Defence

Magnesium alloys for land-based defense and military applications

Key features

Improve mission performance through Luxfer MEL Technologies lightweight materials

Today’s infantry ground soldiers carry an average of 27 pounds (12kg) of personal protective equipment, in addition to their weapon, ammunition, water, and other gear. However, during recent conflicts, dismounted ground combat troops were found to carry 90 to 140 pounds (40kg) or more, significantly impacting mobility, causing fatigue, and reducing mission performance. For more information, visit https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/the-soldiers-heavy-load-1.

Luxfer MEL Technologies is proud to offer cutting-edge lightweight magnesium technology for man-portable military devices. Our specially formulated magnesium-based alloys meet the demanding requirements of military applications, providing numerous advantages over traditional materials like steel and aluminium. Discover more about our innovative solutions for the military industry.

Why use magnesium alloys in defense applications?

Our magnesium alloys are up to 75% lighter than steel, and up to 33% lighter than aluminium, making them ideal for man-portable devices that need to be carried over long distances. Despite their low weight, magnesium alloys are also strong and durable, providing a high level of impact resistance and reliability in the most demanding environments.

Our unique range of lightweight extruded magnesium products enable lighter, stronger, safer and higher performance designs.

Magnesium alloys have excellent thermal conductivity properties, meaning they can quickly and efficiently dissipate heat. This makes them an ideal choice for devices that generate a lot of heat, such as batteries, power systems and other electronics.

Our magnesium alloys are a cost effective solution compared to other lightweight materials like carbon fibre. They can be easily machined and forged, which allows you to create more complex shapes and designs. Our alloys are also more environmentally friendly thanks to them being fully recyclable.

Products

Elektron® 21

Elektron® 43

Elektron® finished parts

Elektron® RotaMag®

Contact an expert for more information

Support

Need to speak to an expert? Message Daniel

Daniel Bacci

Regional Growth Leader, EMEA

Responsible for driving commercial growth across defence and elite motorsport markets. Daniel works closely with OEMs and prime contractors to develop mission-critical applications for advanced magnesium technologies, drawing on a background in financial markets in London, New York and Asia, as well as advanced industrial sectors.





    Need to speak to an expert? Message Thibaut

    Thibaut Caritey

    Technical Sales Engineer

    Thibaut leverages a deep engineering foundation and a decade of sales expertise at Luxfer to support the Aerospace and Defense industries. Specializing in Magnesium Castings across European and Asian markets, he ensures that design engineers can confidently select the right materials to meet the rigorous demands of next-generation technology.