Avon Protection has handed a £38m gas mask contract to the Ministry of Defence
- Reports claim Russia is using chemical weapons in Ukraine
- Shares of Avon Protection have risen sharply over the past year
Avon Protection Shares rose on Thursday after the group revealed it had won a Ministry of Defense tender to supply gas masks to the British military.
The contract is worth up to £38 million over four years, with a further five 12-month option periods.
The London-listed group, which has supplied the Ministry of Defense with General Service Respirator (GSR) masks since 2018, reported reports claiming Russia was using chemical weapons in Ukraine.
Last week, US officials alleged that Russia used the asphyxiant chloropicrin in Ukraine.
Rising defence: Avon Protection shares rose on Thursday after the group revealed it had won a Ministry of Defense tender to supply gas masks
Avon Protection’s share price climbed 3.84 per cent or 47.36p to 1,281.36p on Thursday afternoon, after rising more than 35 per cent in the past year.
The contract continues the Wiltshire-based company’s close collaboration with the government in supplying general purpose respirators. Avon Protection also supplied gas masks to soldiers during the Second World War.
Jos Sclater, CEO of Avon Protection, said: ‘We are very proud to have won this competitive tender with the UK Ministry of Defense and to continue to support the UK’s objectives of delivering the highest quality, most reliable and trusted protective equipment for the British military and military personnel. women.
“As we have seen with the reported use of chemical agents in Ukraine and in other recent conflicts, the highest level of CBRN protection is critical to the operational capability of warfighters in the evolving reality of near-peer, hybrid warfare.”
He added: “This award is of strategic importance to Avon. It demonstrates our continued technological leadership in CBRN respiratory protection and provides a strong foundation for our UK business in the medium and long term.
“We look forward to continuing to provide Britain with a world-leading sovereign capability in CBRN protection from our Melksham facility and developing new technologies that will provide unparalleled protection to those who defend our nation.”
Richard Bloomfield, Head of Electronic Warfare and CBRN at MoD Defense Equipment and Support, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded this contract, which will ensure continued support of the respiratory protection available to our armed forces.
“We have worked with Avon in support of GSR for the past six years and look forward to continuing this relationship and providing a high level of protection to our troops around the world.”