Success Story: GE to Provide the Navy Critical Hypersonic Manufacturing Technology

General Electric has been awarded the Classified Test Material for Hypersonics (CTMH) opportunity in the amount of $7.9 million to provide the Department of the Navy (DoN) a prototype that fabricates three articles (two unclassified and one classified) using Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI) Carbon/Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) densification of carbon fiber preforms. This opportunity was awarded within 120 days of release, through the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA), managed by National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL).

The purpose of this opportunity is to advance the domestic manufacturing readiness of support of hypersonic missile development as the DoN amplifies its position within the hypersonic missile domain. Current hypersonic systems require both classified and unclassified test articles for Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) and design advancement of an aeroshell fabricated from Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI) Carbon/Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) material.

Improved technology readiness levels are needed by end of 2023 and the improvements resulting from CTMH can be designed into future systems, assisting the Department of Defense’s (DoD) wider encompassing goal of improving and upgrading its domestic manufacturing capabilities.

“The benefits of this opportunity are two-fold,” stated S²MARTS Director Doug Crowe, “CTMH will help advance our nation’s hypersonic fleet as well as promote manufacturing within the U.S., both vital to national security efforts.”

The CTMH Other Transaction (OT) prototype project lifetime from release to execution is anticipated to be within a 30-month period of performance.

About S²MARTS

Managed by the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) is the premier rapid OT contracting vehicle for the Department of Defense (DoD) in trusted microelectronics, strategic & spectrum mission, 5G, hypersonics,  and other critical mission areas.