TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes, Weapons

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: INP Electromagnetic Railgun

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: The objective of this effort is the development of an efficient, high-rate, low-cost manufacturing process to produce high density fragments of various geometries and compositions which meet lethality requirements.

DESCRIPTION: The US Navy's Electromagnetic Railgun program plans to launch projectiles containing sub-projectiles of high-density material. The geometry and composition of the sub-projectiles is subject to change based on mission requirements. Sub-projectiles of simple shape (spheres, cubes, rods) can easily be produced with current manufacturing technology; if intricate geometries are required, detailed and expensive manufacturing processes would currently be required for production. These processes are inherently expensive and increase the per copy cost of each EMRG projectile. In order to minimize the costs of the sub-projectiles, the Navy requires an innovative, high-rate, low-cost manufacturing process to create sub-projectiles of various geometries and compositions. To illustrate current manufacturing processes, examine the production of flechettes that have been used as sub-projectiles in many previous weapons systems.

Historically, the manufacture of flechettes has consisted of many individual process steps. First, the shaft of the flechette is cut to length (much like how modern nails are produced), the nose is then formed on the shaft. The fins are stamped or formed and then attached to the shaft of the flechette. Throughout this entire process, exacting tolerances must be held in order to prevent aerodynamic instability of the flechettes during flight. Recent inventions have addressed the low cost production of flechette sub-projectiles, but do not offer the option of producing sub-projectiles of other shapes.

Producing the proper shape while necessary is not by itself sufficient to meet the Navy�s requirement. Sub-projectiles must also satisfy the EMRG lethality requirements.

The Navy desires an innovative manufacturing approach to solve this issue. Not only should the solution be able to produce varying sub-projectile geometries, it should also be able to be applied to different material compositions, including heavy tungsten alloys and high strength steel alloys.

PHASE I: During Phase I, the contractor will be expected to provide a feasibility report explaining the proposed solution. As part of this report, the contractor should explain how their manufacturing process works, what different materials can be utilized by their process, and if their process is capable of creating complex geometries. A demonstration of this process is desired by supplying a sample flechette.

PHASE II: During Phase II, the contractor will further refine the manufacturing process to reduce cost to a level consistent with other high density fragments. In addition a limited number of sub-projectiles will be manufactured which can be subjected to lethality testing to ensure sub-projectiles fulfill mission requirements. The production process should show traceability to a full rate production process.

PHASE III: Pending successful completion of lethality testing, Phase III efforts will focus on developing the necessary hardware to begin full-scale production and incorporation into the EMRG projectile. This can be achieved through partnerships or licensing with other commercial entities.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Various industries could benefit from this technology: mining, automotive, industrial, athletic equipment. While these industries may not have applications that directly map to those of this specific topic application, the ability to mass-produce complex geometry parts without expensive processing can be applied across a wide range of applications.

REFERENCES:
1. Cannon, Kenneth F, et. al, " Demonstration of the Feasibility of a Hypervelocity Cluster Warhead", Naval Ordnance Lab White Oak, MD, 1964

2. United States Patent 3695310, "Flechette Manufacturing Machine", 1972.

3. United States Patent 7383760, "Bandoliered Flechettes and a method for manufacturing bandoliered flechettes.", 2008.

KEYWORDS: Manufacturing; high-density; hypervelocity; flechette; sub-munition; tungsten

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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