On April 2nd 1998 the announcement was made by the Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on BBC Television of the award to ABS by the Design Council of the British Government, pronouncing the ABS Hovercraft as a Millennium Product.

The ABS M10 Hovercraft fulfills the criteria of the Council in all respects by:

• advancing new and/or existing technologies
• challenging existing conventions
• being environmentally responsible
• solving key problems
• showing clear user benefits.