Long Rod Delivery System

SBIR topic DAF27BZ01-NV004 (U.S. Department of Defense – Air Force), Phase I and II. Open to U.S. small businesses. Opens: October 28, 2026. Closes: November 25, 2026. The lack of a non-destructive, high-precision launching method for high length-to-diameter (L/D) projectiles fundamentally degrades the fidelity of Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) data. For the Air Force, this deficiency directly compromises the development of penetrating munitions, degrades the survivability assessments of aerospace platforms, and introduces significant acquisition risks due to flawed test data and increased testing costs. Currently, there is not means of reliably controlling or manipulating the flight of a long rod projectile such that it consistently reaches a target location at a specific orientation. Providing means of accomplishing this feat advances DoW test capabilities for critical data underpinning analytical vulnerability assessments and engineering designs improving the survivability posture of current and next generation combat aircraft. Official solicitation: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/