The Department of Defense, specifically the United States Air Force, is seeking proposals for the development of a low-cost counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) rocket range and lethality enhancements under the SBIR program. The objective is to create a 70mm rocket system that demonstrates improved performance against UAS swarms, utilizing modular components to achieve significant cost and capability improvements, with a target production cost of less than $60,000. This initiative is critical as it addresses the need for effective and affordable munitions to counter emerging aerial threats, with potential applications across multiple military branches. Interested applicants must submit their proposals by November 6, 2024, and can find more information on the solicitation through the provided link.

## Description

Expensive US weapons systems are being used against low-cost UAS swarms. It is necessary to develop lower-cost munitions by using highly producible modular components and extending the system-level capability to counter next-generation threats.Low-cost munitions like the 2.75&rdquo; laser-guided APKWS can effectively defeat UAS and can be easily modified to include new warhead designs, new rocket motor designs, or other modular system-level changes. Different concepts of interest may include nose-mounted and mid-body warheads, highly loaded grain or ramjet motors, improved motor burn designs to optimally tailor temporal thrust profile, or other design modifications to produce a significant benefit when considered at the rocket system-level. Although counter-UAS is a primary focus for this topic, concepts which improve capability against other emerging threats of interest will be given additional consideration. Concepts should include evidence of significant improvement compared to a baseline rocket system, such as a % warhead size reduction at similar lethality, or a % improved range with no change in length. System-level cost targets should remain &lt; $60,000 in full rate production. 

## Objective

Develop and demonstrate a low-cost system range and lethality enhancement for a 70mm rocket, demonstrating an increased C-UAS swarm capability with respect to baseline APKWS performance

## Phase I

As this is a Direct-to-Phase-II (D2P2) topic, no Phase I awards will be made as a result of this topic. To qualify for this D2P2 topic, the Air Force expects the applicant(s) to demonstrate feasibility by means of a prior &ldquo;Phase I-type&rdquo; effort that does not constitute work undertaken as part of a prior or ongoing SBIR/STTR funding agreement. Demonstrated feasibility should include work and results in the following areas: Phase I efforts should show the feasibility of the solution. Rocket range and lethality performance versus C-UAS targets and other aerial threats should be modelled and simulated. This effort must account for producibility factors including manufacturing, cost, and timeline to allow short term transition of the developed technology. Hardware and/or software will undergo early laboratory or field tests to demonstrate C-UAS capability. 

## Phase II

Phase II efforts should include a manufacturable and fieldable design enabled through significant integration work. This proposed technology should be demonstrated at a TRL 6 capability. The delivered hardware should integrate with the fieldable interceptor solution. The weapon&rsquo;s performance, evaluated and compared to other solutions at the system and subsystem level, will determine whether a Phase III is appropriate.

## Phase III: Dual Use Applications

Phase III will range from prototype testing and qualification to possible transition to a program of record. Must be able to support producing quantities in the 100-1000s. PEO Customers include AFLCMC/EB, Army PEO M&amp;S TAGM, Navy PMA-242, and SOCOM. Due to broad tri-service interest in the C-UAS capability, it is expected that rapid fielding/production will begin in large quantities of multiple thousands if specification goals and met and proven in flight testing.

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