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The MP-5 is a Polish-licensed copy of the French ARF-A mask and was issued to the Polish Army where it replaced the MP-4. It is completely replaced in service by the MP-6 "Apollo".

Mask

The MP-5 is constructed of semi-rigid butyl rubber and features a flexible, polymer panoramic visor and a 40mm STANAG thread. It has an oral-nasal cup, a drinking tube system, and a voice diaphragm. The drinking tube can be rotated on the inside by turning then nozzle on the outside of the mask. It uses a six-point head harness with rubber straps, and uses two hooks on the bottom chin sections, allowing the wearer to quickly secure the mask in the event of an emergency.

Since the mask is semi-solid in construction, it can be uncomfortable for certain head sizes and shapes, usually remedied by adjusting the straps accordingly. The advantage of this semi-solid material is that the mask does not need a plastic face form to hold the mask's shape when in long term storage. The disadvantage of this is that some might find the mask uncomfortable to wear, as the semi-rigid material contours to the user's face much less, compared to softer rubber materials.

The polyurethane panoramic visor is also prone to yellowing with age and when exposed to UV rays for extended periods, and can smear and smudge easily depending on how it is cleaned.

The Polish MP-5 is available in 4 sizes; 1 = XL, 2 = Large, 3 = Medium and 4 = Small.

Filter

main article: FP-5

FP-5 filters come standard with most MP-5 masks. The filters do not contain asbestos. Contrary to popular belief, FP-5 filters are NATO STANAG RD40 x 1/7 and will not fit on GOST RD40 x 4 masks. Maskpol manufactures the FP-5 filters in Poland.

Bag

The carrier is a direct copy of the French ARF-A version, featuring stitched, rubberized canvas. It contains external pouches for the water bottle and drinking tube and features a tray in the bottom that holds the carrier's shape and holds the filter. Normally comes in a standard green, though woodland and desert variants do exist, mostly for the ARF-A. One of the bag pockets was adapted to carry the IPP-95.

External information

Confusion with the ANP-VP F1 and ARF-A

MP5 ArF A

Easiest way to tell MP5/ARF-A is via speech diaphragm cover. ARF-A left and MP5 right

One of the biggest challenges of purchasing the Polish MP-5 gas mask is the fact that it looks very similar to the French-made ANP-VP F1 gas mask. These two masks are very similar and the only difference is the radial grill on the voicemitter of the MP-5 and the Maskpol labels. This confusion is compounded by the fact that most ebay sellers do not bother differentiating the two and label them interchangeably or commonly sell both as the "MP-5 Gas Mask". Add to this the huge quantity of surplus ANP-VP F1 gas masks that have entered the market and the scarcity of the Polish MP-5 in comparison to the ANP-VP F1. It is very common for buyers to purchase the MP-5 and receive a French ANP-VP F1 instead. Buyers are advised to always pay attention to the little details to avoid this issue.

Other version

The MP-5 is also produced to be sold on civil market under the name MT-213/2. It kept the Maskpol stamp at the top, and used the same FP-5 filters but the drinking tube adapter was changed to an other exhale valve making it similar to the ARF-C. It is also exported to Ukraine under the name MT-213/2U. The only differences between a Polish civilian version and an Ukrainian military version, are stamps on the chin. In MT-213/2U they are in cyrillic alphabet.

User organisations

  • Flag-pl-a Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Polish Armed Forces)

  • Flag-civil-defence Polish Civil Defence

  • Flag-ua-a Збройні сили України (Ukranian Armed Forces)


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