Reusable Illumination System

SBIR topic DAF27BZ01-DV007 (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 PF300 flash bulbs, that provide high-intensity illumination for high-speed video acquisition, are no longer in production. The objective is to award a contract to a small business to engineer, design, and manufacture a modern, robust, reusable replacement for the legacy PF300 flash bulb. This new system must meet or surpass the existing illumination and performance requirements of the original flash bulbs to ensure seamless integration with current high-speed video systems. The ideal solution would leverage Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) or near-COTS technologies to qualify this project as a direct-to-Phase-II effort. A successful reusable replacement would immediately solve the impending obsolescence issue, securing a reliable illumination source for future missions. Furthermore, transitioning to a reusable system would dramatically reduce consumable cost. This technological update could also pave the way for enhanced capabilities, such as adjustable light intensity and longer duration illumination, offering greater flexibility and improved data quality for high-speed video analysis across various applications Official solicitation: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/