Advanced Materials and Devices, Inc. teamed with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Program, SP-22 Launcher Branch, for more than two years to develop a next-generation payload lateral support system (LSS) for vertical underwater launched weapons systems, such as the Ohio Class SSGN configuration. The primary objective of the project was to give the Navy the ability to maximize their payload capacity and reduce the time and cost associated with installation and removal. This paper presents the development of a smart material system that increases the capacity to protect payload canisters from underwater shock and vibration events, increases the available volume within a fixed launch tube, and reduces installation and removal times via remote operation. Scaled and full-scale systems with integrated smart material damping capabilities were designed and validated in a laboratory environment, producing a system with a controllable damping force range of 5-20 kips and an actuation force of 20 kips.
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