OREANDA-NEWS. LifePort, a Sikorsky company, announced today that it has delivered four shipsets of cabin and cockpit floor armor for Columbia Helicopters’ 107-II aircraft (commercial equivalent to the Boeing CH-46). The armor is designed to protect crew members while operating in hazardous environments. Sikorsky is a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT).

Through years of experience and customer collaboration, LifePort incorporated a new design and delivered a lightweight armor solution on an aggressive schedule. The armor panels are encapsulated with LifePort’s LifeGard protective coating, providing enhanced durability to support cargo transport in the Columbia107-II.

“Columbia Helicopters extends its heartfelt gratitude to LifePort for a job well-done in advance of the contracted commit date. The timeline was very compressed, and we are very pleased with the outcome,” said Chris Hankland, director of supply chain for Columbia Helicopters. “LifePort’s partnership in the design and development process as well as its commitment to collaboration is exceptional, and the pre-fielding response of flight and maintenance crew personnel to the new product is very positive.”

“Our relationship with Columbia Helicopters is a great example of how LifePort views themselves as a partner for every customer. By working together to better understand the mission profile we were able to field the latest technology in ballistic protection materials while decreasing total system weight by about 20 percent compared with current ballistic systems,” said Dwayne Starnes, armor general manager for LifePort.

LifePort has more than 25 years of experience developing and manufacturing military applications for fixed and rotor wing aircraft, and this current upgrade to the legacy product further showcases the innovation, collaboration, and commitment to our customers and the market.