Flexial Corporation has been awarded a $733,200 Phase II, STTR contract by USAF/AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, to develop a titanium welded bellows sunshade for the Navy SM-3 Kinetic Warhead. The contract was granted by Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to develop a deployable titanium welded bellows sunshade for an element of the Standard Missile-3. Flexial is working with Raytheon and partner Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee, to achieve enhanced performance of the sunshade. The MDA contract will support that development. The Standard Missile-3 delivers a LEAP kinetic warhead to destroy incoming ballistic missiles before they enter the atmosphere.

Flexial is a leading manufacturer of edge welded metal bellows for aerospace, military, downhole, semiconductor, and industrial applications. Welded bellows are typically used for seals, fluid storage, sensing and controls. The sunshade application is a departure, working like the sunshade on a camera. Flexial also builds components for the F-22 Raptor, the F-15 Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, U.S. Navy nuclear submarines and the International Space Station.