SBIR-STTR Award

Missile launcher armor is needed to protect propellants from unintended ignition when struck by ballistic projectiles and fragments. Allowing fragments to penetrate the armor at low speed limits the chance of ignition while lightening the armor. The closely-spaced shot pattern and thickness and weight limits still make a significant design challenge. Safe has selected materials suitable for the threat, which are the highest-performing ballistic materials that can be commercialized in the ground vehicle market. The approach eschews simulation and moves directly to testing to demonstrate feasibility. Tests are framed within a Design of Experiments approach that develops a design equation from test data on coupons built at potential design points, to assure that the lightest possible design is found that meets all requirements. The project team includes engineers with extensive experience designing and producing armor. The commercialization plan relies on the relatively low cost of the materials to foster widespread market penetration, and includes a potential strategic partner for high rate manufacturing or surge demand. The combination of a statistically based design approach, thoughtful material selection, experienced team, and solid commercialization plan assure the best possible chance to solve this problem and commercialize the resulting product.

Rocket motor propellant could react violently when struck by bullets or fragments of exploding weapons. Currently-available armor designs completely prevent threat penetration but are about four times too heavy; their installation on a mobile missile launcher would make the vehicle unable to conduct its mission. The armor design can be made lighter if fragments can penetrate and strike the motor with residual energy low enough to cause only a burning reaction. This least-violent of reaction outcomes would be acceptable for meeting Insensitive Munitions requirements. Safe, Inc. (Safe) developed such a lightweight armor design in Phase I and completed an initial round of tests that showed enough promise to warrant further development. For Phase II, Safe is proposing to refine the design through modeling and simulation, another round of laboratory ballistic testing, and a full scale demonstration. Safe has assembled a team with the necessary skills and experience to successfully complete the proposed work. The commercialization strategy positions the armor technology for ready transition into field service.