SKYDEX Technologies Inc. yesterday said it has signed a multi-million dollar agreement with General Dynamics [GD] Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for its Convoy Deck, a patented blast-mitigating vehicle decking material, for 200 Stryker Double V-Hull (DVH) vehicles deploying to Afghanistan.
The SKYDEX Convoy Deck has already been installed in thousands of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the Buffalo and Cougar, produced by Force Protection Inc. [FRPT] and Oshkosh [OSK] M-ATV, the company said in a statement.
Last year, GDLS-C ordered SKYDEX’s blast-mitigating decking for 550 of its Stryker vehicles now in service in Afghanistan.
“At SKYDEX, we are all about saving war fighters’ lives and protecting things that matter,” said President and CEO Mike Buchen. “Our first and last thought every day is about protecting those in harm’s way. IED blasts cause the great majority of casualties in Afghanistan and our decking significantly improves the survivability for the occupants. We are proud to be working with GDLS-C to dramatically improve survivability for American troops in combat.”
Independent testing demonstrates that SKYDEX blast-mitigating technology greatly reduces the threat of lower leg injuries by diminishing the force of an IED blast reaching personnel aboard an armored vehicle, the statement said. The testing demonstrated that during a typical blast force without the SKYDEX Convoy Deck, vehicle occupants face an increased percent chance of injury. Adding SKYDEX decking drastically reduces the chance of injury to about 10 percent. Testing was done according to NATO’s STANAG 4569 protection standards and thresholds.