Schott North America wins $multimillion contract for infrared glass for U.S. Army

18 Apr 2023

Glass, manufactured in Duryea, PA, employed in air defense systems.

Schott, the technology and glass group, has won a multimillion-dollar contract from a U.S. defense contractor for infrared glass. The order is for glass for launch tube windows, a critical component of air defense systems provided to the U.S. Army.

The contract was secured through the advocacy of Rep. Matt Cartwright, from Pennsylvania, who has long supported a robust defense budget. Schott’s Duryea, Pennsylvania facility will manufacture the specialty glass, as it does for other products that support the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

Schott is already producing launch tube window parts for an existing order and will now be able to extend production and further support employment at its site in Duryea. The company has been working with DoD programs since 1969 as a developer of high-tech materials and components and is eager to continue its support of the department.

‘Supplying the U.S. defense market’

“Our expertise in creating specialty glass suitable for defense applications has earned the trust of the U.S. Army and the DoD, and we’re appreciative of the chance to show why they keep turning to us,” said Christopher Cassidy, President of Schott North America. “This contract not only supports our production site of over 150 employees in Duryea, but also strengthens our commitment to supply the U.S. defense and security market.”

“America's security and defense require the best materials available, and we’re able to build them right here in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District,” said Rep. Matt Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee.

“Schott has proven its mettle with a history of innovation, and its expertise allowed us to bring federal funding back to this district,” added Rep. Cartwright, when he visited the Duryea facility last week and highlighted the importance of this contract and its impact on the local community.

The firm’s U.S. Innovation and Technology Hub, also located in Duryea, continues with the research and development of high-tech materials. Its participation in basic materials research has helped create the supply of dual-use products for both civilian and military applications. Schott’s glass-ceramic Zerodur has been used in space telescopes since 1968, and the company has supported NASA’s lunar missions with optical lenses for cameras since the early 1960s.