(Alexium has partnered with a major supplier to the US Army and is tailoring the weight and breathability of the base fabric to meet all FRACU specifications.) Successful final results are possible as early as Q3 FY2018 for when initial procurement could start.There seems to me to be some confusion over the meaning of “successful final results” and “initial procurement”.
Read in context (see above), this statement from the December 2017 newsletter seems to mean that the successful final results that the Company was hoping for by the end of March 2018 were getting the weight and breathability of the uniform fabric to meet all FRACU specifications. It was stated that, once that was achieved, initial procurement could commence (one might assume in Q4 FY2018).
“Procurement phase” was previously explained by Alexium as occurring after finalization of fabric construction and FR treatment and including
hazard assessment, limited user evaluations (field trials) and specification writing. I am assuming that “hazard assessment” includes Pyroman testing.
Did the Company achieve what it hoped for?
In the Q3 FY2018 4C it was stated that the fabric had been finalized but chemical finishing of the fabric and cut and sew of uniforms for testing still had to be completed.
In Q4 FY2018, as reported in the 4C, chemical finishing of the fabric had been completed, test uniforms had been cut and sewn but Pyroman still had to be conducted and flammability requirements passed.
Today, in the Q1 FY2019 4C, the Company has said that Pyroman has now been successfully completed and flammability requirements have been achieved. The data from the Pyroman test along with other fabric specifications will now be evaluated by the Army, which will advise on next steps. We have been previously told that a minimum 90-day limited user evaluation would be required before any decision was reached by the Army.
So, no, targets weren't quite met. The Pyroman testing hoped for in Q4 FY2018 moved back to Q1 FY2019.
Where to now?
While we cannot know for sure it’s related, in February this year the Army commenced limited user evaluations of 65,000 new, lightweight NyCo IHWC uniforms throughout the Pacific. It was reported that the test uniforms were made from a 57/43 NyCo blend by Invista. Media reports at the time indicated that these test uniforms were not FR treated. Shortly before these field trials commenced, an Army spokesperson said that the Army planned on evaluating other fabric compositions and uniform design elements throughout 2018 and that, dependent on feedback, another version of the uniform could be tested at the same time next year (i.e from February 2019). In January this year another Army spokesperson said that the goal was to have a final version of the IHWC uniform worked out during the 2019 fiscal year (i.e. by September 2019).
Putting together Alexium’s progress reports with the Army’s progress reports on uniform testing, I think it's possible that the Alexiflam-treated, lightweight, NyCo combat uniform which has recently passed Pyroman testing could be field tested commencing in February next year.
https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/us...604752/page-176?post_id=34456974#.W9kryJMzaUk
