end-user marketing geosynthetics / advanced composites - TenCate

has set itself is to offer the right materials for
the optimum protection of people and materiel
at the right price’, said Loek de Vries on this
occasion. ‘This task has resulted in a range
of solutions. Our knowledge and experience
of technical textiles as an effective means of
protection are exceptionally wide-ranging.’
The US Army and the U.S. Navy are familiar
with this. Their experiences of inherent
flame-resistant TenCate Defender M fabric
have been extremely positive.’
Protection measures
The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have
transformed the understanding of effective
soldier protection measures among Western
armed forces and defence industries. The current
generation of protective equipment in use
in Afghanistan is the best ever made available.
This has cost time and money and will continue
to do so. In terms of technology, an effective
answer must be formulated to every change
and increase in threat levels. This is barely
compatible with shrinking government budgets
for protection and safety.
‘Technology is often expensive, which is why
we must be innovative or find the most practical
use of the technology’, said Steen Tanderup
(managing director, TenCate Advanced Armour,
Europe). In view of the unrest in the world, the
protection of soldiers must continue to be a high
priority. A thorough understanding of the nature
of the conflict, the conditions of the terrain
and the political context of interventions is an
essential element of this. It reduces risks and
facilitates faster and improved decision making.
Priority
Soldier protection will remain a high priority,
even after the end of the international
mission in Afghanistan. There are a number
of reasons for this, the main ones being the
unrest in the world, the fact that ever more
sophisticated weapons are being developed
(such as roadside bombs), that terrorism shifts
its base and that methods of warfare change.
Moreover, the media in particular is taking an
ever greater interest in international conflicts
and the deployment of peace troops in these
conflicts. It is therefore not only the role of the
troops, but also the protection of the individual
soldier – and indirectly of local citizens – that is
at the top of the political agenda. Every time a
soldier is injured or killed during his mission, a
piece of vital social support erodes.
Discussed
The conference provided ample opportunity
to discuss the subject from all angles, Matt
Minshell (head of defence coordination of
TenCate Advanced Armour) believes. Because
the commercial return is not easy to quantify,
the defence industry does not generally opt for
such an approach. Our decision to sponsor it
was both appreciated and respected and we
received appropriate praise for the initiative
and for the high level of the conference.
The conference elevated TenCate to the
forefront of awareness in key areas of defence
protective methodology. It also demonstrated
that TenCate is not simply a commodity supplier
but a provider of integrated solutions that
genuinely cares about the people served by its
products in the short, medium and long term.’
Relationship
In Matt Minshell’s opinion, the conference
contributed to the good relationship between
various international ministries of defence and
the defence industry. This will help to give a
commercial advantage in the future. It also
provided the opportunity for a useful discussion
between Advanced Armour and Protective
Fabrics about areas of mutual interest and
possible synergy. Such potential collaboration
is something which is now being discussed
with other TenCate divisions - in particular
in relation to end-user marketing, which is a
key aspect to success. This is currently being
carried out concurrent with all other activities.
These include medium and long-term strategy
marketing and relevant, dynamic R&D, in
response to end-user feedback, to ensure
that we are always at the forefront of mature
protective technology.
• Cooperation of the military with the
defence industry and knowledge
institutes is of vital importance for
targeted research into the development
of protection solutions
• Unrest in the world ensures that top priority
is given to the protection of soldiers
• Conference contributed to a positive
relationship between ministries of
defence and the defence industry
www.tencateadvancedarmour.com
advancedarmour.europe@tencate.com
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