PITTSBURGH – MSA (NYSE: MSA) announced today that its European business segment – MSA Europe – has secured a $9.3 million contract from the German military to supply a new gas mask system for use by German ground, air and naval personnel. The contract covers production of 50,000 masks and related supplies of filters, protective lenses and spare parts.

The gas mask, known as NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) Protection System M2000, meets new performance specifications developed in cooperation with the German Military Sciences Institute and expert consultants representing the Army, Air Force and Naval branches of the German military.

The M2000 Mask is made of a high-performance rubber compound extremely resistant to chemical warfare agents. Featuring a binocular lens design, the mask provides wearers with a 90 percent or greater field of vision with minimal distortion. Anti-laser and anti-glare protective lens “outserts,” which will be furnished under contract, offer added protection from heat flash and solar radiation.

Among the mask’s more innovative features is a concealed and patented “safe” drinking tube that allows personnel to replenish fluids without risking exposure to airborne contaminants. The mask also provides four filter connection positions that allow maximum compatibility with various targeting optics, firearms and ordnance systems.

“The M2000 contract represents the culmination of extensive work conducted by our European engineering staff, our global respiratory protection team and safety experts from the German military,” said John T. Ryan III, MSA Chairman and CEO. “Developing innovations in respiratory protection has been a core competency of MSA for nearly a century. We’re very proud that the German military has entrusted MSA with the important responsibility of helping safeguard its men and women in uniform.”

Assembly work for the new respirator system is scheduled to begin this month and will be performed at MSA’s manufacturing facility in Berlin.