Two contractors — one private and one government-owned — manufactured defective combat helmets ordered by the Pentagon, costing the government millions, a watchdog said last week.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a summary of two fraud investigations by his office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with help from Army personnel, in response to whistleblower allegations made by two employees of Federal Prison Industries.

The defective products in two models were advanced combat Kevlar helmets used by the Army and lightweight helmets used by the Marines. The probes determined that the deliverables were made with “degraded or unauthorized ballistic materials, [and] used expired paint and unauthorized manufacturing methods.”

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