AQWEST, LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N183-139

AQWEST, LLC — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Defense.

Amount
$124,959
Agency
Department of Defense · Navy
Program / Phase
SBIR · Phase I
Topic
N183-139
Solicitation
18.3
NAICS
Place of performance
CO
Period
2019-04-03 → 2020-02-03

Description

The USMC is seeking an innovative solution to develop a Scalable Compact Ultra-short Pulse Laser Systems (SCUPLS) weapon system comprising two USPLs: 1) femtosecond (fs) USPL that can initiate the Plasma (igniter laser), and 2) nanosecond USPL to flash heat the ignited plasma to create enhanced non-lethal effects such as flash bang effects, thermal ablation for pain, and delivery of intelligible voice commands at range. The required USPL systems are not available commercially. Aqwest proposes to develop a lightweight and energy efficient next-generation Ultra-Short Pulse Laser (USPL) system that can produce sustainable and controllable plasma at range capable of inducing a full spectrum of scalable non-lethal effects. Progress on the project will be accelerated by adapting USPL concepts, designs and hardware developed by Aqwest for the US Army, US Navy, and the US Department of Energy (DOE). We offer to utilize our extensive results and capabilities to accelerate SCUPLS development while reducing the cost and risk. Our hardware already has a significant level of integration, which allows for expedited transition to field testing.