Ukraine military contract among new order boost for defence manufacturer

Ukraine’s armed forces are to be equipped with personal respirators made by specialist defence manufacturer Avon Technologies as part of two orders it has received from European NATO, the firm said today.

Both orders are for delivery this year with some expected to be completed early next year.

The Melksham, Wiltshire-based group, which specialises in protective gear, masks and breathing equipment for the military and first-responder markets, has also signed a new framework contract from two unnamed European navies for its multi-role rebreather.

The new orders were revealed today as the group, which employs more than 900 people in seven locations in the UK and North America, in an upbeat second-quarter trading statement to the London Stock Exchange.

It said increased activity over the past six months meant it was updating its financial outlook for the full year, with revenue growth now likely to be in excess of 10% – against its previous guidance of mid-single digit growth – with the group’s adjusted operating profit margin above 12%, an increase on the 11.5% figure the group had earlier quoted.

Avon also said its strong trading momentum had continued through the second quarter, with revenue growth at its US-based Team Wendy business driven by the planned ramp up of ACH Gen II helmets to the US Department of Defense and good sales growth in its core Avon Protection business across its FM54 respirators – the model being supplied to Ukraine – and underwater rebreathers.

This had driven a strong performance for the group overall, it said, with financial results for the six months ended 31 March 2025 expected to show good growth over the prior year.

Revenue growth, mix and continuous improvement were all supporting strong operating profit margins in Avon Protection, it said.

However, the costs associated with ramping up production at Team Wendy and closing  its Californian factory would impact first-half results, it added, but it remained confident that Team Wendy would exit the full year with stronger profit margins into next year.

Avon Technologies CEO Jos Sclater said the business was proud of the contribution that it continued to provide to the security of NATO nations.

“The additional orders for provision of respiratory protection to Ukrainian war fighters and rebreathers for military divers allows both users to operate with confidence, knowing they are protected against increasingly prevalent threats in the harshest and most demanding environments,” he added.

He said the group continued to deliver in accordance with its STAR strategy, a five-pronged transformation strategy launched nearly two years ago to embed a culture of continuous improvement alongside its focus on footprint optimisation and operational excellence.

“Our growing order book, progress closing our California facility and the culture, capability change and pace we are seeing as we implement continuous improvement across the group all give us confidence for the medium term and beyond,” he added.

Last year Avon said the geopolitical situation was supporting demand for its masks and helmets used by first responders and the military.

These included a rise in perceived threat levels including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) attacks, along with continued equipment modernisation programmes by NATO countries.

It has announced that US police forces preparing for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics had made inquiries to use the group’s ballistic helmets and respiratory protection.

The Ukraine orders are for its FM50 respirators and C50 protective first-responder masks.

The European navies’ orders are for the MCM100 – described by Avon as “the world’s most advanced underwater life-support capability for global military divers” – with the quantities and delivery schedule yet to be finalised.

Avon said the contract was a joint approach between the nations for the rebreather systems, related accessories, training, and maintenance and support under a 12-year program.

The group changed its name in 2021 from Avon Rubber to Avon Protection and then, last summer, changed it again to Avon technologies.