Kinetic Energy Control Technologies for Explosively-dispersed Fragments

ABSTRACT: The US Air Force (AF) is increasingly being required to conduct operations in complex environments with friendly forces or noncombatants in relatively close proximity to targets. Currently there is no single weapon which can offer a satisfactory range of lethal effects on the variety of targets within urban and asymmetric warfare scenarios. To minimize collateral damage the current modus operandi is to carry multiple munition loadouts, or not engage the target until appropriate yield munitions can be brought to the battlefield, or completely forego engaging the target. Our innovation is to leverage Corvid Technologies"patented shock attenuation structural material and computer modeling to design munitions that allow for selectable fragment patterns, reduced collateral effects, and does not leave unexploded high explosive on the battlefield. BENEFIT: The obvious commercialization lies in numerous military applications for the technologies. All forces engage urban targets where the potential for collateral civilian damage is high. Therefore, many platforms across all services could benefit from the small and adaptable selectable effects technology. Given the concept is adaptable to a given platform; Corvid would leverage its expertise in weapons effectiveness analysis to optimize the prototype device for other existing missions and weapon platforms. Licensing the technology to partners such as Textron or Raytheon or other prime weapon developer would be the considered path to full commercialization. The leveraging of porous metal materials for this effort offers an opportunity to gain insight into the structural merits of such non-standard materials. Corvid would gain knowledge in the use of these materials to control explosives and act as weight reducing structural materials. This potentially could open up other dual use applications beyond the select-a-yield applications. Structural reactives and even light weight strong structures can be developed from CDG material originally developed. A letter of support and interest from from a prime weapons developer is included in this proposal.