Pentagon Honours Airless Tyre Design

The Pentagon has honoured Abraham Pannikottu and his American Engineering Group team for designing airless tyres for the Stryker armoured vehicle. Pannikottu and his team have toiled for three years to come up with the tyres, which can run without deflating even after being shot. At a function at the Pentagon, Claude M Bolton, Jr, assistant secretary of the army for acquisition, logistics and technology, presented Abraham with the 2006 Army Small Business Innovation Research award and the Small Business Technology Transfer Quality Award.

“It will be able to go more than 150 miles,” said Abraham, pointing out the importance of mobility in war. If the vehicle is incapacitated, it leaves the occupants sitting ducks. The research team worked on improving the carbon fibre used to make the tyres. While carbon fibre is light, till recently it was very expensive. “The price is coming down. So civilian companies may also use it in future,” said Pannikottu.

This year the American Engineering Group contract was selected from 254 Phase II projects. These were narrowed to 34 nominations from across the army. The army then selected 6 Phase II projects to receive the Quality Award.