Afghanistan’s Impact on ‘Guns and Underwear’
Chris Cziborr
The war in Afghanistan could drive demand for military consumables,known in the business as “guns and underwear.”
Consumables are the nuts and bolts needed during a war to outfit soldiers and maintain equipment.
“With continued operations (in Afghanistan), we could see some increase in demand for spare components,” said Brent Wisch, vice president of sales and marketing at Irvine-based Eaton Aerospace (see related story this page).
Spare parts currently account for a “couple hundred million” worth of annual sales for the company, Wisch said.
“Business is normal at this point, but as the attacks continue there will be a need for more parachutes,” said Rick Velazquez, marketing head for Santa Ana parachute maker Guardian Parachute.
Guardian, a unit of Santa Ana-based FXC Corp., likely will churn out 1,700 parachutes this year, compared to 1,300 last year, he said.
“We’re prepared to expand if necessary,” Velazquez said.
,Chris Cziborr
