Advanced Combatant Craft for Increased Affordability and Mission Performance

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.