AlliedSignal's Spectra Shield Material Selected For $83-Million Military Helmet Contract
PETERSBURG, Va.---AlliedSignal Inc. said today that its Spectra Shield composite has been selected as the ballistic material for a new lightweight helmet system for the Marine Corps. AlliedSignal Performance Fibers will supply its patented ballistic composite to Gentex Corporation of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, which was awarded the prime contract for the Marine's Lightweight Helmet Program. Gentex will deliver 125 helmets to the Army Material Command Acquisition Center in Natick, Massachusetts, by December 15, 1999, for first article testing. "The rigorous demands of the Marine Corps' specifications called for extensive teamwork and technical development. We worked closely with Gentex, combining its expertise in helmet system development with our most advanced ballistic materials technology to meet the Marine Corps' needs,'' said Fred Festa, Vice President of AlliedSignal Performance Fibers. The lightweight ballistic system for ground forces is "based on the most recent developments in advanced materials,'' said Gentex. The system "promises to become the next generation technology for lightweight military and police protective equipment,'' the company added. Introduced in 1989, patented Spectra Shield(r) technology has become accepted worldwide as the premier ballistic material for lightweight, high-performance military and police body armor, vehicle armor, ballistic shields and helmets. Spectra Shield(r) composite is made from AlliedSignal's Spectra(r) fiber, one of the world's lightest and strongest fibers, which is pound-for-pound ten times stronger than steel. AlliedSignal Inc. is an advanced technology and manufacturing company serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services, automotive products, chemicals, fibers, plastics and advanced materials. It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The company employs 70,400 people in some 40 countries.
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AlliedSignal's Spectra Shield Material Selected For $83-Million Military Helmet Contract
