HARKIND DYNAMICS LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N183-140

Description

Conducted Energy Weapons, like the TASER X-26, currently have insufficient effective operational range and duration of incapacitation effect to meet Warfighter needs. These limitations unnecessarily put Warfighters in close proximity to potentially dangerous persons and limit the time the Warfighter has to safely neutralize the threat. We are proposing a fuzed, extended range, long-duration, human electro-muscular incapacitation (HEMI) munition which can be deployed from a 12 gauge small-arms weapon in the DOD inventory. A 12-gauge munition will have improved aerodynamic stability, flatter trajectory, and better accuracy than larger munitions, such as 40 millimeter. Additionally, higher muzzle velocities can be used, thereby increasing effective range, by employing an electrode propulsion system to propel the electrodes forward of the munition towards the target, while simultaneously reducing munition velocity prior to impact, aiding in reduction of blunt impact injury. Blunt impact injury is further reduced through utilization of a deformable nose, whose material properties are tailored to the application. Recent developments in small-scale, high voltage, solid state devices make packaging of a high voltage pulse forming network into a 12-gauge form-factor feasible. Utilizing nanosecond electrical pulses further improves this capability by requiring reduced charge delivery to the target, as compared to TASER CEW's.