Department of War’s APFIT Program Selects Numat Technologies, Inc. to Accelerate Fielding of Next-Generation Chemical and Biological Protection Suits for the Warfighter

Award marks a major milestone for the U.S. industrial base of metal-organic frameworks, a Nobel Prize-winning critical material technology with broad industrial applicability

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Numat Technologies, Inc., the global leader in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for mission-critical applications, today announced a $23.67 million initial acquisition contract award, in partnership with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), through the Department of War’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. APFIT was established to close the gap between promising defense innovations and fielded capabilities, fast-tracking proven technologies from prototypes into the hands of Warfighters years ahead of traditional acquisition timelines. The award will accelerate procurement and fielding of Numat’s self-detoxifying, MOF-enabled protection suits (MOF CB Suits), engineered to neutralize chemical and biological threats on contact.

Delivering Advanced Chemical and Biological Protection to U.S. Special Operations Forces

Under APFIT, Numat will provide MOF CB Suits directly to U.S. Special Operations Forces, who operate in some of the most hazardous chemical and biological threat environments in the world and require equipment that performs without compromise. The suits represent a step-change in protective capability, offering greater breathability, protection and effectiveness that give operators improved freedom of movement and increased safety in contested threat environments.

Strengthening the U.S. Industrial Base for MOFs

Beyond fielding this next-generation suit, the award marks a major milestone for the domestic MOF industrial base Numat has built over the past decade in partnership with the Department of War’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP)).

“Over the past 10 years, Numat built the MOF industrial base for this moment, where we can activate an entire supply chain, from material design through high-volume system manufacturing, to protect the Warfighter,” said Ben Hernandez, CEO of Numat Technologies. “This contract award reflects our long-term investment in American innovation. Numat will deliver finished, field-ready protective suits at scale, made completely in the United States.”

Built on Years of Government Partnership

This award builds on years of close collaboration between Numat and the Department of War, including DTRA, OASW(IBP), the Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CPE CBRND), U.S. Special Operations Command, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. Together with Numat, these partners steadily advanced MOFs from laboratory innovation to a scalable, dual-use material technology, laying the groundwork for the accelerated fielding of MOF CB Suits announced today. The APFIT award reflects the maturity of that work and signals continued momentum toward scaling MOF production for both defense and commercial applications.

About Numat Technologies

Numat is the market leader in MOFs, a transformative precision chemistry platform that enables the capture and separation of hazardous chemicals with unprecedented efficiency. Numat integrates advanced MOF design with scalable manufacturing to deliver next-generation chemical protective solutions for mission-critical applications. For defense customers, Numat’s MOF-enabled technologies are redefining survivability and enhancing lethality through advanced chemical protective garments, high-performance filtration systems, and engineered materials that address emerging threats. Numat MOFs also support customers across the industrial, semiconductor, and energy markets, driving innovation and impact at the intersection of national security and sustainability.