Avon Protection contracted to develop integration between CBRN masks and suits
The US military has millions of Avon Protection masks. (Photo: US Army)
Avon Protection has supplied millions of M50/M51 and M53/M53A1 air purifying respirators (APRs) in use across all branches of the US military for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protection.
Avon Protection has been awarded three contracts by the US Department of Defense (DoD)to develop a solution to optimise integration between currently fielded M50 and M53A1 protective masks and CBRN protective garment hoods on a CBRN suit.
The work is being performed under the DoD’s Advanced System for Protection and Integrated Reduction of Encumbrances Hood/Mask Interface (ASPIRE HMI) programme under the Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense (JPEO-CBRND).
Steve Elwell, president of Avon Protection, said the purchase of individual systems as part of a CBRN solution created risk at the points where the systems meet.
“Our approach is to mitigate this risk by designing our equipment to integrate seamlessly together, and it is this understanding of the importance of interface optimization between systems that we will bring to our work on this contract,” Elwell said.
Justin Hine, product and strategy director at Avon Protection, also noted the integration issue earlier this year.
“What we are seeing is that the word ‘interface’ is arising frequently in procurement documents, reflecting the challenges being faced by efforts to ensure all the different parts of a CBRN protective system work together effectively,” Hine said.
“This is really key, because you can have the most technologically advanced mask, hood, suit, boots and gloves, but if the points where they meet each other are weak, the whole system risks being a protective failure.”
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings]()
Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings
Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.
-
![How AI and robotics drive innovation in land-based defence]()
How AI and robotics drive innovation in land-based defence
The future on the frontlines: automation and AI isn’t just about improving efficiency or driving down labour cost - for Pearson Engineering it’s everything.
-
![How do land and air defense forces defend against complex threats?]()
How do land and air defense forces defend against complex threats?
Learn how RTX systems defend against complex attacks from adversaries including hostile drones, and multi-range missiles.
-
![Hundreds of Boxers with Puma turrets ordered for Dutch and German forces]()
Hundreds of Boxers with Puma turrets ordered for Dutch and German forces
The order is for 270 vehicles, 222 of which are infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) known as Schakal (Jackal), which integrates the advanced Puma IFV RCT30 turret onto the Boxer chassis.
-
![AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system]()
AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system
The aerospace company showed a model of its new mobile howitzer at AUSA in Washington, where a representative told Shephard more about its design.
-
![AUSA 2025: BAE Systems delivers more than 500 AMPVs to the US Army]()
AUSA 2025: BAE Systems delivers more than 500 AMPVs to the US Army
The US Army requires 2,907 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles to replace its M113 family, and there are multiple versions in production.
