Advanced Materials for Weapon Systems

Advanced Materials for Weapon Systems under the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation budget activity, aims to develop and demonstrate advanced materials and process technologies to meet Department of the Air Force requirements in areas such as survivability, readiness, affordability, and new processes and materials. The program focuses on enhancing protection for Air Force personnel and systems in threat environments through the development of advanced materials technologies. This includes efforts to harden sensors, avionics, and components to increase survivability and mission effectiveness of Air Force systems, as well as developing materials technologies to protect against nuclear flash blindness.

Additionally, the program includes projects such as Laser Hardened Materials (Project 632100) and Non-Destructive Inspection Development (Project 633153). The former aims to enhance protection for Air Force personnel and systems by developing laser protection materials and technologies for personnel protection, while the latter focuses on developing advanced nondestructive inspection and evaluation technologies to monitor performance integrity and detect failure causing conditions in weapon systems components and materials. These efforts are crucial in ensuring the reliability, cost-effectiveness, and safety of Air Force systems at field and depot maintenance levels.