The primary technical goal of the Composites Processing and Fabrication thrust is to maximize weapon system effectiveness through the increased utilization of composite materials and structures by reducing acquisition as well as life cycle costs, improving reliability and demonstrating performance improvements. This will be achieved through the development and maturation of affordable, robust manufacturing and assembly processes for composite structures. Payoffs Composite materials and structures impact virtually every current and new DoD weapon system. They provide critical performance enhancements which enable the DoD to field superior weapon systems. Composites are used in a wide spectrum of structures including aircraft, missiles, space systems, land vehicles, ships, submarines, and multiple subsystems.
Composite structures have the proven capability to enhance weapon system effectiveness.
Strong, light-weight structures improve range, speed, payload capability, and maneuverability. Composite structures are fatigue and corrosion resistant facilitating increased durability and mission readiness. The benefits of these initiatives may be applicability to a wide variety of DoD systems including other fighter systems, large aircraft, space systems, launch systems, marine systems, unmanned air vehicles, missiles, ground vehicles and helicopters. Specific advancements in composite manufacturing technologies will provide up to an 80 percent acquisition cost avoidance for the JSF canopy by validation of the frameless transparency concept by the year 2000. This will allow for a 20 percent weight reduction and an 85 percent reduction in change-out time.