Advanced Combatant Craft for Increased Affordability and Mission Performance Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-049 Topic Title: Advanced Combatant Craft for Increased Affordability and Mission Performance Proposal No.: N091-049-1182 Firm: KaZaK Composites Incorporated 10F GIll Street Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 Contact: Mike McAleenan Phone: (207) 351-2568 Web Site: kazakcomposites.com Abstract: KaZaK Composites and our subcontractor team propose to develop and demonstrate composite material, configuration and automated manufacturing method combinations selected to optimize advanced hull systems for next-generation Riverine high speed craft, improving on current structural strength, stiffness, impact, weight and cost baselines. This proposal addresses technology development complementing and extending KaZaK's current hull and deckhouse-focused Navy Phase II SBIR programs, specifically leveraging our current activities to maximize benefits for new surface vessel optimization while minimizing development cost and risk. Material systems in our proposed Phase I studys will focus on impact-resistant high speed requirements, new structural concepts, and alternate support structure. During Phase I, low-cost, light-weight, high-stiffness composite components will designed and validated via finite element analysis, emphasizing material selection for low cost, high quality manufacturing automation via pultrusion. KaZaK's designs will include features that permit easily-alterable field customization of ship systems to include modular armor for rapidly tailoring performance to match changing mission needs. If awarded a Phase II, our team (including Naval architects and builders) will work to apply Phase I materials, configurations and automated manufacturing technology to the fabrication of full scale hardware for a prototype next generation Riverine vessel. Benefits: The proposed program will demonstrate the use of new materials and low-cost, high- quality manufacturing systems as a viable alternative to traditional boat building techniques. In addition to obvious benefits to the military, these innovative lightweight and low-cost composite material systems have excellent impact resistance, reducing maintenance cost. As the use of composites increases in construction, aero and marine industries processes that permit low cost manufacturing and significantly reduced composite structure maintenance labor have the capability of meeting strict cost and weight reduction requirements by the Navy. This ability to fabricate and assemble low- cost composite structures has the potential to provide Naval and commercial high speed vessels better performance, less maintenance and significantly reduced lifecycle costs. Similar technology can be applied to a wide range of vessels, piers, trucks, ramps and/or any structure whose design involves high impact loads. Return