KIHOMAC WINS F35 MXU-1072/A ADVANCED TRAVEL POD CONTRACT
KIHOMAC wins the F35 MXU-1072/A Advanced Travel Pod (ATP) Contract. F35-ATP is a $7 million Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC).
KIHOMAC internally funded engineering and manufacturing efforts to develop an F-35A ATP, recently designated by the USAF as the MXU-1072/A. The result is a superior product, engineered to be lightweight, cost effective, user-friendly, and sustainable, while facilitating a simplified logistics footprint. MXU-1072/A supports Agile Combat Employment (ACE) because it can carry deployment cargo, larger support equipment, and spare parts.
KIHOMAC’s MXU-1072/A ATP, the first new travel pod design in over three decades, incorporates advanced construction and composite materials that match the 4th and 5th generation aircraft that it’s designed to support. Composite materials allow a lighter but stronger pod with increased damage resistance and volumetric carrying capacity over steel or aluminum pods. In addition, the use of composite materials increases pod lifespan with greater environmental protection from degradation.
KIHOMAC engineers developed the MXU-1072/A using current MXU-648 travel pod specifications as the baseline and made considerable improvements in all areas while incorporating previously unsupported USAF customer ‘desirements’. These requests included larger access panels with multiple points of entry, simplified carry capability, anti-roll stabilizers, and an adjustable cargo stabilization system. These enhancements complement the MXU-1072/A’s cylindrical shape that allows for multiple, oversized points of entry permitting end-to-end loadout.