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CENTERVILLE — A Davis County company is using its technology in the fight against illegal poaching of threatened and endangered species.
International Armoring Corp. has contracted to outfit four helicopters for South Africa’s Anti-Poaching Task Force. The task force is responsible for protecting South Africa’s rhino and elephant populations from illegal ivory poachers.
Over the past few years, heavily armed poachers have become more aggressive in protecting themselves and the ivory they illegally harvest. The poachers fire on the Anti-Poaching Task Force agents as they patrol overhead in helicopters.
In order to protect these "national treasures," the agents need protection to enforce the law against poaching and trafficking these majestic animals, explained International Armoring President Mark Burton. Due to payload restrictions, no more than 250 pounds can be added to the chopper's unmanned total weight, he noted.
Headquartered in Centerville, the company’s proprietary Armormax ballistic material allows the helicopter to function safely while protecting task force officers from the heavily armed poachers, Burton said.
International Armoring developed its lightweight, high-tech fiber materials, which weigh 40 percent to 60 percent less than traditional bulletproof armor, he said. All designs and materials come from the firm’s Ogden facility.
Armormax weighs 3.3 pounds per square foot compared with 13 pounds per square foot for ballistic steel, while providing protection against most firearms.
"What we're doing is minimizing the weight and maximizing the protection, where these helicopters go into higher risk areas," Burton said.
The armored vehicles produced by International Armoring can withstand high-power rifle fire in addition to improvised explosive devices, he said.
"Just like the cars, our focus (with the helicopters) is on the passenger compartment, allowing them time to react and get out of a dangerous situation," Burton said.
"With these helicopters, the idea is not to engage in a fire fight — to use them as an offensive (vehicle)," he said, "but to allow them the ability, if (fired upon), to mark where the (poachers) are and get out of harm's way."
Founded in Ogden in 1993, International Armoring has built thousands of armored passenger vehicles, as well as tractors, trains, snowcats, nuclear facilities, radomes and classrooms.
The vehicles are shipped to customers in more than 60 countries, including governments, military, corporations, religious leaders (including the Pope), celebrities and vehicle manufacturers.
