i3 was founded in December 2007 with the intent to do business differently. Our focus is to leave our team members and customers better than we found them while solving some of our Nation’s toughest problems. We strive to create a positive environment that enriches the lives of our team members through a commitment to excellence, with a focus on Manufacturing and Machining Exotic Materials, Hypersonic Weapon System Development, and Ground Test Facility Development & Integration. At i3 we identify emerging needs, encourage innovation, and make a meaningful impact on our Nation, its allies, and our community.

With a highly leveraged FY19, including the acquisitions of Optonicus, Redstone Aerospace and Precision Asphere, II-VI Optical Systems is poised to become the most advantageous supplier of optical and laser components and subassemblies, engineered materials, specialty solutions and the other synergies afforded to us through II-VI, Inc. As we continue to onboard these new acquisitions into our company and expand our capabilities beyond optical systems, we are pleased to announce our name change from II-VI Optical Systems to II-VI Aerospace & Defense. This dynamic shift positions our company and its unique customer solutions to a much broader audience within the Aerospace and Defense markets.

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s LHMEL Facility, operated by UES, Inc., provides the aerospace community with a comprehensive resource for high temperature characterization of current and emerging materials using a variety of infrared laser sources and environmental simulation capabilities. LHMEL provides uniform, well characterized constant heat flux conditions and time varying heating profiles to match application specific heating trends which can be combined with air or inert gas flow to evaluate ablation/oxidation performance. A suite of diagnostics is available to capture the multi-physics responses of materials during testing. Test conditions are ideal for validating material models, thermal property determination, survivability testing, material screening, and performance predictions.

Materials Research & Design (MR&D) is a small business that provides research and design services to the aerospace materials community. Typical programs at MR&D focus on the simultaneous design of material and structure to optimize component cost, weight, or structural performance. Additional areas of interest focus upon research into the behavior of composite materials and the development of micromechanical models to analyze and understand observed properties. The analytical approach employed by MR&D is based upon a practical understanding of engineering issues founded upon a strong background of theoretical mechanics.

Nanomatronix uses nanotechnology, microelectronics, and biotechnology to provide solutions to the healthcare, energy, and defense industries. Additionally, Nanomatronix is a technology development and transfer consortium that helps transition promising academic research into the applied commercial realm through the United States Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Innovation Research (STTR) programs. As a small engineering firm that is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our customers, we have a wide range of expertise, facilities and capabilities. We have three strategic business units (SBUs) – Biotechnology, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology. Each SBU focuses on niche product and service development with emphasis placed on developing multi-disciplinary product and system-level solutions that integrate materials and utilize methods from all three SBUs.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace company providing innovative, cost effective solutions to wide array of military, security and space applications and is engaged in the development of the technologies necessary to continue to be at the forefront of aerospace and defense.

With 28 labs in North America, NTS provides unrivaled technical knowledge and testing capabilities to the Defense Aviation, Missile, and Weapon System and Munitions industry partners and end-users. NTS experts create real-world conditions to test life cycle and performance criteria. With decades of experience, NTS provides unique insights—along with the physical infrastructure—required to support the rigorous compliance testing demands of the defense industry. NTS adheres to a higher standard when performing critical test and evaluation methodologies in accordance with MIL, DoD, and other recognized standards.

Plansee is the world’s leading integrated manufacturer of high performance refractory metals including molybdenum, tungsten, tantalum, niobium, and alloys or composites of these materials. Plansee USA is North America’s premier supplier of machined, fabricated, and engineered product solutions for aerospace and defense applications which utilize Plansee refractory metal materials, technologies, and applications experience. Plansee USA is ISO 9001, AS9100 certified and ITAR registered and has supplied materials, products, and services for more than 80 years. 

Plasma Processes offers engineered materials solutions meeting demanding performance criteria, stringent quality requirements, and challenging schedules to our aerospace and defense customers. We strive to add value through the implementation of affordable materials and processes. We specialize in the investigation and integration of high and ultra-high temperature materials and material systems for challenging applications such as hypersonics, propulsion, fission/fusion, and thermal protection systems.

Scot Forge is a 127 year-old, 100% employee-owned company that manufactures custom open die and rolled ring forgings. At Scot Forge, we help our customers succeed in their most critical initiatives with forged solutions for rocket, missile and spacecraft applications. From the wheels of NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover, to critical components on the Common Hypersonic Glide Body, to propulsion systems on the largest rockets in the country, Scot Forge creates the precision forged metal parts used in demanding applications both on and off this planet we call home.

Southern Research is the leader in specialized materials characterization and comprehensive engineering and development services to the aerospace, defense, energy, and environmental sectors. SR provides advanced research and development services for materials in extreme physical and thermal environments, which include thermo-mechanical modeling, CFD, laboratory testing, and ground testing from as low as -250 °C (-450 °F) to as high as 3300 °C (6000 °F). The primary materials technical focus is to supply innovative modeling, materials testing, and characterization solutions to aerospace, defense, and governmental programs by leveraging Southern Research’s state-of-the-art capabilities with its clients’ goals. Southern Research also offers comprehensive systems engineering development and integration expertise for airborne EO/IR ISR sensors and directed energy applications.

Space Information Laboratories (SIL)- http://www.spaceinformationlabs.com/, is a California small business that develops, manufacturers and Space environmentally qualifies flight unit products for launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonic vehicles, reentry vehicles, aircraft and UAS. These products include Li-Ion Intelli-Pack® avionics, telemetry and flight termination batteries, VBITS Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) and GPS Tracking, Intelli-Avionics®, Ka/Ku-band High Data Rate Satellite BLOS Communication flight units, and Chameleon 12U to 27U Flexible Bus. SIL has a complete in-house environmental flight unit test capability including thermal cycle, vacuum, random and sine vibration, and shock. SIL accomplishes this work at the highest quality with an independently certified AS9100D Quality Management System (https://www.spaceinformationlabs.com/products/certifications/) by SAI Global for design, manufacturing and test of flight units.

Specialty Materials has produced advanced fibers and materials for the aerospace, defense, energy and industrial segments of the advanced materials for over 35 years. We are the world's leading supplier of the highest quality boron and silicon carbide fiber products and advanced composite materials. Our fibers and advanced composite materials provide unique solutions to engineers and manufacturers in a variety of areas, including structural integrity and controlled thermal expansion.

Founded in 1970, Ultramet engineers and manufactures refractory metals, platinum group metals, and ceramics for extreme environments in the aerospace, biomedical, and defense industries. Among the flight-qualified hardware produced with Ultramet’s ISO 9001:2015-certified CVD prowess is the carbon foam core of the heat shield on NASA’s Parker Solar Probe—in space now, coolly orbiting the Sun since its launch in 2018.

Manufacturer and international marketer of a wide range of high performance alumina and alumina-silica fiber and refractory products and heating element systems providing significant utility to demanding applications in applications from a few hundred degrees to 1825C. Products include many standard as well as custom boards, cylinders and low mass firing setters, papers, cements, blankets, castable refractories, resistance wire and MoSi2 heating elements.