Part of the DoW SBIR/STTR FY27 Release 2 topic list. Browse all 83 topics by industry or service.
Topic DAF27BZ02-NV015 from the DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
The Department of the Air Force wants models that predict how thermal, temporal, chemical, and geometric changes affect solid rocket motor propellant over time, integrated into motor design tools as a propellant aging digital twin. The topic describes a Phase I that defines a degradation mechanism and a digital engineering plan, followed by a Phase II model build-out. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DAF27BZ02-NV015
- Official title: Solid Propellant Environmental Effects Digital Twin
- Agency: Department of the Air Force
- Program: SBIR (DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Phase I (see topic text for Phase II)
- Award amount: Up to $300,000. Source: Department of the Air Force Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: No
- Technology areas: Air Platform, Materials, Nuclear, Space Platforms, Weapons
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DAF27BZ02-NV015)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Air Force wants
Solid rocket propellant is an active material whose mechanical and ballistic properties shift with heat, air or humidity exposure, chemical change, pressure, and vibration. The Air Force wants a framework that combines computational models to simulate these aging responses and feeds decision-quality predictions into motor design. Phase I defines one ballistic or structural degradation mechanism for damage-tolerant design, makes the case for moving non-continuum mechanisms into continuum analysis, and produces a digital engineering plan. Phase II builds moderate-fidelity models of at least two environmental effects, anchored to historical aging data, in Cameo, OMG, or another SysML 2.0 platform, predicting both ballistic and structural behavior.
Who is a good fit
- Modeling of thermal, chemical, and mechanical aging effects in solid propellants or other polymer-based materials.
- Solid rocket motor structural or ballistic analysis using tools such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, Python, or MATLAB.
- MBSE experience on SysML platforms such as Cameo, including building analysis into design threads.
- Access to historical propellant aging data, since Phase II predictions must be anchored to it.
Watch-outs
- The framework must follow Modular Open Systems Approach standards under 10 U.S.C. § 4401 and stay compatible with commercial tools such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, Python, MATLAB, and SysML.
- Phase I must include a technical argument for transitioning non-continuum mechanisms to continuum-based analysis. Skipping it leaves a stated Phase I task unaddressed.
- Phase II must model at least two environmental effects and predict both ballistic degradation and structural reactions, so a structures-only or ballistics-only team is a weaker fit.
- The topic lists CMMC Level 2 (Self). It is not marked ITAR.
Think your company fits DAF27BZ02-NV015? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DAF27BZ02-NV015 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Solid Propellant Environmental Effects Digital Twin
Objective
The objective of the proposed effort is twofold: 1) Model and simulate the combined effects of thermal, temporal, chemical, and geometric changes to solid propellants that occur over time for in rocket motor grains, and 2) integrate predictive behavior tools into solid rocket motor design tools for decision-quality models and simulations. The intended result is a solid propellant aging and environmental process digital twin.
Description
Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) provide propulsion for many critical defense applications including surface launched, air launched, ballistic, and space vehicles. The propellant that creates acceleration through these SRMs is a complex active material that can be sensitive to environmental effects from thermal loads, exposure to air or humidity, chemical changes, pressure, or vibration loads due to time or ingredient changes. Both mechanical response characteristics and ballistic properties can be affected. This topic requests projects that will combine computational modeling and design capability from several sources to simulate aging responses due to environmental effects. The framework must follow Modular Open Systems Approach standards mandated in 10 U.S.C. § 4401 for compatibility with several commercially available computational tools such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, Python, MatLab, SysML, and others.
Phase I
Define a ballistic or structural degradation mechanism in solid propellent that can be implemented in a damage tolerant design process for solid rocket motors. Develop the technical argument for transitioning non-continuum mechanisms to a continuum-based analysis techniques. Develop a Digital Engineering plan to create the desired capability to model Solid Rocket Propellant and predict behavior over extended periods of time and environmental conditions.
Phase II
Phase 2 will build out the combined moderate fidelity predictive models of at least two environmental effects and anchor predictions to historical propellant aging data implemented through Cameo, OMG, or other SysML 2.0 platform. Performance predictions including both ballistic degradation and structural reactions should be included. Analytical techniques must be compatible with a MBSE enabled design threads.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
Phase 3 is intended to create a “digital twin” of the solid propellant aging process that can be integrated into solid rocket motor design tools and SySML – based predictive and systems engineering tools. Models and tools have three opportunities for transition and commercialization: 1) transition to Government Refence Architectures for SRM design and vehicle integration, 2) incorporation into commercial SRM design capabilities through the SRM industry, or 3) transition or reuse into other commercially viable polymer-dependent industries such as rubber tires, automotive components, in-vivo medical devices, hazardous response Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and sporting goods.
References
Yılmaz, Kuran, Ozgen ; Reliability Assessment of Solid-Propellant Rocket Motors Under Storage and Transportation Loads
AIAA Aerospace Research Central, Published Online:1 Aug 2017 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.A33777. Kelley, Trout; Elements of solid rocket service life prediction
Published Online:16 Aug 2012 https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1972-1085
Keywords
Solid Rocket Propellant aging, viscoelastic fracture mechanics, temperature effects in elastomers, elastomer environmental effects
Frequently asked questions
What is DAF27BZ02-NV015?
The Solid Propellant Environmental Effects Digital Twin topic from the Department of the Air Force in the DoW SBIR 2027 BAA. It seeks models and simulation tools that predict solid propellant aging and integrate those predictions into solid rocket motor design.
When is DAF27BZ02-NV015 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors (TPOCs) is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET.
Is DAF27BZ02-NV015 Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II?
The topic describes a Phase I: define a ballistic or structural degradation mechanism, develop the continuum analysis argument, and write a digital engineering plan. Phase II then builds the combined predictive models.
Which modeling platforms does the topic name?
The framework must be compatible with commercial tools such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, Python, MATLAB, and SysML. Phase II models are to be implemented through Cameo, OMG, or another SysML 2.0 platform and be compatible with MBSE-enabled design threads.