The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division has licensed 21 patents to CycloKinetics to produce high-performance biosynthetic fuels for jets, rockets, missiles, and drones.
NAWCWD’s research department has spent several years developing synthetic fuels derived from crude biomass such as farm waste and municipal trash, offering higher energy density, cleaner combustion, and lower freezing points than conventional fuels. This is reported by DVIDS.
The licensing agreement, facilitated by the NAWCWD Technology Transition Office and TechLink, aims to transition laboratory research into large-scale military production. Dr. Ben Harvey, chief scientist for advanced fuel development at NAWCWD, emphasized the necessity of close industrial collaboration to rapidly scale these technologies for the fleet.
This partnership was reinforced when the Department of War awarded Technology Holding LLC and CycloKinetics $23 million through the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program. The funding supports the production of a custom high-density fuel developed at NAWCWD for testing in Naval Strike Missiles.
NAWCWD Chief Technology Officer Felipe Jauregui noted that the initiative delivers superior range and lethality to warfighters while strengthening the domestic industrial base. By converting waste into strategic propulsion resources, the command seeks to enhance the operational performance and resilience of U.S. naval platforms.
