The Pentagon buys 39 million respirators from 3M and Honeywell for $133 million

At the end of April, 2020 Pentagon signed contracts with the companies 3M, Honeywell International and Owens & Minor for production of 39 million respirators of N95 for health workers according to the Law on defense production.

On April 11 military announced the first application of the Law on military production in connection with koronavirusny crisis and selected $133 million within purchase contracts of front masks and respirators. Then the Pentagon announced that it got approval of the Target group on fight against a coronavirus from the White House on use of industrial capacity of the country for the purpose of production of respirators N95.

The Pentagon buys 39 million respirators from 3M and Honeywell for $133 million

On April 20 at Ellen Lord briefing, the main purchaser of weapon in the Pentagon, announced three manufacturing companies and explained that they will deliver in total 13 million respirators a month within the next three months.

It will help to provide our government with the industrial potential for satisfaction of needs of the country, - explained the Lord. - The purpose of these contracts consists in eliminating dependence of the USA on a foreign supply chain.

According to the signed contracts, 3M will receive $76 million, Halyard, division of Owens & Minor, will receive $29 million, and Honeywell will receive $27.4 million. The CEO of Honeywell Darius Adamczyk announced that for performance of the contract the company increased production capacities of the plant in Rhode Island and also starts the new plant in Arizona. In turn, 3M since the beginning of a pandemic works on increase in production of respirators of N95. The company doubled the global potential of production. By June, 2020 the company is going to produce up to 50 million respirators a month within the USA.

As respirators of medical level of protection became crucial scarce commodities because of a pandemic, the Pentagon already selected 10 million respirators from own stocks.^[1]

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