Anti-Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Technologies Navy SBIR FY2004.2 - Quick Response Topics Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2004.2 Topic No.: N04-902 Topic Title: Anti-Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Technologies Proposal No.: N042-902-0777 Firm: American Telenetics Company, LLC 1720 South Amphlett Blvd Suite 220A San Mateo, California 94402-2713 Contact: William Cesarotti Phone: (734) 769-1461 Abstract: Since the Vietnam War, military forces of the United States have had to contend with a highly effective and lethal weapon originally developed by the Russians as a shoulder-mounted rocket propelled grenade designated the RPG-7. The weapon was licensed for manufacture to allies and clients of the Soviet Union. Subsequently, the RPG-7 became the weapon of choice by insurgents and terrorists around the world. A family of warheads now exists to engage a variety of targets. Few countermeasures have met with success. One method that achieved some success in Vietnam was placing metal mesh fencing as a skirt around U.S. military vehicles to intercept incoming RPGs providing stand-off detonation or causing the grenade's metal ogive to bend contacting the warhead's inner cone, shorting the arming signal and causing the grenade to dud. The active defense system proposed borrows conceptually from that countermeasure. Following launch detection, the approach is to intercept the RPG with a net mounted on an umbrella-like frame fired from a canister on the vehicle. The objective of the net is to ensnare the RPG's fins, disrupting their flight stabilizing effect and deflecting the RPG's trajectory, turning its shaped charge away from the target. Benefits: Beyond the immediate operational and life saving benefits to US military personnel, the proposed concept would provide an effective long-term defensive tactic against one of the most highly effective and lethal weapons in today's terrorist arsenals. Negating this threat would significantly diminish the ability of terrorists and insurgent forces to attack mounted US military forces threatening both tooth and tail operations. As the RPG Protection System (RPG-P) is designed for protection mostly of land vehicles in the battlefield and troublesome regions, the Marine Corps and the Army will be the predominant customers, where their military and peacekeeping missions will benefit from the protection accorded them by the RPG-P. Return