Member Article

Tyneside firm wins global military vehicle deal

Tyneside Safety Glass has won a deal to make parts for a new British armoured vehicle, which could be used in conflict zones across the globe.

The firm has won an ongoing contract to supply ballistic glass to OVIK’s Crossway vehicle, an entirely British-made vehicle which is attracting interest from defence and security authorities all over the world.

Crossways with Tyneside Safety’s products are already being used by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Dorset Police and Thames Valley Police, with five other UK police forces expressing “considerable interest”.

Globally, Dorset-based OVIK is also in discussions with several governments, including those in Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, the UAE, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Egypt.

Gateshead-headquartered Tyneside Safety Glass will supply all ballistic glass products used in the vehicles, as one of only three major component group suppliers to OVIK.

The Crossway is a 5.5-ton vehicle which is armour plated, can carry mounted weapons or other large equipment and can drive on flat tyres for 50km. It is largely designed for military, counterterrorism and security purposes, although it has also drawn attention from the world’s super-rich as the ultimate heavy-duty vehicle.

As part of its ongoing contract with OVIK, Tyneside Safety Glass is also supplying parts to the firm’s other products, including its armoured Land Rover Defender known as PANGOLIN.

Tyneside Safety Glass has a long history in making parts for the British defence industry, having supplied Spitfire windscreens and glass for gas masks in World War Two.

Today it makes bullet resistant and anti-bandit glass products for architectural applications such as banks, building societies, post offices, embassies and private residencies. Its products are also used in civilian luxury cars, sports utility vehicles, cask in transit and military vehicles for use throughout the world.

Managing director Chris Hannant said: “It’s fantastic to be playing a part in a British car industry success story with such huge global potential. The Crossway is a 100% British vehicle and is a great advert for the world-leading manufacturing skills we have here in the North East and the wider UK. With global interest in the Crossway growing, we expect the vehicle to take our products into numerous territories across the globe in the coming years.”

OVIK CEO Jez Hermer, who served as a Royal Marine for 23 years and commanded troops in Afghanistan, said: “Ballistic glass forms a vital part of the Crossway’s architecture, so we needed a supplier we could truly trust. When you’re dealing with life-saving products like this, you can’t take any chances with your suppliers.

“Tyneside Safety Glass came highly recommended from a client who had worked with them for many years and we were certainly impressed with their work. The fact that it is a British firm was another contributory factor and we are delighted to have found a UK supplier for these key components.”