HACKLEBURG — A Huntsville small business will be testing weapon systems of the future in Marion County, thanks to a Small Business Innovation Research contract.
According to a news release, Integrated Solutions for Systems (IS4S) has been awarded a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract to design, fabricate, and install an advanced high-voltage fireset system in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The system will enable AFRL to conduct next-generation detonation and initiation research for future Department of Defense and Department of Energy weapon system development, the release said.
The program will be executed primarily from IS4S’s North Alabama Range in Hackleburg, the company’s newest office, engineering lab, and test range. The North Alabama Range expands pulsed-power and test-system capabilities into the region.
“This SBIR award represents a major milestone for IS4S, the local community, and our North Alabama Range as its first dedicated program win,” shared Zac Shotts, IS4S vice president and site lead. “This new program allows IS4S to apply our decades of expertise in high-voltage systems and energetic testing to solve critical national defense challenges, while also creating high-quality engineering and technical jobs right here in Marion County.”
The Direct-to-Phase II SBIR program builds on prior research and development by moving promising technologies directly into advanced prototyping and deployment.
Under this award, IS4S will:
- Develop and build a modern fireset system optimized for reliable, repeatable operation.
- Deliver and install the system at an AFRL test facility.
- Providehands-on training to AFRL personnel to ensure safe, efficient operation.
- Incorporate design improvements that increase reliability, reduce maintenance, and improve experimental consistency.
Fireset systems are used in controlled research to safely trigger and measure explosive events — essential tools for understanding how initiation systems perform.
By improving precision and reliability, this new IS4S system will help AFRL researchers collect higher-quality data, reduce testing costs, and accelerate the design of safer and more effective defense technologies. The project strengthens IS4S’s position in advanced testing and pulsed-power systems while growing high-tech engineering jobs in North Alabama, the company said.
