BOSTON, February 16, 2006 — The US Navy has selected Skyhaven Systems, LLC (RIL), formerly MicroCell Technologies, to develop a radar absorbing and non-skid coating for marine flight decks. Currently available flight deck coating systems used under normal temperature fluctuations with heavy traffic usage have poor performance in the areas of reduced radar signature return. The Navy requires that new coatings be developed that maintain a high coefficient of friction and excellent adhesion to the decking. Simultaneous with these requirements, the coatings must also absorb radar using radar absorbing materials over the advanced new destroyer, DD(X), design frequencies. Typical of current non-skid coating systems, new coatings with radar absorbing materials must be resistant to sunlight/UV, seawater and shipboard chemicals while demonstrating excellent wear, impact, and corrosion resistance. RIL is developing the coating to be applied by rolling or spraying methods while adding little excessive weight or VOCs. Skyhaven Systems, LLC is working in conjunction with Neo-Advent Technologies and R&F Products who will synthesize coatings using a combination of novel components and processing techniques. The first phase of RIL’s development contract will demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating non-skid and radar absorbing coatings with later phases finalizing the coating formulation to military specification MIL-PRF-24667B by working with the US Navy, the DD(X) prime contractor, and our commercialization partner, ITW American Safety Technologies.

Beyond military applications, there are a number of applications where a non-skid and radar absorbing coating is needed. Areas where this technology can be successfully adopted include building construction materials such as electromagnetic wave absorption panels and the communications industry that require minimal signal reflection in communication tower platforms.