The Army is searching for small businesses to help develop and apply low-cost coating technologies to protect U.S. aircraft from high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapon systems. Directed energy weapons take out targets using highly concentrated electromagnetic energy. The Defense Department has invested billions in directed energy research and development since the 1960s, and in the last decade has started deploying such weapons that can disable adversary electronics using non-kinetic means and harm human or physical objects from long distances. Through a newly opened small business innovation research (SBIR) opportunity, the Army wants to produce “specific items for any U.S. weapon system, or systems, to improve the survivability characteristics of aircraft, [and] to provide protection and maintain established performance capabilities when attacked by” directed energy weapons, ultimately minimizing any major electronic warfare-caused impacts on flying military vehicles down the line. Proposals from interested vendors must be submitted by June 15. (Source: Fedscoop 05/31/22) Army moves to innovate how it shields aircraft from directed energy weapons (fedscoop.com)
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