Award Data

This Phase I STTR effort will be focused on fabricating and scientifically characterizing Mo/Re (59 Mo-41 Re), and W-25Re alloys with other alloying additions such as small % of dispersion strengthening materials such as zirconia, hafnia, tungsten carbide, Hafnium (Hf), Zirconium, TaC, Hf-based carbides in select geometrical shapes using UTRON Kinetics''s innovative, and cost-effective Combustion ...

In a conventional phased array radar (PAR), analog beamforming networks reduce the entire array into a few combined beams (e.g., sum beam, difference beams) at X-band. Next generation PAR will use a hybrid approach, forming many subarray beams in analog, and then performing a second-stage of beamforming digitally. In analog beamforming systems, only a few DREX modules are needed for the entire rad ...

Next generation ballistic missile warning, defense and surveillance systems need to anticipate, through modeling and simulation, the background radiation of the battlespace environment, including geometries that intercept the ocean background. This objective requires prior knowledge of the environmental radiance conditions for development of optimal sensors and detection approaches. Much work has ...

The Ballistic Missile Defense System’s (BMDS’s) ability to detect and track enemy missiles against earth terrain backgrounds, including any intervening clouds, requires prior knowledge of the environmental radiance conditions to support the development of optimal sensors and detection approaches. There is a need for an architecture that efficiently and seamlessly unifies terrain and cloud mode ...

We propose to create a discrimination engine for the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) based on the concept of manifold learning algorithms. Manifold learning algorithms have come to prominence within the computer vision community as a type of feature extraction algorithm which does not require specific features to be learned a priori. High dimensional sensor data is input to these algorit ...

We propose novel, more compact and inexpensive active sensors designed to operate interactively with passive IR seekers to provide enhanced performance in a number of important missile defense scenarios. We have identified a new approach to laser radar (ladar) design that exploits emerging monolithic laser concepts to produce a highly integrated, easily manufactured ladar components designed for ...

NanoSonic has developed Shape Memory Metal Rubber™ (SM-MR) skins that exhibit reconfigurable and durable RF properties and can be repeatedly and severely morphed without loss of EMI shielding (-88dB). Recently, it was found that SM-MR exhibits greater gamma ray attenuation relative to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) radiation shielding materials, and does not emit harmful secondary radiation un ...

NanoSonic has developed advanced synergistic morphing-sensing-shielding materials for interceptor kill vehicle structures as key enablers for state-of-the-art ultra Lightweight Kill Vehicle (LKV) ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) interceptors. Next generation Agile KVs, deployable space satellites, adaptive spacecraft, and munitions airframes demand durable lightweight shielding materials t ...

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has identified a need to reduce weight and improve manufacturability to insure cost effectiveness for structural components of its missile interceptors. Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd. (Touchstone) and San Diego Composites (SDC) have teamed to combine their respective tooling and composite materials technologies to achieve this goal. Touchstone has developed a ...

There is a need for a high-resolution two-dimensional focal plane array (FPA) with single photon sensitivity (SPS), pulse amplitude storage, and GHz bit rates that can record both the time (with 10 bits) from multiple returns from a single laser pulse. Such a system has the potential to significantly reduce LADAR size, weight, and power (SWAP) by alleviating the laser requirements. In this program ...