Overview[]
The Skyddsmask 90, or Forsheda F2 called by the manufacturer is the current gas mask of the Försvarsmakten (Swedish Army), Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos (Lithuanian Army) and Nacionālie Bruņotie Spēki (Latvian Army). Its civilian variant is the Forsheda A4. The mask was introduced in 1995 as a replacement to the Skyddsmask 51. Back in 2018, the Swedish Work Environment Authority AV (Arbetsmiljöverket AV) banned all civilian use of the mask as it was designed before Sweden entered EU and lacked the required CE marking. Police and ambulance services have tried for years to have an exception to the ban. AV finally gave in on 18th March 2020 to temporarily allow use until 31st December 2020 due to the urgent needs and demands of the 2020/21 Covid-19 pandemic. To date over 50000 masks have been delivered to the health service from the Swedish Armed Forces.
Kit[]
'Protective Equipment 90' includes a carrier either Protective mask bag 90 or Protective mask bag 06, spare filter, detector papers 104 & 105, waterproofing bag 166, , rubber protective gloves '07', cleaning cloth, optional inserts (if required). The kit would be supplemented at war, or when required for particular crisis with decontamination sanitizer 104, auto injectors, anti-nerve agent tablets etc. The kit would also contain C-Liquid protection S/89- a disposable 2 part thin plastic coverall that would be worn over the field uniform that protects against chemical in liquid form for up to 6 hrs.
Facepiece[]
t is of a butyl rubber and has a life span of 20-30 years. The mask comes in 3 sizes: 1 large, 2 normal, 3 small. The field of view is 87%. The mask has twin ports, the unused port sealed with blanking plug that acts as a secondary speech diaphragm, the plug can be removed without any special tool needed. The head harness has a six point strap system with a net fabric skull cap. The mask is fitted with a hydration system, with the location of the inner drinking straw movable by rotating the stem on the chin of the mask. The drinking system is designed to provide 200ml/minute of fluid.
Filter[]
The CBRN kit is supplied with 2x 'Filter 90/NBC Filter 381' produced by Racal (3M) of Canada, which is virtually identical to Avon's CBRNF12 filter. The filter is of a black polymer (plastic) construction, which can withstand decontaminants, oil, mustard gas. The filters contain TEDA-activated carbon and the particle element contains hydrophobic fibreglass paper.
During Covid 19 MSB, the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration worked out a list of aftermarket filters that could be bought on the private market and used with the mask to deal with the pandemic. The FMV would deal with users of the mask with socially important activities who could not order filters via their own suppliers. The filters listed were: Scott Pro2000 P3R, Scott Pro2000 ABEK2 P3 & Filter 200.