Army investigators are asking for information to help find a specialized helmet for Apache helicopter aviators that went missing at Hohenfels Training Area in Germany between March 14 and March 16, 2025. The helmet has an attached receiver that tracks a user's head movements to control aircraft systems. (Army Criminal Investigation Division)

HOHENFELS, Germany — The Army is offering up to $5,000 in reward money for information leading to the return of an aviation helmet containing weapons tracking technology that disappeared during a recent exercise.

The Apache helicopter flight helmet, belonging to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, was last seen in a hangar at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels between March 14 and March 16, an Army statement said Friday.

The missing helmet was equipped with an Improved Magnetic Receiver Unit, which tracks a pilot’s or gunner’s head movements to control night vision and target acquisition systems aboard the helicopter. A transmitter mounted on the AH-54E helicopter generates a magnetic field within the cockpit.

The classification of the helmet and receiver unit was unclear Monday. However, systems with comparable functions, such as targeting and weapons guidance, are typically considered sensitive technology.

The helmet can cost more than $30,000, Army Criminal Investigation Division spokesman Marc Martin said.

The Ansbach-based brigade was participating in exercise Allied Spirit when the equipment disappeared. The U.S.-led exercise that ended March 24 brought together troops from 12 NATO and partner nations.

The reward poster says investigators are treating the disappearance of the items as “possible larceny.”

Interviews have been conducted and the search is ongoing, Martin said.  Anyone with information on the missing items is asked to call 314-587-1351 or go to www.cid.army.mil/tips.