QUALIFICATION OF NEEDLED C-SIC BASED STRUCTURAL INSULATOR MATERIALS FOR SOLID ROCKET MOTOR DACS: THE NEED FOR A DOMESTICALLY-SOURCED STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE MATERIAL MORE THERMALLY STABLE THAN THE STATE-OF-THE-ART PHENOLIC COMPOSITES HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A KEY ENABLING TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL ADD BETTER CONTROL AUTHORITY TO PINTLE-BASED DIVERT AND ACS THRUSTERS. BY ESTABLISHING A U.S. SUPPLIER OF THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL, BETTER SOURCE CONTROL AND QUALITY CONTROL OF COMPONENTS CAN BE ACHIEVED. IN ADDITION, STRONG STRUCTURAL INSULATORS POSSESSING THERMALLY INSULATIVE, INNATE EROSION RESISTANT PROPERTIES AND THE ABILITY TO BE MADE INTO MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PARTS WILL REDUCE PART COUNT, VOLUME, WEIGHT, AND COST (UP TO 50% REDUCTION). THE CORE C-SIC STRUCTURAL INSULATOR TECHNOLOGY PROPOSED FOR THIS MDA RAPID INNOVATION FUND (RIF) PROGRAM HAS BEEN PROVEN UNDER MDA-FUNDED SBIR PROGRAMS AT ALLCOMP AS WELL AS UNDER THE MDA FUNDED CKV PROGRAM AT BOTH AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AND ATK. THROUGH THIS RIF PROGRAM, ALLCOMP AIMS TO QUALIFY THE MOST RECENT VARIATION OF NEEDLED-PREFORM BASED STRUCTURAL INSULATOR MATERIAL, AS WELL AS ITS PROCESSING METHODOLOGY, IN A TWO YEAR FAST-PACED TESTING PROGRAM PRODUCING A MATERIAL SYSTEM WITH OPTIMUM THERMO-ELASTIC AND STRENGTH PROPERTIES. VALIDATION OF MANUFACTURABILITY WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH FULL MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION TESTING OF MULTIPLE LOTS TO BRING THIS MATERIAL TOWARDS QUALIFICATION ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION IN UPCOMING BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM APPLICATIONS SUCH AS SM-3 CKV AND EVOLVED IIA, AND MORE BROADLY, FOR OTHER INITIATIVES, LIKE THE AIRBORNE WEAPON LAYER DACS.. IGF::OT::IGF