Abrasion protection, ballistic tolerance, and laser protection for windows/sensor on rotary wing aircraft.

In light of the potential threat and related environmental durability requirements set forth in SOCOM SBIR solicitation #07-007, Exothermics and their Phase 1 program team propose the development and initial testing of a new family of ballistically-efficient, multi-threat, optically-transparent armor laminates for use in applications such as windscreens and sensor windows on special operations helicopters. The armor system we propose for investigation and testing will afford the following types of protection and environmental durability/chemical resistance: (1) ballistically efficient defeat of 7.62x39 PS rounds (with solutions up to 7.62x63 APM2 readily possible; (2) laser wavelength notch filter (short wave pass) protection against Nd: YAG 1.06micron and CO2 10.6micron dazzling and EOCM threats; (3) excellent intrinsic sand erosion characteristics; and, (4) excellent environmental/chemical stability against fluids and chemicals. Our multi-threat armor system will be self-contained, highly producible and cost-effective. The system will consist of a multilayer stack which that be built upon the use of sapphire strikefaces, along with high performance glass, multilayer optical films and polymeric materials. Our team members in Phase 1 will be The Protective Group, Deposition Research Labs, Inc, and St. Gobain Crystals, ensuring that a commercially-viable, rapid transition of this armor technology to SOCOM will be possible.