N122-118 TITLE: UV Obscurant Device for Aircraft

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted". The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: Design, develop and demonstrate concepts for a material to be dispersed from an aircraft that acts as an obscurant in the ultraviolet (UV) region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this effort is to design, develop and demonstrate a UV obscuring material that may be dispersed from an aircraft. One concept might include a device that very rapidly generates an extended, dense cloud of material that absorbs in the UV region. Other concepts might include, but are not limited to, quantum dots or metamaterials that absorb in the UV and emit in the mid-IR. Final prototypes should be compatible with existing Navy aircraft expendable dispensing systems.

PHASE I: Identify suitable conceptual materials and demonstrate their ability to obscure in the UV in a laboratory setting. Characterize other attributes of the material such as emission/absorption in other regions of the spectrum (IR, visible) and safety hazards (flammability, toxicity, environmental impact, etc.) Develop plans for integration of material into hardware compatible with the AN/ALE Countermeasure Dispensing System using the MX-12023 magazine for use on Navy aircraft. In Phase I option, downselect most promising candidates for scale-up to perform a functional demonstration.

PHASE II: Develop prototype devices in Navy hardware. Provide prototype devices to Navy for evaluation in a windstream environment. Final deliverable will be prototype devices for flight effectiveness testing.

PHASE III: Develop full-scale manufacturing process for UV obscurant devices. Provide units to the Navy for qualification testing.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various components developed for potential commercial uses in homeland defense applications.

REFERENCES:
1. J.S.Acceta and D.L. Shumaker, "The infrared and electro-optical systems handbook", Volume 7, SPIE Optical Engineering Press, Bellingham, Washington, 1993.

2. Bohren, C.F.; Huffman, D.R. Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles; Wiley-Interscience: New York, 1983.

KEYWORDS: Ultraviolet; Obscurant; Aircraft; Absorption; Expendable; Electromagnetic Spectrum

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between 24 April 2012 through 23 May 2012, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors (TPOC) 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 24 May, 2012, 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 (12.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 12.2 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.