ISSI Nuclear Survivability Center of Excellence

The ISSI Nuclear Division provides innovative engineering solutions to the most difficult nuclear challenges across the US Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and Five Eyes partners. ISSI's extensive knowledge and 200+ years of collective expertise in the nuclear enterprise extends to every fielded weapon system in the US nuclear stockpile, numerous research and development efforts to advance technology capabilities, and nuclear hardness & survivability analyses of next generation concept efforts.

ISSI is also pushing the state-of-the-art for sensor fusion technology, prototype and flight testing, reentry material production, radiation hardened microelectronics, AI/ML software development for battle management, and nuclear effects testing. Specific nuclear science & engineering core capabilities include the following:

Threat Analysis & Survivability

Assess end-to-end survivability and probabilistic mission effectiveness for tactical and strategic battle spaces with ISSI proprietary, physics-based mission planning software.
Evaluate potential threats from radiation, explosions, and other hazards with comprehensive modsim tools.
Design resilient systems that can withstand harsh environments for air, land, and/or sea-delivered systems.
Develop mitigation strategies to protect critical infrastructure and personnel.
Assess nuclear weapon effects at the system, sub-system, component, and material levels.

Novel Domestic Thermal Protection Material Development

Develop, test, and evaluate existing and new reentry materials for thermal protection systems.
Breakthroughs in radiation-resistant materials for critical applications.
Reduce dependence on foreign sources and enhance national security.
Accelerate innovation in aerospace, energy, and defense sectors.

Strategic Requirements & Specifications Support

Translate operational needs for DoD systems into clear technical specifications.
Ensure systems meet rigorous performance and safety standards.
Streamline development processes for faster and more efficient results.
Provide independent analysis, qualification, and certification.

Development Flight Testing & Validation

Design, build, prototype and test strategic components, sensors, and subsystems for advanced fuzing, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), position navigation and timing (PNT), and next generation capabilities.
Put theoretical models to the test in real-world flight environments.
Gather critical data to refine designs and improve performance, and advance technology readiness.
Provide essential feedback for iterative development and deployment.

Radiation Effects Testing at Department of Defense and High Energy Density Facilities (HED)

ISSI provides comprehensive services at premier Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) facilities.
Specializing in material assessments within threat-relevant scenarios, our approach incorporates advanced methodologies.
Focused on assessment and qualification, our team delivers expert data analysis to ensure reliability and peace of mind.
Dedicated to the lifecycle of test management, from design and development to in-depth analysis of complex tests.

Radiation Hard Electronic(s) Testing & Design

ISSI performs test and evaluation of electronic devices, components, boards, electro-optics, and power sources.
Extensive test expertise in US nuclear reactors, EMP facilities, laser facilities, flash X-ray, linear accelerators, ion beams, and resonant shock facilities.
Ensure electronics can withstand harsh radiation environments.
Develop innovative radiation-resistant components and circuits.
Protect critical systems in space, defense, and medical applications.

Next Generation X-ray Impulse Testing

ISSI maintains a close relationship with the DOE and utilizes their DLI capabilities to conduct targeted impulse testing on a 1000 cm^2 scale, simulating extreme conditions for comprehensive material assessments.
Our team develops and employs advanced diagnostics to analyze stress-strain responses and pressure pulse dynamics, ensuring a thorough understanding of material performance under extreme stress.
Offering a full spectrum of services from test planning to detailed reporting, we manage large test articles through every phase of DLI testing, providing a seamless and comprehensive evaluation process.
We deliver analysis and correlate findings with potential threats through radiation hydrodynamic modeling, encompassing both the threat and the test scenarios.