Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: To address the Armys need for small-caliber tracer ammunitions that is dim and visible onl

Description

To address the Armys need for small-caliber tracer ammunitions that is dim and visible only to the shooter and friendly forces, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to advance the development of the novel Rearward Emitting Tracer Ammunition (RETA) proven feasible in Phase I. RETAs innovative design integrates mature materials and fabrication processes with POC-developed and COTS components. In Phase I, POC designed, fabricated, and tested RETA prototypes that produced visible light and near-infrared without causing bloom effect to night-vision goggles/devices. The demonstrated prototypes eject no combusting material and are only perceptible to the shooter and friendly forces near the shooter while maintaining imperceptibility to foes. The prototypes mass remained unchanged throughout the combustion process, unaffecting their lethality and range. The inert nature of the material in RETA allows it to have a long shelf life with reliable performance. These results led to a preliminary producibility analysis that strengthens the manufacturability of RETA. In Phase II, POC will optimize the fabrication process and fabricate complete live RETA rounds to demonstrate their capability in military weapons of 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and .50 cal. and to test their capability of integrating and operating within Army operational architecture.