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Quick question that my google-fu can't seem to find the answer to:

When did special forces start wearing hearing protection that had active noice cancelling and noice amplification?

This feels like a very recent thing, but then I think back to my stepdad buying a pair of headphones with active noice cancelling and amplification some time in the 90's, IIRC.

Sure, they were big and clunky, but they worked.

So, anyone know when special forces started using them and would they be something one might encounter in T2K?

According to wikipedia, noise cancelling headphones are from the 50's, for aviation, and 1989 for commercial availability.

I remember in Golgo 13, a manga and mine, the main character uses some kind of headphones, it may be exactly for noise cancelling/amplification. That manga was from the 70's.

The real question is comms systems to hook up to the headphones. The MICH is a comm system compatible helmet made to meet such a requirement, as such headsets were in specialized use under various non-ballistic sports helmets. However, it was not fielded until 2001.

So, yes, the systems would likely be available, but the drawbacks are batteries and an inability to wear a helmet with an Armor stat.

The next question: what are your intended rules for such a piece of kit? Have you added a system for loud noises to deafen characters and need a counter? Are you looking to add a bonus to Recon?

Oh I was simply curious. Just thought about my stepdads headphones and realized that it was before the 2000's and was wondering if it was in use.
(Usually the military is a head in fields like that)

Sorry, don't know about Special Forces, but an the civilian side, I was using Peltor's (a brand of noise reducing, sound amplifying "ear muffs") in the early 1990's on the shooting range. I have no reason to believe they weren't used by military individuals purchasing their own off the economy. In a setting like Twilight 2000, the issue -- as with anything electronic -- would be batteries.

Yeah, batteries is an issue for all electronics in T2k, but I was just wondering if it would be feasible for special forces to have them.

(and they still work as ear protection without the batteries)

Yeah, batteries is an issue for all electronics in T2k, but I was just wondering if it would be feasible for special forces to have them.

(and they still work as ear protection without the batteries)

Actually, I think that simple AA(A) batteries were produced in such troves that they would still be available for some time after the collapse during the Twilight War. They'd be much harder to find, but not for special forces that still serve a (somewhat) working government.

I had purpose-built, modular chargers in HMMWVs in time for the Twilight War.

Yeah, batteries is an issue for all electronics in T2k, but I was just wondering if it would be feasible for special forces to have them.

(and they still work as ear protection without the batteries)

Actually, I think that simple AA(A) batteries were produced in such troves that they would still be available for some time after the collapse during the Twilight War. They'd be much harder to find, but not for special forces that still serve a (somewhat) working government.

The active headphones my stepdad bought in the late 90's early 2000's wasn't powered by AA (or AAA) batteries. It was powered by a single 9V battery. (Still is, incidentally. Since I still have the headphones at home)

I'll admit that AA and AAA batteries are probably easy enough to find a few here and there, but not nearly common enough to make constant use of active headphones a thing. (Especially not if the headphones use more rare types of batteries)