DoW’s APFIT program selects Numat Technologies, Inc. to accelerate fielding of next-generation CB PPE

Numat Technologies, Inc., the global leader in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for mission-critical applications, today announced a $23.67 million initial acquisition contract award, in partnership with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), through the Department of War’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. APFIT was established to close the gap between promising defense innovations and fielded capabilities, fast-tracking proven technologies from prototypes into the hands of Warfighters years ahead of traditional acquisition timelines. The award will accelerate procurement and fielding of Numat’s self-detoxifying, MOF-enabled protection suits (MOF CB Suits), engineered to neutralize chemical and biological threats on contact.

Delivering Advanced Chemical and Biological Protection to U.S. Special Operations Forces

Under APFIT, Numat will provide MOF CB Suits directly to U.S. Special Operations Forces, who operate in some of the most hazardous chemical and biological threat environments in the world and require equipment that performs without compromise. The suits represent a step-change in protective capability, offering greater breathability, protection and effectiveness that give operators improved freedom of movement and increased safety in contested threat environments.

Strengthening the U.S. Industrial Base for MOFs

Beyond fielding this next-generation suit, the award marks a major milestone for the domestic MOF industrial base Numat has built over the past decade in partnership with the Department of War’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP)).

“Over the past 10 years, Numat built the MOF industrial base for this moment, where we can activate an entire supply chain, from material design through high-volume system manufacturing, to protect the Warfighter,” said Ben Hernandez, CEO of Numat Technologies. “This contract award reflects our long-term investment in American innovation. Numat will deliver finished, field-ready protective suits at scale, made completely in the United States.”