DON26TZ01-NV017 TITLE: High Energy Laser Optically Rugged Maritime Beam Director Components & Subassemblies
OUSW (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE)
COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA(S): Advanced Materials;Directed Energy (DE);Microelectronics
PROJECTED CMMC LEVEL REQUIREMENT: Level 2 (Self)
OBJECTIVE: Develop new, innovative processes and methods of reproduction, and deliver prototypical end item high precision optics suitable for use with high energy lasers in beam directors - as scalable components and/or subassemblies, through automated and additive manufacturing techniques for structures, optics, and mirrors (flat and parabolic) - including any required finishing processes, (e.g., coating and polishing processes) to develop, document, achieve and demonstrate "end item" durable, rugged, reliable, tested components and/or products.
DESCRIPTION: Highly precise, small to large diameter (10 to 50 to 100cm) high energy laser optics and mirrors have very long lead times often exceeding individual fiscal year funding, and experience a high rejection rate due to complex, multi-step processing between multiple dislocated facilities. Resulting optics have high defect rates and low ruggedness requiring depot supplies of spares and replacements, creating logistical shortages and non-availabilities which impact readiness and capacity.
Creating multiple kinds of components for a notional or specific beam director that offers a series of developmental components and elements toward a finalized ruggedized beam director, suitable for at-sea deployment for up to ten years without maintenance is the objective. Threshold shall be the development of an optic that provides initial research and development value that can be tested in multiple laser inducted damage tests (LiDT). Examination of capabilities for scale, with optics from 10cm to 50cm or 100cm diameters, is expected.
Specifically, there is a very high interest in creating components from bulk materials with finished or near finish high quality optical surfaces and properties, transmissive or reflective, at a greatly reduced cost compared to traditional optical components (e.g., an optical transformation lens, a simple transmissive optic, or a fast steering mirror) utilizing "on-demand" adaptive, additive 3-D printing, etching, and highly automated finishing techniques. High interest exist in optical elements from 40 to 50 centimeters in diameter (e.g., ceramic, metal or other optical materials), small lightweight optics (e.g., from plastics or ceramics), and items that are completed to form a fully finished component through "no touch" human intervention processes or via fully automated decision-based manufacturing and processing (e.g., including finished robust optical coatings suitable for sea water based atmospheric exposure – such as fog or sea water splash contamination).
The Navy seeks a capability to create custom optical components, potentially including required integrated subassemblies, from processes that result in highly precise end item optics for high energy laser beam directors and laser weapons systems, either as components, replacements and/or subassemblies, through automated and additive manufacturing techniques for structures, optics, mirrors both shorten timelines for availability, and also enable innovative laser architectures - including or beyond current state-of-the-art modular architecture designs. Especially those where limited lifetimes due to environmental exposure require unique materials and innovative generational designs that change based on emergent requirements and increased commercial capacity. These can potentially open new avenues that enable new, innovative laser architectures - including capabilities or beyond current state of the art modular architecture designs, such as "ball on gimbal", heliostats and celiostats – but the focus is on the processes and means to scale component designs, rapidly prototype multiple initial designs, and then move to quickly produce production grade high quality optics for initial use or as replacement utility spares. Preference shall be given for use of existing, commercially available materials, starting feed stock, or machine tooling. Similarly, preference shall be given for use of existing or modified "open system, open software" code and manufacturing methods.
The Navy has special interest in those components where limited lifetimes are expected (e.g., exit apertures, rotating or moving optics) due to environmental exposure and require unique materials (e.g., hard coatings for dust resistance, hydrophobic water shedding or chemical resistance) and innovative designs (e.g., flexible substrates) that can adapt, be replaced quickly, or change based on when emergent requirements and increased commercial capacity are noted.
Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and ONR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
PHASE I: Demonstrate at small scale (threshold: 10-15cm, objective: > 25cm) ability to create, finish, produce and replicate a single custom highly precise optical component design or integrated subassembly from a proposed set of processes - that results in highly precise end item optic, that can be tested in a standardized high energy laser induced damage test (LIDT). The design should include characteristics that show the resulting optical component can serve in the development of a full-scale beam director for a high energy laser weapons system at scale (small [10cm] or large [50cm]) using a surrogate commercial laser of no less than 1 kilowatt (kW). The final Phase I test shall enable proof in the applicability of additive or subtractive machined optical components, using highly automated processes toward meeting replacements for components and/or subassemblies. Included in the proof shall be demonstration of the ability to incorporate a fully automated manufacturing technique for assembling structures, optics, and/or mirrors that both shorten timelines for availability, or potentially enable innovative laser architectures for an individual component or subsystem. As an objective, one specific optical design that utilizes or extends an existing/anticipated high energy laser beam director (e.g., the planned DOW Joint Beam Control System (JCBS) or other service lightweight beam director) availability or functionality beyond current state of the art is expected.
PHASE II: Demonstrate at larger scales [30 to 50cm (threshold) to 100cm (objective)] of custom optical components or integrated subassemblies developed from the Phase I design concepts that will support a proposed DOW service led high energy laser beam director effort. Include development of all required mechanical and electronic control considerations for a full scale beam director use of the developed component or subsystem, suitable for a prototypical level integration effort within a high energy laser weapons system using a surrogate commercial laser of no less than 10 kW (Threshold) to 50 kW (Objective), showing applicability of additive or subtractive machined components, using only highly automated processes toward meeting replacements for components and/or subassemblies. Complete one specific optical component design that replaces or extends a high energy laser beam director functionality beyond the current state of the art in modular architecture and manufacturable designs by identifying an accurate unit price or cost estimate against documented and identified performance requirements. Identify potential means where limited lifetimes due to environmental exposure can be monitored and rapidly replaced through the use of unique materials and innovative generational designs that offer changes based on emergent requirements and increased commercial capacity with an objective being to demonstrate a simulated component failure and manufacture a complete replacement optic or component within 1 month.
It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II (see the Description section for details).
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support transition for Navy use.
The processes and components developed shall transition directly into the DOW development of high energy laser weapons systems, including spares.
Additional commercial products may include sensing and measurements systems that require a rugged, highly accurate optical element for video or still imagery. In particular, multiple service high energy laser beam directors are under development. This also includes potential for near term transition, including but not limited to high energy laser precision optics for LADAR systems; optics that could transition into the Golden Dome 4 America missile defense initiative for a potential directed energy weapon based on high energy lasers; or for a high power optical sensing and tracking capability.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: laser; optics; additive manufacturing; directed energy; weapons; beam director
TPOC 1
Peter Morrison
peter.a.morrison.civ@us.navy.milTPOC 2
Teresa Berra
teresa.a.berra.civ@us.navy.mil
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoW FY-26 Release 1 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoW Topic website at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/solicitation-documents/active-solicitations for any updates. The DoW issued its Navy FY-26 Release 1 SBIR Topics pre-release on April 13, 2026 which opens to receive proposals on May 6, 2026, and closes June 3, 2026 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (April 13, through May 5, 2026) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. The TPOC contact information is listed in each topic description. Once DoW begins accepting proposals on May 6, 2026 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. DoD On-line Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until May 20, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through the DoW On-line Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login/ by logging in and following instructions. In the Topic Q&A system, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing. DoW Topics Search Tool: Visit the DoW Topic Search Tool at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ to find topics by keyword across all DoW Components participating in this BAA.
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