Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N202-113

Description

To address the Navy’s need for an innovative, automated, low-cost mid-body range safety subsystem (MRSS) to meet range safety and platform engineering requirements for flight testing of the Tomahawk Weapons System launched from designated surface ships, submarines, and mobile ground launchers, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a Miniaturized, Inexpensive, Automated Mid-body Range Safety Subsystem (METISS). The METISS antenna is based on a nonplanar multiband design and radio frequency (RF) front-end, digital back-end electronics utilizing a novel RF design with state-of-the-art commercial off-the-shelf components. Specifically, the innovative combination of the antenna design, antenna material, and modular RF front-end design will offer a low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) system that can provide telemetry, tracking, and flight override/flight terminate functions. Phase I will focus on the design, development, and feasibility demonstration of METISS. POC will conduct a trade study on performance vs. SWaP-C, including thermal and mechanical analysis. POC will develop a limited-scale benchtop prototype to show proof of concept, reaching technology readiness level (TRL)-3. In Phase II, we will leverage the Phase I efforts to develop a field-ready METISS prototype at TRL-5/-6.