Additively Manufactured Hybrid Windshields with Thermal Protection for Lightweight, Multifunctional, Hyper Velocity Projectiles

One key concern of the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) is the security component of the “Asia-Pacific Rebalance” where the Chinese anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) policy threatens regional security. In response to A2/AD our forces in the Pacific require more affordable and rapidly deployable alternatives to costly missile defense such as large caliber projectiles for Navy electromagnetic railgun and powder guns. Likewise, the Army uses large caliber cannons to launch projectiles (Abrams Main Battle Tank, MBT, 120mm; Stryker Mobile Gun System, 105mm, Howitzers – M777, M198, M109, 155mm) with a variety of nose-tips (windshields). Light-weighted materials can provide additional velocity for these large caliber gun munitions and for the future Hyper Velocity Projectile (HVP). The Goodman Technologies Small Business and DoD UARC Team, supported by System Prime contractor Lockheed Martin, will use 3D printing and additive manufacturing to rapidly and affordably produce novel, multifunctional high-density nose-tips (windshields) with lightweight nanocomposite nose-bodies to make hybrid windshields which are resilient to the high pressures (100,000 psi) and accelerations (50,000 g) of gun launch. Our novel thermal protection system will allow a Mach number >7 for these hybrid, multifunctional hyper velocity projectile components. We will deliver prototype waveshields to SCO in Phase I.