US Army Directs Ontro Inc. to Prototype and Deliver Group Ration Packages

Published: September 19, 2001, By PRESS RELEASE

POWAY, CA, USA—Ontro, Inc., which has developed a patented technology for producing self-heating containers, Wednesday announced it's received a directive from the United States Army to begin the prototyping and delivery of group ration packages. The directive follows the successful completion (by Ontro) of Phase I research and development of the contract signed with the US Army Soldier Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM) in September 2000.

Ontro was awarded the contract with SBCCOM to conduct research and development of self-heating technologies for military applications. Specifically, the Army requested that Ontro develop self-heating technologies for use in rations for 18-person platoons.

"The Army has been working with Ontro to develop self-heating meals for our troops to ensure all soldiers are afforded a hot meal," says Don Pickard, team leader for food equipment and energy technology with SBCCOM. "We are pleased with the initial work we've seen from Ontro and believe the 'kitchen-in-a-carton' Ontro is prototyping will go a long way toward reducing the costs and logistics associated with military field feeding."

Says James Scudder, Ontro president/CEO: "We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the US Army in helping them achieve its goal of bringing convenient, self-heating food rations to troops that serve our nation. We believe the applications we've developed...also will serve to expand Ontro's future with the military as well as with our commercial clients. A direct commercial derivative of this work would be development of multi-course, self-heating meals for people anywhere," he adds.