Hexcel Advanced Composites, Essential for Defense
As part of National Composites Week, Hexcel highlights the essential role advanced composites have earned within the Defense sector.
Originally known as California Reinforced Plastics, Hexcel was awarded its first contract for research and development of honeycomb materials for use in radomes on military aircraft. Today, Hexcel is a leader in producing advanced composite materials to an extensive range of more than 100 highly-advanced military aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the Dassault Rafale.It also provides composite materials for military transport aircraft used to transport troops, provisions, and other military equipment to bases around the world.
Hexcel’s composite materials are used extensively in military helicopters, including the Sikorsky Black Hawk, Lockheed Martin CH-53, Boeing Apache, Bell/Boeing V-22, and Airbus HN90. The composite material in the helicopter blades allows them to fly farther with increased performance and payload. Hexcel supplies everything from base materials to fully furnished structural parts.
Composite materials are used for fuselage panel sections, wing skins, flying control surfaces, and more. They are lightweight yet can withstand extreme pressure and temperature changes, making them ideal for these applications.
These lightweight, innovative composites reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Their strength and durability mean less maintenance costs, compared to aircraft made with traditional materials such as metal.
Our unrivaled range of products for defense applications include:
