Firetrace Aerospace Receives Production FIRE Panel Order for HET

Scottsdale, Ariz. – September 13, 2006 --[ASDWire.com]-- Firetrace Aerospace today announced a commercial contract not to exceed $3.8 million from the U.S. Army Tank- automotive and Armaments Command to provide FIRE Panel™ fuel tank fire suppression systems for 164 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) vehicles. This order covers engineering, tooling and an initial production of FIRE Panels for the HET.

“We are pleased to receive this production order using the FIRE Panel technology,” said Bill Eckholm, president and CEO of Firetrace Aerospace. “Considering the extensive testing our product has been subjected to, we are confident that this is the first of many platforms that will carry the FIRE Panel protection.”

Live-fire tests conducted by the U.S. Army have confirmed the FIRE Panel technology’s effectiveness in preventing the fire and secondary explosions associated with an explosive ordnance strike to a vehicle fuel tank. FIRE Panel achieved 16 of 16 successful tests emulating the most common large battlefield threats.

The nature of the explosive threats faced by the military has led to frequent fuel tank fires that disable the vehicle and place the crew in danger. In response, Firetrace Aerospace adapted their patented, commercially available FIRE Panel technology in order to help protect forces in combat. In the event of an impact to a fuel tank, the FIRE Panel shatters and discharges a cloud of patented fire-suppressing powder. This cloud surrounds the fuel tank area preventing the ignition of the fuel and helping to prevent any resulting explosion.

FIRE Panel technology is already used extensively on police vehicles and has also been used in racecars. FIRE Panel is in use by the US Marine Corps and evaluations are also ongoing by other U.S. and allied military organizations.


About Firetrace Aerospace, LLC.
Firetrace Aerospace, LLC. (www.ftaero.com), located in Scottsdale, Ariz., provides industry leading technology and products for fire suppression on military platforms (vehicle, aircraft and shipboard applications). Firetrace Aerospace’s products include FIRE Panel™ that protects vehicle fuel tanks against ballistic threats. Since 2002, the patented FIRE Panel technology has been installed on over 15,000 police vehicles belonging to more than 100 police agencies in North America. Firetrace Aerospace also offers unique fire suppression solutions for vehicle engines, crew compartments, wings, dry bays and wiring runs that can be more effective or lighter weight than traditional systems.

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™ FIRE Panel is a trademark of Firetrace Aerospace, LLC.

Attached: Photo of the production FIRE Panel mounted on a MTVR tank.
http://www.ftaero.com/images/FTAMTVRSEP06.jpg