Survivable & Affordable Lens Technology (SALT)

Name: Survivable & Affordable Lens Technology (SALT)
Creator: Department of Defense
Published: 2026-07-01T12:02:22.94972+00:00
Keywords: SBIR

Department of DefenseOSD

AI Overview

This RFP seeks development of affordable infrared lens technology using salt-based optical materials to reduce thermal camera costs for unmanned drone systems. The challenge is engineering moisture-resistant coatings for these naturally hygroscopic materials to enable field deployment while maintaining cost advantages over traditional military infrared optics.

This summary is AI-generated from the official solicitation.

Key Details

Agency

Department of Defense

Funding Amount

—

Release Date

July 1, 2026

Due Date

August 19, 2026 (Closed)

Official Description

Modern warfare has increased the demand for low-cost, attritable unmanned drone vehicles. Examples of such platforms used worldwide are the Shahed 136 and the LUCAS. Thermal cameras give these platforms the ability to operate at night and under adverse weather conditions. Uncooled thermal infrared focal plane detectors, operating in the 7.5 - 12.0 micron spectrum, are often the most cost effective for this purpose. Each camera requires a lens to focus the radiation from the scene onto the detect...

View on official source

Change History

Status ChangedAug 19, 2026 at 4:01 PM