ARRIS Awarded AFWERX Contract to Advance High-Rate Thermoplastic Composite Manufacturing for Air Force Platforms

(Berkeley, CA) – ARRIS Composites, Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract focused on Thermoplastic Composite Molding Technologies for Aerospace Structures to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded.

On September 23, 2025, ARRIS Composites began advancing innovative capabilities to strengthen the nation’s defense. To view a PDF copy of the press release, click here.

About ARRIS Composites
ARRIS^® Technology enables unmatched performance with a patented advanced manufacturing technology platform that prioritizes specific stiffness and strength in novel ways for footwear, bicycles, portable electronics, automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets (Made To Outperform^®). Team ARRIS created a new manufacturing category called Additive Molding, a first-of-its-kind software, materials, and high-volume production approach to continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite structures. Get the latest at arriscomposites.com/news.

About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $1.4 billion annual budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.

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