Dmaterial IP, LLC.
Rigid Inflatable Combat System (RICS)
Most vehicles can’t quickly evacuate casualties or carry bulk cargo without pre-installed systems, delaying missions and endangering lives.
Why it mattersDmaterial IP, LLC specializes in the advanced RF welding of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Composite Fabrics (UCF) to create ultra-lightweight, highly packable, yet extremely strong Rigidly Inflatable Combat Systems (RICS)TM. Known commercially as Dyneema and Spectra, UCF materials are among the strongest fabrics in the world and are widely used in bulletproof vests. Our innovative manufacturing technology enables the low-cost, mass production of a diverse range of products for defense applications, including portable shelters that can be as big as airplane hangars, decoys, seats, beds, tables, bridges, vehicles (both unmanned and manned), and protective shields. These protective shields can range from small hand-held units to large structures capable of shielding multiple warfighters and large equipment from kinetic, shrapnel, or ballistic threats. The core of our innovation is a proprietary, highly scalable UCF RF welding process that allows for the creation of high-pressure air beams. These air beams form the backbone of inflatable structural components that are exceptionally lightweight, highly packable, and extremely strong when inflated. These components can be assembled to create a wide range of products and structures that are easy to transport and can be rapidly deployed. Each individual RICS product has the potential to be lighter, more compact, stronger, more cost-effective, easier to manufacture, and more capable than existing solutions on the market.
About
Combat medics, aircrews & vehicle operators lack scalable, on-demand CASEVAC & cargo solutions in contested environments. 85–95% of platforms—aircraft, watercraft, & ground vehicles—cannot move casualties or bulk cargo without rigid, pre-installed systems, resulting in dangerous delays & mission inflexibility. Rigid Inflatable Combat Systems (RICS) is a modular, inflatable system that rapidly converts any aircraft, boat, or ground vehicle into a high-capacity CASEVAC or cargo platform, doubling or tripling its usable capacity. It packs into a duffel bag, deploys without tools & integrates into the host platform without permanent modification. Selected for Army Futures Command’s Concept Focused Warfighting Experiment (CFWE), RICS is also engaged with SOFWERX, PD MEDEVAC, MECCD, & the Army Surgeon General’s Office. It is currently at TRL 6, with successful structural load testing, field inflation trials, & initial platform fitment completed. RICS is protected by patents & a proprietary RF-welding process that enables high-strength inflatable structures using UHMWPE-reinforced TPU composites. We’re entering the market through DoD experimentation, with a plan to advance to TRL 9 & begin direct sales via rapid acquisition pathways. Commercially, the same architecture will disrupt the $25B scaffolding industry with modular inflatable platforms that install 10–50× faster than rigid alternatives. My co-founder Warren Reasner has over 17 years of hands-on experience in RF-welding & inflatable systems design & manufacturing. Unlike rigid MEDVAC systems that are heavy, expensive, & vehicle-specific, RICS is universal, affordable, & field-deployable. Without RICS, operators resort to placing patients on the floor or strapping cargo in ad hoc ways—RICS fills that gap in minutes.
Problem
Most vehicles can’t quickly evacuate casualties or carry bulk cargo without pre-installed systems, delaying missions and endangering lives.