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BATTLESPACE travelled to Branford Connecticut to meet Martin Sloan CEO of Oxley Inc.
Oxley Inc. started from a small office in California in 1976 as an Agency for Oxley Developments and moved to Branford Connecticut in 1984. Oxley Inc. was the first tenant on the Industrial Estate in Unit 25 which covered just 5000 sq. ft. with no manufacturing capability and 6 employees to a new custom-built 25000 sq. ft. facility on the same Park today, employing 42 people. Oxley Inc. turns over $15m and manufactures a wide range of specialist defence aerospace LED lighting products for the US market. The Company US facility have grown to become a centre of excellence for the design, manufacture and integration of LED lighting systems for both major defence equipment manufacturers, including Boeing and Sikorsky, and the US Government.
Martin Sloan CEO of Oxley Inc told me that the business had expanded considerably in the last few years benefiting from increased DoD spend.
“I started at Oxley Inc. as a Business Development Manager on the instructions of our then CEO, Dr Geoff Edwards to get closer to US customers and expand our US manufacturing operations. Oxley Inc products are now established on a number of key U.S. defence systems including Blackhawk, E-6 Intruder and C-17. Outside the aerospace market, we are supplying a large number of IR lighting systems for vehicles and very active in the development of advanced lighting systems for the U.S Navy as they look to standardize U.S. Navy ships for NVG operations. We are also very busy in the supply of products to manufacturers for the military equipment. The growth in the US, over the past 5 years, has led us to expand our facilities significantly and we now operate from a 25,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Connecticut”
“What was your first big break into the U.S. market?”
“Oxley Inc became a significant supplier in the US when our NVG capabilities were recognized by the Defence Equipment Supply Centre (DESC) and several major defence equipment manufacturers. We were amongst the first to integrate solid state infrared emitters for the Blackhawk helicopter in order to provide effective covert lighting when flying with night vision goggles. Being close to major equipment manufacturers, like Sikorsky, enabled us to provide high levels of service and engineering support in what was a very specialist technology. Now we find that our customers tend to rely on our LED lighting and NVG capabilities and come to us for solutions to their requirements”.
“How has the business developed since then?”
“Our early involvement in NVG compatible LED indicator lamps for DESC lead us to develop solutions for full cockpit modifications as NVG use grew. We were part of the team that modified the National Guard F-16 fleet that then lead to a $5 million contract for a novel optical filter modification to the external lights, this was installed on the USAF fleet and was the first fleet wide application of an NVIS friendly external lighting modification . This was followed by another first to upgrade the lighting systems on the EA-6B ‘Prowler’ fleet with a total LED based integrated visible and covert aircraft external lighting system. More recent awards have been for the Sikorsky S-92 and to supply external lights for the Boeing C-17.”
“Do you see the trend in NVG LED lighting continuing?”
“Oxley started looking into NVG Friendly cockpit lighting systems twenty five years ago. The first breakthrough came after the Falklands War where NVG use grew. Goggles supplied by the likes of Ferranti , ITT and Bell & Howell had one drawback, when they came into contact with the then standard cockpit lighting, they bloomed and the pilot lost all sight outside the aircraft. The first modification made was to put sticky tape over the cockpit lighting. Given our specialty in optical filters and LED technology, Oxley devised a number of processes to package LED lights, giving them not only structural integrity for fighter aircraft, but also to include covert lighting options and the required performance in tandem with the NVGs as part of the aircraft night vision imaging system”
“Did you not see a finite market for these products at the time?”
