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July 10, 2009

SKYDEX Technologies to supply blast limiting material for $1.05B M-ATV contract

Katy Bird

Vehicle selected by the DoD for the M-ATV contract to Oshkosh Corp. features SKYDEX technology Centennial, CO -- July 10, 2009 -- Oshkosh Corporation confirmed today that SKYDEX blast limiting materials are included in the recently selected vehicle for the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) contract awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Initially valued at $1.05B, Oshkosh received an order to build 2,244 vehicles for the U.S. Armed Forces all featuring SKYDEX as part of the vehicle design. “We couldn’t be happier about the recent news. The effort is well worth it knowing that our soldier’s are going to be better protected in a vehicle designed for the terrain of Afghanistan and the increasing threat of IED’s,” said SKYDEX President and CEO. The existing MRAPs already in theater have become known for increasing the protection for vehicle occupants against the threat of IEDs, but have encountered a number of problems navigating the mountainous, off-road terrain of Afghanistan. All the vehicles submitted for the M-ATV contract, which included other companies such as Navistar, BAE and Force Dynamics, were all designed to be lighter and provide more off-road maneuverability, while still providing the same level of protection. According to SKYDEX, SKYDEX has supplied multiple companies in competition for the contract with variances of the technology to help limit the blast waves transmitted through the vehicle in the chance of an explosion. Improving soldier survivability and reducing potential injuries in IED attacks has been SKYDEX’s focus while engineering their latest design of blast limiting materials; this research has brought them to the frontline in material and design capabilities to improve the safety of military vehicles. “We witnessed a 71% reduction in blast force during a recent blast simulation conducted by an independent lab on our materials,” commented Tom Manney, SKYDEX Senior Mechanical Engineer and a former USMC Reconnaissance Team Leader. Days before the contract winner was announced, Manney was presenting the capabilities of SKYDEX technology in blast protection at an Institute for Defense and Government Advancement conference held in Washington DC. SKYDEX and Oshkosh have been working together to ensure the ability to supply materials in order to meet the Departments accelerated delivery schedule, which will deliver the initial vehicles in July. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriation Committee and Defense Subcommittee, has been quoted as anticipating the contract to eventually reach $3B resulting in the production of more than 5,00 vehicles. The vehicle submitted by Oshkosh as already performed “7,500 miles of independent off-road tests,” according to Oshkosh Corporation and had to undergo months of government testing and redesigns before the selection process was completed. For more information, visit www.SKYDEX.com or www.oshkoshcorporation.com. About SKYDEX Technologies, Inc. SKYDEX is a privately held technology company located in Centennial, CO. Led by their motto of Protecting People and Things That Matter®, SKYDEX develops innovative impact mitigating, blast limiting and vibration attenuation solutions for today’s most demanding applications. Utilizing their patented twin hemisphere technology, SKYDEX designs and manufactures a vast range of products and is a leading supplier to the military, commercial and athletic markets worldwide.