Advanced Liquid Hydrogen Storage and Employment Methodologies for Unmanned Aerial Systems
STTR Opportunity Analysis
The U.S. Navy is seeking STTR proposals for advanced cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage and delivery methods for unmanned aerial systems to improve endurance, range, and continuous payload power for Navy and Marine Corps UAS. The work calls for a holistic storage and delivery solution, including a reusable storage vessel, gaseous hydrogen delivery system, and defined liquid hydrogen filling procedure, with Phase I centered on design and modeling and Phase II on prototype development and bench testing. Key requirements include integration across Group 2 to Group 5 UAS, gravimetric hydrogen storage efficiency of at least 40%, volumetric storage density above 40 g/L, boil-off below 10% mass per day, more than 100 fill cycles, and compliance with safety and environmental requirements including MIL-STD-810H. The opportunity is DON26TZ01-NV003 and is open with applications due June 3, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC.