INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Brian Keller
Written by Mike Woo
Brian Keller
GMA
President
As president of GMA, Brian Keller heads the leading provider of camouflage vehicle soft top and cargo covers for the U.S. military. Prior to joining GMA, Keller was vice president for strategic development at Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc.
Q. Please describe what your company offers the military customer?
A. GMA delivers the industry’s leading cover, camouflage, concealment and deception systems for military vehicles. Our products are designed and manufactured to improve vehicle readiness, and offer features which enhance survivability and protection.
GMA DELTA products are our fitted soft tops and cargo covers for wheeled vehicles, including light, medium, heavy and trailer platforms. These products are manufactured to meet the government’s standardized requirements for fit, form and function.
Our GMA ALPHA solutions are the result of our continuous efforts to introduce design enhancements, making available to the soldier new product features and benefits for improved effectiveness and survivability. GMA SIGMA is our integrated mobile vehicle signature management system. It is tailored specifically to the vehicle and masks visual, thermal, near-infrared and radar signatures. The system is installed directly onto the vehicle’s surfaces. When halted, the SIGMA system’s panels can be supplemented with integrated screen components that are deployed from mounted pockets. This provides additional shape disruption and additional signature management for selected areas of the vehicle.
GMA SIGMA represents the level of technical complexity, product sophistication, industry collaboration and design-prototyping services that GMA is capable of delivering. We’ve fielded systems for vehicles ranging from the HMMWV to light armored vehicles.
This multi-spectral camouflage technology has also been incorporated into GMA’s lightweight, camouflage net systems. Available in desert and woodland color patterns, the hexagon and diamond-shaped nets can be connected together and easily deployed using poles and spreaders to effectively conceal a static position. The no-snag construction means that GMA’s multi-spectral camouflage nets can also withstand the rigors of field use.
Q. What makes GMA different from other companies in the marketplace?
A. After 20-plus years in the business, GMA has established itself as a leading provider of camouflage systems based on our engineering team’s ability to deliver innovative design solutions. Our expertise in textile and mechanical design is complemented by GMA’s ability to work closely with military end-users and vehicle manufacturers to gain valuable insights into the practical requirements for camouflage systems.
Secondly, GMA delivers a product that is superior in overall quality, durability, fit, form and function resulting from our investments in advanced manufacturing technologies and quality control.
GMA also distinguishes itself through our dedication to support services to our industry partners and in particular, our military customers. GMA offers the industry’s most comprehensive product warranty. We also grant our customers and industry partners access to our engineering and manufacturing expertise through camouflage prototyping services.
Q. What are some of the milestones your company has achieved in the past year?
A. A major focus for GMA during this past year was completing design and development of our product line to meet the U.S. Army’s Ultra Light Weight Camouflage Net System, or ULCANS, requirement. We submitted our bid to the Army and look forward to the source selection and the opportunity to provide ULCANS to the U.S. Army. Our experience in designing and fabricating multi-spectral camouflage, such as the SIGMA mobile systems, was heavily relied upon and incorporated into our submission.
Q. How do your company’s products and services meet the particular requirements of special forces?
A. Many of GMA’s product innovations lend special forces operators the added flexibility, function, performance and durability required to stand-up to the stresses of the field.
For example, GMA has introduced designs such as roll back HMMWV soft tops and one-way see through camouflage that help increase situational awareness and maintain line-of-site from within the vehicle. Reversible camouflage covers allow for quick changing between deployments to different environments.
While camouflage systems seem more benign, they are no less relevant on today’s battlefield. Modern sensory and target acquisition technologies have proliferated around the world, and camouflage, concealment and deception systems have had to evolve to counter these threats.
GMA SIGMA, our integrated mobile signature management systems are an ideal tool for the reconnaissance and surveillance roles frequently performed by special forces. Installed directly onto the vehicle, SIGMA systems do not compromise the vehicle’s mobility. GMA’s nets, including our U.S. Army ULCANS, offer the same multi-spectral camouflage and concealment properties, but for static positions.
Finally, as the mission requirements of our special forces evolve, it can be expected that vehicle cover, camouflage, concealment and deception needs will also change. GMA’s design expertise and tradition of collaboration with the customer allows special forces to work with GMA to identify and develop new camouflage solutions. ♦