USA Bobsled/Skeleton announced a partnership with four aerospace and defense companies on October 28, 2026, bringing aerospace and defense composite technology to American bobsled athletes as the federation builds toward competing for medals on home ice in 2034. Unveiled at 47G’s annual Zero Gravity Summit during Hard Tech Week in Salt Lake City, the collaboration unites 47G, Albany Engineered Composites, Hexcel, and Nammo Composite Solutions.
Aerospace Technology in Sled Design
For a national program that has not built a new, four-man sled in years, the infusion of aerospace-grade materials marks a significant technical shift. “We haven’t built a new, four-man sled in years, and so this is really exciting,” USA Bobsled & Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire said. The partnership aims to help athletes gain a competitive edge by deploying the same advanced materials and engineering expertise that companies use to build aircraft, missiles, and unmanned systems.
USA Bobsled/Skeleton announced a unique partnership Wednesday with several Utah aerospace and defense companies. | By @JNSwensen pic.twitter.com/Z9ens9hhdG
In bobsled competition, hundredths and thousandths of a second separate the podium from the rest of the field. The newly formed coalition divides manufacturing duties across specialized industrial partners. Albany Engineered Composites will work with USABS to manufacture next-generation composite sled cowlings for the team’s four-man bobsleds, while Nammo will manufacture carbon-fiber cowlings for the two-man bobsleds. Hexcel is contributing its expertise in advanced composite materials. 47G brought the partners together.
Engineering the Ground Advantage
Translating flight-tested materials into a vehicle going 90 miles an hour requires rigorous structural optimization. Jeff Daniel, vice president, commercial segment at Albany Engineered Composites, explained that the engineering challenge centers on taking high-end aerospace composites and applying them to a high-speed ground environment. “We work with [composite materials creator] Hexcel every day through the raw materials, we use the raw materials for many different composites that we put together,” Daniel noted, emphasizing that structural strength and aerodynamics are critical if a sled impacts the track walls.
Honda remains central to the vehicle’s architecture. According to McGuire, Honda handles the aerodynamics and design of the outer shell, ensuring the equipment is ergonomic. Once Albany and Nammo fabricate the composite cowlings, and metal component supplier Advance cuts the runners and builds the chassis, all pieces ship to Honda’s Marysville, Ohio plant for final assembly from as many as a dozen pieces.
Targeting Podium Breakthroughs Ahead of 2034 Home Ice
While American women have been competitive with everyone in the Two-Women races—including Kaysha Love capturing the 2025 Women’s Monobob World Championship—German pilots have dominated Two-Man and Four-Man racing. Pilot Frank Del Duca finished fourth in the 2025–26 IBSF World Cup Two-Man standings, finishing from fourth to seventh in all seven races.
The upgraded equipment is scheduled for testing on the track this winter, where the team will identify improvements before deciding whether the sled sees competition this season. Federation leadership emphasized that the current project represents the first generation of an ongoing development cycle designed to optimize seating configurations, foot-peg placements, and runner setups tailored to individual pilot preferences ahead of the 2034 Games.
