Military vehicle coatings need to do more than provide the right colour. They must meet demanding performance requirements, including protecting equipment from corrosion, supporting camouflage and, where required, resisting chemical-agent contamination.
Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) systems are designed to limit the penetration and retention of chemical agents and withstand the decontamination processes used to remove them. They do not make a vehicle immune to chemical agents. Instead, they form part of a wider approach to protecting equipment and supporting its safe return to service.
For military platforms, achieving the required performance depends on the complete coating system, including the appropriate primer and topcoat, as well as controlled application and testing.
Michael Keech, CEO of EKA Group Holdings Limited, said: “Military coatings are not simply a matter of getting the right colour. The complete system has to meet the required performance criteria, with testing providing the evidence that it is suitable for its intended application.”
Developing a UK supply capability
EKA and HMG Paints have worked together to develop a coating system for the UK MOD’s M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and supporting Repair and Recovery Vehicle (RRV) fleet.
The project arose from requirements across NATO and MOD programmes for specific military paint finishes. Historically, some of these coatings have needed to be imported under licensing arrangements, contributing to high costs and long lead times. Shelf life has also presented a practical challenge, with paint in some cases reaching its expiry date before the delivery and release process was complete.
The aim was to establish a UK supply capability that could meet the required performance specifications while improving availability, reducing procurement delays and supporting future maintenance and repair.
EKA brought the operational requirements and technical specifications, defining the performance needed for the intended application. HMG Paints worked with EKA on product development, using iterative development and testing to refine the coating and verify its performance against the specified requirements.
Meeting the chemical-agent resistance requirements
One of the key challenges was achieving the required chemical-agent resistance alongside the specified visible colour and infrared reflectance characteristics. These requirements needed to be met together within the same topcoat, forming part of a wider system that includes the appropriate primer.
The development process also required careful consideration of the relevant US military specifications and UK defence standards, which do not have identical requirements. The applicable criteria therefore needed to be identified and the coating’s performance verified against them.
HMG Paints’ wider defence portfolio includes coating systems under Def Stan 80-225, providing near-matt infrared reflective (IRR) and Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) finishes for military vehicles and non-aircraft equipment. The EKA partnership builds on this UK-based formulation and manufacturing capability to meet the coating requirements for the M270A2 MLRS and supporting RRV.
For the CARC element, the coating system underwent independent chemical-agent resistance testing against AEP-65. The assessment covered three chemical agents: HD, GD and VX.
The testing assessed how much of each chemical agent was absorbed by the coating and how much was subsequently released. The system successfully passed, with results below the permitted limits for all three agents, HD, GD and VX, confirming that it met the specified chemical-agent resistance requirements.
Michael Keech said: “The significance of chemical-agent resistance goes beyond the coating itself. In an operational environment, limiting contamination and supporting effective decontamination are important considerations for the personnel who operate, recover and maintain these vehicles. Our challenge was to achieve that performance alongside the other requirements of a military finish, including colour and infrared reflectance, within a single coating system.”
Supporting availability and through-life maintenance
Establishing a UK source for the coating is intended to offer practical benefits beyond the initial supply. These include improved availability, shorter lead times and reduced costs, while helping to address the procurement and shelf-life challenges associated with imported products.
A domestic supply capability could also support maintenance and repairs throughout the service life of the vehicles by improving access to the required coating when it is needed.
Separately, EKA supports the safety and environmental assurance of the UK MOD’s MLRS and RRV fleets and is leading development of the next-generation A2 RRV. The coating partnership brings together EKA’s understanding of the operational requirements with HMG Paints’ UK formulation and manufacturing capability.
EKA has confirmed that the coating system has passed the required testing and is now in production and use. This represents progress towards a UK supply route intended to support future production, maintenance and repair, while reducing reliance on imported coatings.
Michael Keech said: “Developing a UK supply capability is about more than the initial procurement. It is intended to improve access to the required coating and support the equipment through production, maintenance and repair over its service life.”
Supporting operational readiness
Paint is not simply decoration applied after the engineering is complete. It is an engineered component of a military vehicle, contributing to corrosion protection, signature management and decontamination.
Delivering the required performance involves more than selecting the correct colour. The coating system must meet the relevant specifications, be tested against the required criteria and be supported by a reliable supply route.
Through its work with HMG Paints, EKA has established a UK-developed and manufactured coating capability intended for the MOD’s M270A2 MLRS and supporting RRV fleet. By combining platform knowledge with UK formulation and manufacturing capability, the partnership aims to improve the availability of specialist coatings and support the equipment throughout its service life.
