Rocket Assisted Safe Projectile (RASP)

"The overall objective of the project described in this proposal is to design and develop the technology for a non-lethal munition for area denial to personnel. This projectile delivers relatively the same quantity and quality of force to targets thatrange from just in front of the muzzle of a M203 grenade launcher to a target as far away as 500 meters. This is achieved by a carefully engineered projectile that flies at a nearly constant velocity and then changes its shape just prior to impacting thetarget. This project is also designed to deliver secondary payloads as it performs its primary kinetic impact function. Secondary payloads will include chemical agents that can further incapacitate or maintain the incapacitation of the targetedindividual. The proposed technology is a new application of existing civilian technology and hence can be manufactured at low cost. Eventually, the non-lethal weapon will be deployed from robotic platforms in order to automate the area denial topersonnel mission. The proposed project will demonstrate the feasibility of the solution theoretically through computer modeling and then experimentally by a flight vehicle demonstration that will strike a simulated human target. The technology resultingfrom this project will benefit the US Navy and the US Marine Corps by creating a new tool to enforce area denial to personnel without doing extensive bodily harm of he targeted individual. Spin-offs fro