Hayden company lands Army contract

HAYDEN - Unitech Composites and Structures Inc., in Hayden, has been awarded a U.S. Army contract to design and produce what it said is a "next generation" composite overwrapped pressure vessel, or COPV.

A COPV is a container, with a thin and non-structural liner wrapped with structural fiber composite, used to hold gasses or liquids under pressure.

Unitech, an AGC Aerospace and Defense company, designs and manufactures composite structures in commercial and military aerospace markets.

The COPV designed and produced by Unitech will be for a portable helicopter oxygen delivery system, or PHODS.

Alan Haase, president of Unitech and the AGC Composites Group, said designing and manufacturing a high-quality product that helps the U.S. military is important to the company.

"Unitech is honored to work with the Army on this new and improved composite overwrapped pressure vessel," Haase said.

In addition to being lighter weight, he said the product will provide U.S. soldiers with longer oxygen delivery duration.

Unitech said the vessel will enhance the overall performance as compared with the first generation PHODS system.