PRESS RELEASE | Next-Generation Corrosion Protection Reduces Maintenance Time and Repair Costs for Department of Defense

Aviation, Press Release, Technology

Oceanit and Lockheed Martin Sign Technology License Agreement to
Deploy AeroPel Nanocomposite Protective Layer Technology Across DoD Assets

HOUSTON, May 22, 2024—Oceanit and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced a technology license agreement to collaborate on the evaluation and deployment of Oceanit’s AeroPel® Nanocomposite Protective Layer for use on U.S. Department of Defense aircraft and ground support equipment.

AeroPel is a next-generation nanocomposite surface treatment developed to directly address DoD’s $20 billion-per-year corrosion maintenance costs. The treatment repels both water- and oil-based substances — hydrophobic and oleophobic, respectfully — to prevent corrosion and drastically cut the cost and downtime with associated maintenance. With a focus on environmental and health safety, AeroPel delivers superior protection compared to traditional aeronautical corrosion treatments.

Oceanit and Lockheed Martin first collaborated on the “AFWERX Expedient Basing Challenge” series, hosted by the U.S Air Force and Air Force Research Laboratory in January. The combined team proposed AeroPel as a practical solution for protecting aircraft and ground support equipment from corrosion damage at forward operating bases to improve military readiness. Among 800 solutions, Oceanit and Lockheed Martin were down-selected to showcase AeroPel at events for warfighters stationed in Nevada and Florida.

The two companies announced the new agreement at Oceanit’s 2024 Technology Showcase on May 7 in Houston, Texas.

“This partnership will supercharge the deployment of AeroPel to solve mission-critical maintenance problems and create an immediate impact on operational readiness for the Department of Defense,” said Dr. Patrick Sullivan, CEO of Oceanit. “Building off our success in the USAF AFWERX Challenge, we are excited to ramp up our collaboration with Lockheed Martin to change the equation on corrosion for U.S. warfighters around the globe.”

“By protecting our aircraft and ground support equipment from corrosion, we can ensure that our nation’s systems remain ready for any challenge,” said Kristian Tucker, Lockheed Martin senior manager for ground support equipment.

About Oceanit

Founded in 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Oceanit is a disruptive technology company that has earned a world-class reputation for breakthrough science and disruptive innovation built upon a “Mind to Market” process of bringing new technology to market as well as core values of curiosity, collaboration, and ‘Ohana. Oceanit tackles the world’s most difficult technical problems across energy, defense, life sciences and more. Learn more at Oceanit.com.