US protective armour provider Galvion has signed a major partnership with Canada’s Ventus Respiratory Technologies to offer the latter’s TR2 Tactical Respirator as an official accessory for Galvion’s Caiman line of helmet systems, the two companies announced on 14 November 2023.
The TR2 system is Ventus’ flagship product and is the first and only fully CE-certified tactical respirator of its kind on the market. Its integration with Galvion’s Caiman helmet range is intended to drive significant adoption of the TR2 throughout the NATO countries.
The partnership follows Galvion being awarded a contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in 2022 to supply its Batlskin Caiman ballistic helmet system to any NATO nation directly via the NSPA.
“To date, respiratory protection of this kind has been effectively non-existent, which has resulted in countless illnesses and injuries,” the companies announced in a joint press release.
The TR2 Tactical Respirator is capable of filtering ≥99% of solid airborne particulates down to 0.06μm, as well as 97% of oil-based particles down to 0.3μm, protecting the wearer from toxic exposure in a compact and lightweight form factor.
“Galvion’s mission is highly aligned with the Ventus mission, creating innovative equipment that is effective, certified, and low burden, so that it does not hinder performance,” Arjun Grewal, CEO of Ventus, was quoted as saying. “Future-proof equipment design is also a key driver of our alignment with Galvion. Both the Galvion and Ventus platforms are designed to incorporate electronics, communications headsets, and other equipment that supports sensors, biometrics, Internet-of-Things, and voice-operated applications. Both companies see eye-to-eye on protecting those who protect us, now and well into the future.
“We believe that integration with a leading helmet system such as Galvion’s will help to drive adoption of the TR2 throughout the NATO countries” added Grewal. “To date, respiratory protection for non-CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) threats has been an oversight that has resulted in countless illnesses and injuries, which has only recently been recognised by Veterans Affairs agencies through legislation such as the US PACT Act. This means there is now a certified, integrated option to protect soldiers from chronic, toxic exposure to particulate matter, exhaust, fumes, fuels, sand, and burn pits.”
