Armatec Composites was established in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1997 to transfer technology from the aerospace industry to applications in survivability systems for military vehicles. In its first years, Armatec developed and provided drivers’ seats for Canada’s Leopard tanks and undertook mine-survivability testing of the M113 armoured personnel carrier (APC).
The company established itself as a significant designer and manufacturer of survivability systems in 1999. In order to meet a rapid-acquisition requirement for the Canadian Army, Armatec developed and delivered AC12000 mine-protected drivers’ and commanders’ seats for installation in Canadian Bison armoured vehicles being deployed with the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo.
By 2001, Armatec had moved into its fourth facility and was manufacturing commanders’ seats for the US Army’s Stryker wheeled armoured vehicle and turret seats for LAV-25 turrets. The company had also won contract for the low-volume production of specialty items for Canada’s Department of National Defence, and was engaged in a number of major prototype programs.
To better serve its government customers, a second company, Armatec Survivability, was established to specialize in engineering, design and systems integration. Armatec Composites now focuses itself as a manufacturer of “build to print” items for commercial clients.
In 2005, Armatec was selected by the US Marine Corps to design and supply the Ballistic Protection Upgrade Package for all in-service variants of its Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) fleet.