materials, and radioactive particulate matter.
The M50/51 masks replace the M40 field protective mask and M42, the MCU-2/P series masks, and the M45 of the Land Warrior Program.
History
The M50 series mask entered service in December 2006. In July 2014, Avon Protection received a contract to supply 135,000 M50s for $33 million. In March 2016, it was announced that 166,623 M50s were purchased by the Department of Defense (DOD) under a $42 million contract.
Design
The M50 series is certified to MIL-SPEC PRF-EA-10003.
“M50 Joint Service General Purpose Mask” enters the record as gas mask used by the US military. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Joint, Service and General can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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