MSA (NYSE: MSA) announced today that it has been awarded a two-year $45 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) to supply U.S. military forces with Advanced Combat Helmets. Delivery of the helmets will begin in the third quarter of 2009, pending first article testing and certification.MSA began producing ballistic helmets for the U.S. military in 2002 and, in partnership with the U.S. Army, developed the concept for the Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH). The ACH incorporates a lightweight design that offers soldiers advanced ballistic protection with greater comfort, stability and situational awareness. Since adoption by the Army as the standard basis of issue, the ACH has been credited with saving numerous lives in military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.”Following the completion of several long-term ACH contracts, this award represents a new and exciting phase of ACH production at MSA,” said Bill Lambert, MSA President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re grateful for the trust the U.S. military has placed in MSA and for the opportunity to continue to serve as a partner in the effort to provide our fighting men and women in uniform with the highest level of protection possible.”Lambert noted that the ACH award represents particularly good news for MSA employees located at the company’s manufacturing facility in Newport, Vt. “Our associates there have done an exemplary job in meeting the ballistic helmet needs of the U.S. Army since we began production there in 2002. This latest award gives MSA the opportunity to continue ACH production at Newport and leverage the broad ballistic protection expertise our associates there have attained over the past several years.”U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), senior member of the U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus, was equally pleased with the military’s decision to have ACH production continue in his home state. “The men and women at MSA of Newport have delivered tens of thousands of expertly made helmets to the U.S. Army,” Senator Leahy said. “These Vermonters have put their skill and energy and dedication into those helmets, which have saved soldiers’ lives during hard deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. This long-term sustainment purchase secures Newport’s place as a preferred military helmet supplier for the next two years and, I hope, beyond. “MSA also provides ballistic helmets to special branches of the U.S. Department of Defense, military forces in Europe, and the Canadian Military.Established in 1914, MSA is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people’s health and safety. Many MSA products typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company’s comprehensive line of products is used by workers around the world in the fire service, oil, gas and petrochemical industry, homeland security, construction, mining and other industries, as well as the military. Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, gas detection instruments, head protection, ballistic body armor, fall protection devices and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels. These products are marketed and sold under the MSA Safety Works brand. MSA has annual sales of approximately $1 billion, manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and more than 40 international locations. Additional information is available on the company’s Web site at www.msanet.com(link is external).PITTSBURGH, March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/SOURCE MSA read more