Who are Survitec?
Survitec is a market leader in Survival Technology operating across the aerospace, defence, maritime and energy sectors. We are headquartered in the UK, operate across six continents, and have over 3,000 employees worldwide across 11 manufacturing facilities and more than 400 service and support locations.
In our defence business, we provide Pilot Flight Equipment to over 40 nations and hold sole source contracts for F-35, KF-21 and Eurofighter Typhoon. The Survitec global team are highly focused on our customers and the end users of our equipment. We live by one purpose, “We Exist to Protect Lives”.
Do you have a history of working in Japan?
We have a long history of serving customers in Japan, and in 2023 we are marking our 50th year operating in the country. We have sites in Kobe and Yokohama, and they have a consistent delivery record to Japanese Defence and Blue Light customers, including Submarine Escape Suits and lifejackets for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. Since 1973 we have been servicing life rafts at our accredited service stations ensuring the safety of ship crews in Japan, and around the world. Today, all Japanese F-35 pilots fly in Survitec Pilot Flight Equipment, and they will have visited our Pilot fitting facilities as part of their type conversion training program.
What history do you have in protecting fast jet pilots?
One of the core areas of Survitec’s product portfolio is the design and development of integrated clothing systems for fast jet pilots. Since the 1950’s the company has been at the cutting edge of pilot protection. We have innovated, developed, and manufactured industry leading Pilot Flight Equipment, continually improving the safety, comfort and mission performance during flight, through ejection and critically, post ejection whether in water or on land.
As aircraft speeds and altitudes have increased, the Pilot Flight Equipment (PFE) has had to evolve. We have developed a high-performance clothing system which is fully integrated with the ejection seat and cockpit life support systems to meet those increasing performance demands. Today, Survitec’s equipment offers the highest levels of proven ‘G’ protection available on the market, minimising the need for Anti G straining manoeuvres and enabling the pilot to operate and clearly communicate, even at 9G.
Our design team have a unique capability, supported by UK military design approvals, which has allowed us to develop the latest generation of modular, fully integrated and qualified PFE. We currently hold sole source contacts on F-35, KF-21 and Eurofighter Typhoon, as well as for many other training and front-line aircraft.
Our ‘Skin to Sky’ philosophy is a proprietary Survitec development process enables our teams to systematically reduce weight, bulk and thermal burden of our equipment. All of this while improving critical performance characteristics such as comfort, fire retardancy, in-water flotation and ‘g’ protection.
So, what is the future of Pilot Flight Equipment and how will Survitec’s experience help you with the next generation of fighters like GCAP?
We are currently developing a revolution in pilot flight equipment that will match and enhance the performance of future jets. The pilot is at the centre of our development focus and the new equipment will significantly improve the protection, comfort and mission endurance of pilots.
Our design philosophy for 6th generation PFE is to focus on minimising the mass, bulk and thermal burden of the PFE, as well as integrating sensors that will connect the pilot in new ways to the aircraft, further enhancing protection and performance. These developments will also reduce fatigue by optimising ‘G’ protection and remove the need for pilot ‘Anti ‘G’ Straining Manoeuvres’. Part of our design philosophy is also to work in complete harmony with the body’s natural systems. We see our role as assisting rather than preventing the human body performing its natural functions, while operating in the most extreme environments. We develop our equipment to facilitate these processes which in turn reduces fatigue and dehydration, while increasing cognitive performance and endurance. For example, we have developed an Anti G trousers that help the pilot regulate their body temperature in line with pilot workload, meaning the harder they are working the more natural cooling is provided.
Ensuring optimum performance across all environmental conditions is critical and we are very aware that when GCAP enters service it will be operating across a very wide range of climates and terrain. This is a subject we understand extremely well. A typical PFE clothing schedule includes multiple configurations to allow safe operations in all conditions and climates. This means that whether a pilot is operating in warm weather over land or cold weather over the sea, if they have to eject, the PFE will provide the right level of protection.
In-water performance is critical, and our highly evolved designs ensure automatic inflation of the Single Seat Life Raft and life preserver, which will lift the pilot face up, at the optimal angle for survival keeping airways clear within seconds of entering the water.
What other areas are you innovating?
We are innovating in a number of critical areas, from the development of ever more integrated designs making our equipment cooler and lighter, to the creation of new fabrics and components using 2D nano materials.
We are also leveraging our experience of fitting female pilots to create equipment that is either developed specifically for females or has additional adjustment features providing the perfect fit for every pilot.
As well as product innovation, we have been developing new services offerings. To help military aviation organisations mitigate long equipment lead-times and the risks associated with ill-fitting PFE we have developed our ‘Perfect Fit in 10 Days’ service which has been operating on F-35 for over 5 years and ensures all pilots receive a full set of correctly fitted PFE within 10 days of being measured by a Survitec specialist in one of our dedicated, on base Pilot Fit Facilities.
How do you see Survitec Expanding in Japan?
Pilot flight equipment is a critical market for Survitec, and we are committed to utilising our knowledge and expertise to design, develop and certify high-performance garments to meet the safety, performance and comfort needs of pilots operating advanced aircraft.
In collaboration with a Japanese partner, Survitec is establishing a local servicing facility, initially to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul of Submarine Escape Equipment operated by JMSDF. Once established however, it is expected to expand into supporting other Survitec Aerospace and Defence products for civil and military operators and contractors.
We expect the business’s expansion in the Japanese market will involve new partnerships and further investment in people, including recruitment of local, dedicated representatives to provide increased customer support and better understanding of their needs.
“This is an exciting time for Survitec and our customers as we are bringing a quantum leap in product performance to the PFE market, in parallel with the development of the next generation of fast jet platforms, transforming pilots experience while delivering ever higher levels of comfort and safety.”
Nick Mulhall, Business Development Director, Aerospace & Defence (A&D), has worked for Survitec for over 12 years. He’s spent over 25 years in the defence industry, previously leading Survitec’s defence business in Europe and is now responsibility for Aerospace and Defence Business Development globally as well as being responsible for Survitec’s A&D growth strategy.
Nick was involved in several of Survitec’s critical A&D programmes, including F-35, KF-21 and more recently F-16 Viper as well as the development and implementation of the F-35 ‘Perfect Fit in 10 days’ program.
Nick and his colleagues will be available to discuss critical safety and survival as well as the next generation of Pilot Flight Equipment at DSEI Japan, Stand H7-344, which takes place at Makuhari Messe from the 15th to the 17th of March. They welcome and look forward to meeting those involved in the defence industry.