TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Ground/Sea Vehicles, Weapons

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-201 - Precision Strike Weapons; PMA-259 - Air-to-air Missile System

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop an advanced initiation system that is IM compliant and capable of initiating high performance insensitive energetics which pose a problem for current initiation systems

DESCRIPTION: Current weapon systems must meet Insensitive Munitions (IM) requirements under which weapons are to be immune to external threats in their environments and respond in a benign manner when exposed to these threats. The IM requirements include passing Fragment Impact, Bullet Impact, Slow Cookoff, Fast Cookoff, Shaped Charge Jet and sympathetic detonation tests. This need has been partially met by decreasing the sensitivity of the main charge fill and modifications in the warhead case design resulting in many weapons which are capable of meeting several of these requirements but still few that meet all of the required responses.

A new approach to initiation is needed that does not result in a susceptibility to the above mentioned threats and still meets the affordability and operational energy requirements of conventional weapon systems. Recent studies and technological developments suggest there is an achievable path to achieving full IM compliance without decreasing weapon system performance. The primary challenge for this development will be to use low cost/firing energy components to initiate insensitive explosive fills and maintain immunity to the threats listed above. The secondary challenge of this effort will be to selectively control the initiation system output to modify the performance of the warhead. The developed initiation system should demonstrate a hazard level 1.6 compliance, maintain current weapon system initiation system costs and reduce the cost of meeting IM goals. Additionally, there is a desire for selectivity in the initiation system to enable control of the output characteristics of the warhead.

PHASE I: Model a idealized initiation system and demonstrate components that will achieve the desired characteristics to meet the system needs. Test results combined with modeling efforts shall demonstrate feasibility of operation against a standardized insensitive munitions explosive fill. Exit criteria for successful Phase I completion shall be the demonstration of an initiation system capable of initiating a IM fill and modeling data showing the design does not detonate when impacted by a shaped charge. Companies must be able to demonstrate capabilities to design electrical firing circuits, perform explosive modeling and explosive testing to be considered for this effort.

PHASE II: Mature the Phase I components into a functional system and generate a test system capable of matching the performance modeled. Component and system level testing shall be performed to demonstrate the performance goals are met and to establish performance variations. Design validation hardware and operational test support will be provided to the government for demonstration testing in a weapon application. Detailed test reports showing the performance of the test hardware will be provided along with a final report documenting the effort. Two sets of prototype hardware will be delivered at the end of the effort to support phase three transition efforts.

PHASE III: Coordinate the transition of developed technologies with PEO-W, PMA201 and PMA259 to meet the specific program needs. Integrate the technology into the existing safety system and associated warhead to minimize the development cost and program risk.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Use of this technology in the private sector will be limited to homeland defense where safety critical applications will benefit from implementation. Potential applications in demolition and mining industry will be investigated for application of a reduced performance design.

REFERENCES:
1. NAVSEA INSTRUCTION 8020.5C

2. MIL-STD-1316, Fuze Design, Safety Criteria for

3. MIL-STD-2105C, Hazard Assessment Tests for Non-Nuclear Munitions

4. MIL-DTL-23659, Initiators, Electric, General Design Specification for

5. MIL-STD-1751A, Safety and Performance Tests for the Qualification of Explosives (High Explosvie, Propellants and Pyrotechnics)

6. NAVSEAINST 8020.8C

7. NAVSEA OD 30393

8. MIL-HDBK-1512 (USAF), Electroexplosive Subsystems, Electrically Initiated, Design Requirements and Test Methods

9. MIL-STD-1576(USAF), Electroexploissve Subsytem Safety Requirements and Test Methods for Space Systems

KEYWORDS: Insensitive; Munitions; Initiation; System; Detonation; Warhead; Ordnance

TPOC: (760)939-7762
2nd TPOC: (760)939-7729

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 13 and December 9, 2007, you may talk directly with the Topic Author(s) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 10, 2007, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (08.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 08.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.