- Reports claim that Russia is using chemical weapons in Ukraine.
- Avon Protection shares have risen sharply over the past year
Avon Protective Actions rose on Thursday after the group revealed it won a Ministry of Defense tender to supply gas masks to the British Army.
The contract is valued at up to £38m over four years, with five additional 12-month option periods.
The London-listed group, which has supplied the MoD with general service respirator (GSR) masks since 2018, flagged reports claiming Russia was using chemical weapons in Ukraine.
Last week, U.S. officials alleged that Russia was using the asphyxiating agent chloropicrin in Ukraine.
Defense rise: Shares in Avon Protection rose on Thursday after the group revealed it won a Ministry of Defense tender to supply gas masks.
Avon Protection’s share price rose 3.1 per cent to 1,272 pence on Thursday morning, having risen 315 per cent in the last year, reflecting higher global defense spending.
The contract continues the Wiltshire-based company’s close work with the government in the supply of general service respirators. Avon Protection also supplied gas masks to soldiers during World War II.
Jos Sclater, chief executive of Avon Protection, said: “We are very proud to have won this competitive tender with the UK Ministry of Defense and to continue to support the UK’s objectives of providing the highest quality protective equipment, plus reliable and trustworthy for the UK military and servicemen.” women.
“As we have seen with the deployment of chemical agents in Ukraine and other recent conflicts, the highest degree of CBRN protection is critical to the operational capability of warfighters in the changing reality of hybrid peer-to-peer warfare.”
He added: ‘This award is strategically important for Avon. It demonstrates our continued technological leadership in CBRN respiratory protection and provides a solid foundation for our UK business in the medium to long term.
“We look forward to continuing to provide the UK with a world-leading sovereign capability in CBRN protection from our facilities in Melksham and developing new technologies that will provide unrivaled protection to those defending our nation.”
Richard Bloomfield, head of electronic warfare and CBRN at MoD Defense Equipment and Support, said: “We welcome the award of this contract, which will ensure the continued support of respiratory protection available to our armed forces.”
“We have worked with Avon to support GSR for the past 6 years and look forward to continuing this relationship, offering high levels of protection to our troops around the world.”