“We believed at the start of this technology that there would be a sudden rush to fit NVG compatible cockpits which would then drift to a few hundred a year. But the First Gulf War in 1991 saw an increased Requirement for NVG systems, particularly for the U.S. Blackhawk helicopter fleet which we still supply today. The U.S. National Guard, USAF and Air Force Reserve F-16 fleets were the next large customer for conversion in the early nineties, followed by the RAF Tornado fleet. We now supply lighting to a large range of aircraft including F-16, Jaguar, Tornado, AV-8B, C-130J Hercules, C-17, BAE Hawk, Blackhawk and Mi-17 amongst others. Now ten years on, aircraft we modified then are coming back to us for new upgrades and modifications. The new NATO nations such as Poland, where we work closely with WZL, Czechoslovakia and Romania, all of whom have ageing Russian helicopter fleets, is a big growth market. Another big growth area is Police and Customs where we have recently upgraded several Police, Emergency Medical Service and Coast Guard Helicopters, including Dyfed & Powys Police Augusta 109 and the Icelandic Coast Guard Super Puma with NVG compatible lighting. The growing stretch on defence budgets and increased NVG usage in land and sea systems means we have seen the market is actually growing not contracting.”
“Has this led you to other areas?”
“Yes NVG compatible lighting systems have wider application that just the aircraft or vehicle and there is increasingly a recognition that modification or replacement of general lighting systems can improve mission effectiveness and security of our military personnel. This has led us to develop products for use in mobile medical shelters, Tactical shelters and on US Navy platforms“
St. Johnsbury, Vermont-based Mobile Medical International Corporation (MMIC) was launched in 1994 and is the leader in certified and accredited mobile surgery facilities and portable soft wall structures that are both cost effective and portable enough to deliver surgical services and advanced diagnostics treatment to rural and underserved areas worldwide. Applying years of experience in the design and manufacture of the commercial Mobile Surgery Unit to its family of deployable shelter systems, MMIC has set the standards high in bringing ‘equivalency of care’ to the theatre of operations. Rapid deployment and self-sustainment are key operational requirements that lead MMIC to designing a fully integrated family of deployable shelters that are operational within minutes of arriving. For more reliable and flexible lighting MMIC turned to Oxley Inc.
Oxley was able to supply rugged, low-weight lighting that could produce high quality illumination, of optimum color temperature, while using minimal power. The market was void of such a product. The integrated lighting ensures the rapid deployment of MMIC shelters systems is not hampered, during operations. The new lighting has been integrated in both soft-sided and ridged-wall shelters.
“We were able to utilize our knowledge and experience in aircraft LED lighting to develop rugged LED lighting for Mobile Medical. LEDs offer significant advantages for shelter systems, however, to be most effective they need to be integrated and controlled to get the most from the technology. The Mobile Medical shelter system is an excellent example of LED integration and it demonstrates the major advantages, over traditional lighting, to the users.”
“Have you benefited from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?”
“We responded to a significant requirement for covert lighting on the MRAPs. Our IR lighting systems are used extensively to enhance the effectiveness of the crew when operating under goggles. We have also seen an increased demand for our NVG compatible LED panel indicators and we are a major supplier to many of the companies supplying equipment for the Counter Remote Control Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW) IED detection devices.”
“How about naval applications?”
“In 2005, Oxley was awarded a contract by Incat Australia Pty Ltd to design and supply a lighting system for the helicopter deck on board the US Military high speed vessel HSV X1 Joint Venture. The end user has since proved the system in extensive helicopter night landing trials and the technology has gone on to provide new standards for NVG compatible deck lighting. Having proved LED lighting in the harsh naval environment, we are also integrating LED lighting into other areas of the ship. A recent study showed that a naval vessel could save a staggering 30 tons by the installation of LEDs against standard lighting. We have also established a considerable business in supplying lighting for shelters and mobile operating theatres.”
“How do you see the next five years?
“The market for LED lighting is set for an explosive growth right across the board from domestic lighting to street lights. Oxley has had an association with LEDs for thirty years and we have already seen requirements across a wide range of military equipment including vehicles, airborne platforms and marine applications. We plan to continue to play to our strengths, developing rugged LED lighting solutions for night vision applications in demanding environments and offering fast responsive integration with the customers’ platform to maximize the payback from the new technology. ”
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