Empower your mission

Soldier Mod talks with CEO Jonathan Blanshay on the recent sale of Revision eyewear and the future of Galvion

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Q: You recently sold the protective eyewear business along with the Revision name – who is Galvion?

A: Protective eyewear was the foundation on which the company was built, and early on, the Revision name became synonymous with our world-class military eye protection. Over the years, our portfolio has grown to encompass a much wider range of active and integrated systems, and strategically, it made sense for the Revision name to stay with the legacy eyewear business when we sold it. As Galvion, we move forward as a company with a sharpened focus, and a mission to provide solutions that enhance the overall agility and survivability of the modern military and tactical operator. Through our Batlskin® Armor, Nerv Centr® Soldier Power and Data, Symbasys™ Platform Power and Sensys™ Advanced Concept divisions, we are motivated to design and manufacture active, performance-enhancing equipment – making the soldier faster, lighter and more connected than ever before. For Galvion, it will always be about providing the absolute best solutions for operators, with the ultimate goal for protective gear to be the last line of defense, rather than the first. We exist to empower the missions of our partners – to meet their immediate needs, but perhaps more importantly, to be thinking ahead to the solutions that will help them meet the challenges of tomorrow. As a company, our strength has always been the caliber, passion and ingenuity of our people, and as a team, we are incredibly excited to build the Galvion name and brand while continuing to honor our history as a company.

Q: You were recently awarded a contract to provide helmets to the Dutch MoD – what core capabilities make Galvion an ideal systems provider?

A: For almost 10 years, we have embraced head, face and torso protection, offering a suite of modular solutions for protection against blast, blunt and ballistic threats, while offering integration capabilities with current and future headborne devices. Over the years, we have produced and delivered over 1.4 million helmets globally, and our Batlskin® portfolio includes several helmet geometries to meet the varying requirements of global militaries, along with innovative suspension systems and modular protective accessories including NVG mounts, mandible guards, visors and helmet covers.

Over the years, we have worked incredibly hard to provide customized solutions for military partners around the world, and we have developed a reputation as the leader in NATO next-gen helmet solutions. The key to our success, I believe, is our willingness to go above and beyond the obvious solutions – we provide bespoke systems that meet or exceed requirements but also score highest in user trials and evaluations. We don’t just think about meeting the specs – we think about the soldier wearing the helmet and how we can deliver the protection they need in a way that will allow them to be more agile and effective in the field. I should also add that we have a lot of prior military personnel working on our team, and therefore a very good understanding of the end-user. We take these insights, and with excellent design and human factors, we optimize solutions to ensure maximum soldier survivability.

In 2019, we were awarded a significant contract to deliver the Dutch MoD with 48,000 helmets. The helmet suite that we developed for them represents the first major advancement in helmet technology for Dutch Military Forces in over 20 years. Our team of engineers and designers worked with the latest materials to build a user-centric system that offers better protection, optimized fit, reduced weight and enhanced integration options. Combined, these features ultimately lead to improved operational effectiveness for the soldier - after extensive user trials, our helmets received the highest rating from the test group users, based on comfort, integration capabilities and weight. Our APEX liner system no doubt played a part here – a great example of our ability to marry performance and comfort – this system is infinitely customizable through a combination of adjustability functions, while providing consistent, even impact protection.

In 2012, we won the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) contract, supplying DALO with more than 12,000 head sstems – and I’m extremely proud to announce that just last week we were officially awarded the new DALO contract for close to 40,000 head systems. Details will be announced shortly, however I believe the awarding of this new contract speaks to our commitment as a company to provide the customized solutions that the modern soldier needs, and we expect other NATO countries to follow the Danes, Brits and the Dutch to upgrade their programs to Galvion’s next generation helmets.

Q: Let’s talk about Soldier Power – what products does Galvion make and how do they help the warfighter?

A: Galvion’s Soldier Power division is a prime example of our unyielding commitment to meeting troop needs head on. If we see an opportunity to leverage our capabilities to improve warfighter equipment in any capacity, we are going to pursue it relentlessly. We first moved into power management territory in 2014 with the introduction of our lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and chargers, and since then, we have been aggressively expanding our capabilities. With advances in equipment and technologies ultimately come the challenge of sustained power, and the opportunity to provide flexible storage and power management that can easily be adapted to a wide range of mission scenarios continues to drive our team.

Our Nerv Centr® solutions are built around a roster of products that are ideally suited to small units on extended missions with a reduced ability to resupply. We work closely with our partners to understand their requirements, their equipment and the integration specs they may have. We build the right solution for the mission through customized accessories and cabling that allow our rechargeable lithium ion batteries, power managers, and chargers to integrate with whatever mission-specific equipment they have. We know that future warfare will see increased connectivity requirements and this is going to put more strain on the soldier, not to mention the logistical support train that follows, so power management will continue to be a primary focus for our customers.

Our lithium-ion SoloPack™ is a lightweight, rechargeable battery that packs enough power in one charge for a 12-hour mission, and a proven solution used in kits for the U.S. Marine Corps who needed to power the hub for their Target Handoff System (THS V2), as well as for the U.S. Air National Guard, whose Joint Tactical Attack Controller (JTAC) instructors required a high-capacity power solution. Our Adaptive Battery Charger™ is an incredibly flexible charging system that simultaneously charges different types of batteries faster and more efficiently than other military battery chargers, simplifying logistics and enhancing operational capability for troops around the world. Our Squad Power Manager™ SPM-622 is a portable power manager capable of drawing power from anywhere in the world and powering a variety of equipment and recharging batteries simultaneously, with no reprogramming required. The SPM has been fielded to virtually all U.S. DoD branches, including USSOCOM units, U.S. Army SFABs and the U.S. Army Nett Warrior Program of Record. We worked with the U.S. SOF unit to develop a solution to keep medical devices powered safely for specialized medical units operating in austere environments. Using the SPM as the central power hub, our engineers created intelligent cables that allowed medical batteries to be powered and charged from common military energy sources. We also recently introduced the Individual Power Manager™ (IPM), which offers the same capabilities as the SPM, but for individual soldier use.

These key products along with our ability to quickly develop new cables and accessories allow us to offer custom solutions to match a virtually limitless array of use cases. We build our products to maximize the functionality and mobility of the soldier today, but we design these systems to be adaptable to new equipment and gear as it is developed, so they are ready to accommodate tomorrow’s technologies.

For more information please visit:
www.galvion.com