The new gear was unveiled this week in Munich by Joachim Herrmann, Germany's interior minister. The Class-4 protection suits featuring an overcoat with ceramic composite plates and a titanium helmet can stop high-caliber bullets fired by an assault rifle.
The design of the helmet is apparently meant to fend off blows targeting the head to padded shoulder pieces, but many Germans noticed that it also made its wearer look like a certain movie villain. Darth Vader from Star Wars, according to some - or his comic counterpart Dark Helmet from the 1987 film Spaceballs, according to others.
OMG! In Bayern wird die Polizei zur Darth Vader Armee umgebaut https://t.co/h9I8VITzhc #polizei #bayern #darthvader pic.twitter.com/LAJaeFN2Hn
— Nadine Schildhauer (@N_Flux) November 25, 2015
Okay. Es dauert wirklich nicht mehr lange bis zum neuen #StarWars Film. Das ist der neue Helm der Polizei in Bayern. pic.twitter.com/miKENtIKvS
— Ralf Podszus (@RalfPodszus) November 25, 2015
Bayern Polizei VS. Lord Helmchen...
Bavaria Police VS. Dark Helmet (Spaceballs)....lol
https://t.co/q71wYfulUa pic.twitter.com/MVsRj2FxJ8
— TiLMENDOMiNATiON (@TiLMEN) November 25, 2015
Comment: One doesn't know whether one should laugh or cry. Or maybe cry laughing? I mean, really, can it be more obvious that the West is modeling itself after the Galactic Empire - right down to the ridiculous helmet?
And in case you didn't get the "may the Schwartz be with you" reference: