Falcon International sets up work in Odessa

Ed Rose lifted an armored panel and pointed to the holes.

"They first fired at these from 49 yards with a 50 caliber full metal jacket round," he said, pointing to the quarter-sized holes all the way through the thick steel panel with the composite molding behind it.

"Then they fired at it from 100 yards, and you can see the composite panel stopped it," he said, pointing to the inch-long cone indentations in the metal. "That means it won't kill the soldiers inside the vehicle."

The name of the game where manufacture of armored panels is concerned is protection of military personnel, Rose said. So when his company, Falcon International established the core facility for its armored panel production in Odessa late last year, there was keen interest among the business community.

Rose couldn't release specifics on the testing program Falcon International is now working on - it involves the military's use of AR 500 high-carbon steel in Humvee vehicles - but noted that what interested the U.S. Army in Falcon's armored panels "is our weight savings. We were able to stop the rounds," Rose said with a smile.

Using an advanced composite technology, Rose developed a panel that offers a 60 to 80 percent weight savings over the rolled homogenous armor of high-carbon steel the Army has been using. Rose admitted some of his design was a result of his years in the U.S. Air Force and his understanding of the need to provide protection for the military personnel.

The weight savings is critical, Rose said, because the new armored panels had to fit into the Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters' floor system without necessitating a re-engineering of the helicopters' design.

Another requirement, he said, was that "all materials have to be domestically acquired for a defense contract."

While Falcon hopes to be involved in a defense contract producing panels for the new Army program, Rose said, on March 20 the company shipped its first 4 foot by 8 foot panels produced in the Odessa facility to Huntsville, Ala. Those panels, he said, were produced under the existing Department of Defense contract.

Working out of an extensively remodeled facility at 3210 N. FM 1936, Falcon's 11 current employees use water-jet cutters to slice the ballistic material and a huge press that can exert 150 tons of pressure for up to half an hour to create the molded panels.

Rose said the Odessa facility now forms the core of Falcon's production. In addition to existing employees, Rose has another 60 who were approved to begin work when the next defense contract began April 1.

Falcon works closely with WestWind Technologies of Huntsville, Ala.

Ty Copeland, vice president of quality and compliance for WestWind Technologies said, "Our relationship with Falcon International has always been good. Falcon has always been responsive to anything WestWind Technologies asked them to do.

"It's exciting to see the Texas facility taking fruition now," Copeland said.

While he declined to detail specifically WestWind Technologies' role with Falcon International, Copeland said WestWind is a design, manufacturing and integration facility involved with rapid response support for the Department of Defense.

Rose said Falcon International has received a warm response by the people of Odessa and the West Odessa community. He foresees a bright future in the Odessa area for Falcon and other firms working on defense contracts.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as defense-related contracts," he said.