GKN plc : GKN Aerospace advanced air portable fuel containers enter service for UK MOD

• ?Containers allow forces to operate far from regular supply lines
• New manufacturing process reduces container weight by 25% and cost by 30%

GKN Aerospace has been awarded a £2m, five year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence for its latest Mark 5 Air Portable Fuel Containers (APFCs). These are being used to transport fuel to inaccessible points such as forward airstrips, helicopter landing zones and forward operational areas. Deliveries are underway and these items are now in service in Afghanistan.

These latest fuel containers are 25% lower in weight and 30% lower in cost than previous generations of APFC. This is due to the introduction of an innovative new manufacturing process, developed by GKN Aerospace, which replaces the established slow and solvent-heavy, rubber-based production with a process which sprays a polyurethane compound paint onto nylon wire. This new process is much faster, lower cost and is virtually VOC (volatile organic compound) free, so far more environmentally friendly. 

GKN Aerospace APFCs are the toughest available on the market. They are extremely rugged: able to function effectively at temperatures as low as minus 26 degrees Celsius and as high as plus 71 degrees Celsius - and will survive down to minus 46 degrees Celsius. The containers are para-droppable, towable for ten miles and aerodynamically designed to offer optimum flight conditions when under-slung on a helicopter. They are qualified for us in cargo aircraft such as the A400M and C-130.

Phil Swash, CEO, GKN Aerospace, Europe and Special Products comments: "In modern operations, the availability of fuel to vital forward activities extends the period of operation of helicopters, aircraft and ground units. It also ensures there is power, heat and communications for military personnel in the field. Our new containers will extend the distance it is possible to transport fuel to reach these points, at a reduced cost to our customer." 

Preparing the spray booth in the Air Portable Fuel Container (APFC) factory at GKN Aerospace in Portsmouth.

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Editor's Notes:
GKN plc is a global engineering business serving the automotive, aerospace and land systems markets. It has operations in more than 30 countries, around 42,000 employees in subsidiaries and joint ventures and sales of GBP5.4 billion in the year to 31 December 2010. GKN plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN).

GKN Aerospace is the aerospace operation of GKN plc, serving a global customer base and operating in North America, the Asia Pacific and Europe. With sales of GBP1.5bn, the business is focused around three major product areas - aerostructures, propulsion systems and transparencies, plus a number of specialist products - electro-thermal ice protection, fuel and flotation systems, and bullet resistant glass.  The business is equally split along military and civil lines with significant participation on all major aircraft programmes today. GKN Aerospace is a major supplier of complex composite structures; offers one of the most comprehensive capabilities in high performance metallics processing and is the world leading supplier of cockpit transparencies and passenger cabin windows.

For further information, please contact:
Sandra Fearon,
Public Relations Manager for Aerospace,
GKN Aerospace
TEL: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]. 
Email: [e-mail]