Defence manufacturer Avon Protection’s technological leadership in designing and making respirators against chemical attacks has landed it a contract worth up to £38m with the MoD.
The group, which specialises in protective gear, masks and breathing equipment for the military and first-responder markets, will produce the equipment at its UK manufacturing plant near Melksham.
Under the four-year contract, which Avon won through a competitive tender, the firm will continue to supply its General Service Respirator (GSR), pictured, to the MoD, along with associated in-service support.
The contract includes five further 12-month option periods valued at up to £38m.
Avon has been supplying the MoD with GSR masks since 2018.
The firm, which has recently secured a number of multi-million pounds deals to supply helmets to the US military, said the new MoD contract award would enable it to continue to help protect the lives of people serving in the UK Armed Forces.
It would also sustain the UK's domestic CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) protection production capability.
Avon Protection chief executive officer Jos Sclater said: “We are very proud to have won this competitive tender with the UK MoD and to continue supporting the UK's objectives of providing the highest quality, most reliable and trusted protection equipment for the UK's service men and women.
“As we have seen with the reported deployment of chemical agents in Ukraine and in other recent conflicts, the highest grade CBRN protection is critical to operational capability for war fighters in the evolving reality of near-peer, hybrid warfare.
“This award is strategically important for Avon. It demonstrates our continued technological leadership in CBRN respiratory protection and provides a strong foundation for our UK business over the medium and long term.
“We look forward to continuing to provide the UK with a world-leading sovereign capability in CBRN protection from our facility in Melksham and developing new technologies which will provide unparalleled protection for those who defend our nation.”
MoD Defence Equipment and Support Head of Electronic Warfare and CBRN Richard Bloomfield added: “We welcome the award of this contract, which will ensure continued support of the respiratory protection available to our armed forces.
“We have worked with Avon on supporting GSR for the past six years and look forward to continuing this relationship, offering high levels of protection to our troops across the world.”
Avon Protection, which changed its name in 2021 from Avon Rubber, employs more than 1,000 people in seven locations in the UK and US.
