Millimeter Wave Hand Held Concealed Object Imager

Not Available Netting is presently used on U.S. Navy ships to provide fall protection for landing/maintenance crews. This netting in past years was fabricated using metallic cord and at present is constructed from nylon braid. The metal nets were quite durable, but added to the ship radar cross-section and were heavy. Presently used nylon is lightweight and has no radar signature, but must be replaced every 12 to 18 months due to UV degradation and abrasion. Foster-Miller proposes to use Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) fiber technology to address the Navy's need for an advanced deck-edge safety net with a 5+ year life-cycle. In Phase I lightweight LCP cords will be developed and tested for their ability to withstand harsh marine environments and loading conditions. The use of fiber infiltration/coating processes combined with braided sleeves will be used to provide two levels of protection against UV degradation and abrasive wear. Furthermore, the outstanding strength and inherent non-flammability of LCP cords will enhance it applicability for use as a safety net. In Phase II the successful technology identified and developed in Phase I will be refined/optimized, and integrated into our teaming partners netting production facilities for fabrication into pre-production LCP netting suitable for shipboard testing.