FINDLAY, Ohio (Nov. 7, 2008)—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has signed a deal with Resilient Technologies L.L.C. to produce a state-of-the-art, non-pneumatic airless military tire prototype.
Resilient has been working on an airless tire for the past two years as a solution for military vehicles being stranded in Iraq because of flat tires.
Cooper Tire will add design, manufacturing, testing and performance expertise to this project, the companies said.
The airless tire touts a honeycomb design that allows bullets and shrapnel to move through the tire without disabling it and will continue to run even if a substantial portion of the honeycomb cells have been disabled, Resilient said.
As part of the deal, Cooper Tire and Resilient will introduce the technology to commercial markets.