Element 119 Earns Air Force Contract to Develop Eco-Friendly Corrosion Control for Ground Equipment
Element 119 Partners with 19th and 103rd Airlift Wings to create advanced coatings
“We’re excited about this opportunity to protect not only important military assets, but also the health and safety of maintenance workers,”
(THOMASTON, CT)—Element 119 LLC has been selected by the U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF)’s AFWERX program for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract for the development of a safer and more cost-efficient coating to protect aerospace ground equipment (AGE). The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the SBIR process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal-to-award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded, and now on July 20, Element 119 started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
Element 119’s new solution will offer a cost- and time-saving alternative to today’s coatings that contain dangerous isocyanates, which can pose a hazard to maintenance workers and to the environment. The next-generation coating will be tested on ground equipment of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, and the 103rd Airlift Wing at the Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby, CT.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to protect not only important military assets, but also the health and safety of maintenance workers,” says Andrew Zeppa, founder, CEO, and head formulator of Element 119.
About Element 119
Element 119 has been producing industry-leading ceramic composite nanocoatings for the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries since its founding in 2010. The company has a production facility and laboratory in Thomaston, CT, and a business office in Cheshire, CT. It specializes in developing custom coatings for a wide variety of customers, including Fortune 500 companies. For more information, visit: www.element119.com.
About 19th and 103rd Airlift Wings
The 19th Airlift Wing is the host unit at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It supports and operates the largest C-130 fleet in the world, supplying humanitarian airlift relief and airdropping military supplies and troops around the globe. The 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut National Guard stands ready to provide tactical airpower and mission support for the state and the nation at a moment’s notice.
About Air Force Research Laboratory
AFRL is the sole organization leading the planning and execution of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force science and technology programs. It orchestrates a worldwide government, industry, and academia coalition in the discovery, development, and delivery of a wide range of revolutionary technology. AFRL provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping air, space, and cyberspace forces the world’s best. The organization employs 10,800 military, civilian, and contractor personnel at 17 research sites, executing an annual $4B budget. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within AFRL, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. It employs approximately 325 military, civilian, and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites, executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.)
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Element 119 Press Contact:
Mark Sullivan
(860) 438-6992
[email protected]
19th Airlift Wing Press Contact:
19th AW Public Affairs Office
(501) 987-6744
[email protected]
