F3 Group eyes billion-square-metre production capacity to meet global demand for portable runway, road systems.

South African composite and aluminium matting specialist F3 Group is seeking investors to massively scale up production, aiming to grow capacity from its current one million square metres a year to as much as one billion square metres.

Speaking ahead of the AAD 2026 exhibition, founder and CEO Martin van Wyk said demand is already outstripping supply, with the company's operations manager fielding 41 inquiries from potential customers wanting to place orders. F3 will showcase its composite and aluminium runway, taxiway, hangarage and roadway systems at both AAD 2026 and Electra Mining Africa 2026.

Founded 34 years ago, F3 has grown into a global supplier of portable runways, helipads and roadway systems for commercial and military use, with contracts in more than 50 countries — including around 11 in Africa. The company's move into military applications began almost by chance in 1992, when clients needed vehicle access solutions for tough terrain; testing later proved the product could also perform in sub-zero, icy conditions.

Key strengths of F3's matting system include:

• Reusability — panels can be laid, used, and recovered for redeployment elsewhere, or installed long-term
• Durability — the aluminium version lasts decades, while a more affordable composite alternative offers around 40 years of usable life (20 under warranty)
• Strength — the matting withstands up to 310 MPa (about 44,000 psi) and features non-slip traction on both sides
• Low maintenance — occasional high-pressure washing is generally all that's required

Beyond runways and helipads, F3's systems double as portable roads, river-crossing and bridging solutions, and the company has also developed a floating, ballasted platform allowing fixed-wing drones to land on water — a cheaper alternative to helicopter resupply for offshore rigs.

A newly patented panel redesign — increasing density from four to seven panels per square metre — allows more material to be coiled and shipped per container, improving bulk transport efficiency. Van Wyk says the changes came directly from client feedback.

With only two comparable manufacturers worldwide, van Wyk credits F3's edge to reinvesting profits into R&D and capacity rather than pursuing corporate-scale margins — a strategy he says he intends to keep pursuing indefinitely.

Read the full original article at DefenceWeb, written by Armand Liebenberg.