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SBIR-STTR_2016_Year_in_ReviewV6-WEB

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FISCAL YEAR 2015<br />

There are three phases to <strong>SBIR</strong> and <strong>STTR</strong>. The Phase I<br />

contracts are for less than a year of effort. S<strong>in</strong>ce Phase<br />

II contracts are two years long, each year, the Air Force<br />

<strong>SBIR</strong>/<strong>STTR</strong> budget <strong>in</strong>cludes a mix of current and past<br />

Phase II contracts, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g extended Phase II contracts,<br />

as well as the new Phase I awards that are put on<br />

contract.<br />

other federal agencies, or fund<strong>in</strong>g from private sources,<br />

such as major defense contractors. In Fiscal <strong>Year</strong> 2015,<br />

the Air Force obligated $56.5 million <strong>in</strong> fund<strong>in</strong>g to Phase<br />

III contracts.<br />

However, Phase III contracts are not part of the annual<br />

budget s<strong>in</strong>ce, by law, they must be funded with non-<strong>SBIR</strong><br />

dollars. The goal for the Phase III contracts is to f<strong>in</strong>d<br />

external mission dollars, whether from the Air Force or<br />

Success<br />

AIR FORCE RESEARCH YIELDS HAND-HELD CUTTING TORCH<br />

FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES<br />

Special operations forces operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> war-zone<br />

environments are not welcomed with open arms as<br />

adversaries typically deploy a variety of obstacles to keep<br />

them at bay. That led special ops personnel to request a<br />

compact, lightweight, hand-held tool that would allow them<br />

to cut through locks, bars and other barriers<br />

Round Rock, Texas-based Energetic Materials & Products<br />

Inc., also known as EMPI, developed a product to meet that<br />

need.<br />

The Air Force <strong>SBIR</strong>/<strong>STTR</strong> program is provid<strong>in</strong>g transition<br />

fund<strong>in</strong>g that will give special operations forces personnel,<br />

law enforcement and first responders a small, hand-held<br />

thermal erosive cutt<strong>in</strong>g torch, an option to current systems<br />

which require large oxygen tanks, hoses and separate<br />

ignition systems. The program also leverages more than $1<br />

million <strong>in</strong> non-<strong>SBIR</strong> funds, which will help ensure the new<br />

technology successfully transitions <strong>in</strong>to military and private<br />

sectors.<br />

Courtesy photo<br />

WANT THE FULL STORY?<br />

More success stories onl<strong>in</strong>e at afsbirsttr.com<br />

or pick up our 2015 Success Stories book.<br />

14

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