Leahy Visits Newport
Firm
To Announce Another $16 M. Contract
For The Production Of Life-Saving Military Helmets
NEWPORT, Vt. (Thurs.,
Dec. 11) – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday told employees of the
MSA factory in Newport that he has secured a $16 million
appropriation in the latest defense spending bill for the safety
equipment firm to manufacture more life-saving helmets for U.S. Army
troops. The contract, which is in addition to other recent contract
awards to the company from the Army, will increase production at the
facility around the clock and create dozens of new jobs.
Leahy is a senior member
of the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, which
handles the Senate’s work in writing the annual defense budget
bills. Leahy secured the additional funds in the subcommittee’s
review of the recently enacted Fiscal Year 2004 Defense
Appropriations bill.
MSA, formerly CGF
Helmets, manufactures a strong, lightweight helmet which offers U.S.
troops considerably more protection with greater comfort. The
helmet has been credited with saving several lives in the recent
military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the helmets have
primarily been used by Special Operations and elite airborne forces,
the new contract will expand their availability to more traditional
military units.
In early November, Leahy
announced a contract he secured between the U.S. Army and MSA for
$28 million and the production of 80,000 helmets. This contract
brings the total number of helmets ordered in two years to 130,000,
roughly the number of troops currently serving in Iraq.
“These contracts mark an
important milestone for the helmets produced here at MSA ,” said
Leahy. “They’re a milestone that mark the transformation of the
helmet from a piece of specialized equipment reserved for the brave
members of our Special Forces and elite airborne troops, to a piece
of equipment required for all of our brave men and women protecting
our country throughout the military. Without these helmets,
soldiers die. With these helmets, soldiers have a better chance of
surviving.”
As a result of the
additional contract work, MSA has added more than 50 new jobs at the
Newport facility over the past 12 months, commented Bill Lambert,
president of MSA’s North American operations. “Because of the
efforts of Senator Leahy, and the dedication of all our Newport
associates, MSA is able to continue its long history of providing
our armed forces with the highest quality safety equipment,” Lambert
said. “We at MSA are very grateful for all the support Senator
Leahy has provided in bringing additional awards to MSA”
In 2002, Leahy helped
facilitate a contract by the U.S. Army for 2900 TC-2000 helmets from
MSA Gallet, worth $1.2 million. To complement the helmet contract,
the Army also placed a 2002 $2.8 million contract for microphones,
transmitters and headsets. Also in 2002, Leahy helped secure a $5
million contract between the Army and MSA Gallet to develop a
next-generation helmet, still under development.
Since 2002, Leahy has
helped secure $53 million in contracts for MSA.
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