Deep Dive FRC Propulsion Ecosystem Analysis

Comprehensive Assessment of the Expanded FRC Propulsion Ecosystem and the Role of Field Propulsion Technologies Part I: Deep Assessment of the Field Propulsion Technologies (FPT) Vector This section provides a definitive intelligence picture of Richard Banduric and Field Propulsion Technologies (FPT), establishing the technical credibility and strategic role of this 'gray track' entity within the broader U.S. advanced propulsion portfolio. The analysis confirms FPT as a government-vetted developer of dual-use technologies with a tangible hardware focus, operating as a parallel R&D vector to other clandestine efforts. Technical Deep Dive: Metamaterials and Directed Energy FPT's research program is bifurcated, consisting of a public-facing, esoteric theoretical framework and a tangible, government-funded hardware development effort. The hardware program, focused on metamaterials for both propulsion and directed energy, provides the basis for assessing the technology's maturity and strategic importance. Analysis of "Metamaterial Composite Conductors" The core propulsion technology pursued by FPT is described in its federal grant applications as being based on "metamaterial composite conductors" engineered to amplify "unresolved longitudinal Ampere Tension forces". 1 This terminology provides a conventional physics framing for a concept rooted in a more unconventional theoretical foundation. ● Mechanism and Theoretical Framework: Banduric's own theoretical papers and public presentations articulate a framework he terms "New Electrodynamics". 1 This framework posits that the standard Heaviside-Gibbs vector formulation of Maxwell's equations is incomplete for describing electrical convection currents (the movement of charged objects through space). Banduric's work revisits James Clerk Maxwell's original, more complex bi-quaternion formulation, arguing it contains terms describing a "complex electric field" and a "Scalar Electric Potential" that were improperly discarded. 1 According to this theory, the controlled interaction of these relativistic fields, amplified by specific geometries and advanced materials, can be engineered to produce a net propulsive force without the expulsion of reaction mass. 1 ● Precise Metamaterial Properties: The NSF Phase II SBIR award abstract (2423107) provides the most specific public identification of the material, describing it as a "new class of specially engineered metamaterial, based on a special graphene composite". 2 Banduric's public statements elaborate on this, suggesting composite conductors that blend conductive and insulating properties, possibly utilizing nanoparticle structures where accelerated charges tunnel between closely spaced particles to generate force. 4 This aligns with the broader field of conductive composites, where electrical properties such as conductivity and dielectric permittivity are tuned by combining conductive fillers (like graphene or metallic nanoparticles) with an insulating matrix (like a ceramic or polymer) to achieve novel effects. 7 ● Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Assessment: The NSF Phase II award abstract provides the most concrete data for a TRL assessment. It states that a "lab prototype" has achieved "technical proof-of-concept" by producing "external forces as large as a few millinewtons, using currents in the range of a few milliamperes". 2 This demonstrated performance corresponds to TRL 3 (Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof-of-concept). The stated objective of the Phase II award is to scale up this prototype to generate "up to tenths of newtons of force" and validate the strengthened metamaterial in "conditions representative of the space environment". 2 A successful completion of this phase would advance the technology to TRL 4/5 (Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory/relevant environment). Analysis of the "Compact Radiation Emitter" The dual-use nature of FPT's core technology is definitively established by a major contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for a directed energy weapon. This application appears to be the most mature and well-funded aspect of FPT's portfolio. ● Dual-Use Application and Specifications: AFRL Phase II SBIR contract FA8649-24-P-1048 provides $1,249,947 for a "compact radiation emitter" designed for the "nondestructive deactivation of electronic equipment in weapons and vehicles". 1 This explicitly defines the technology as a non-kinetic, counter-electronics directed energy weapon. The intended targets—including "swarms of autonomous drones, incoming nuclear warheads, and as a defense against Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attacks"—strongly imply a High-Power Microwave (HPM) system. 1 HPM weapons typically operate in the 300 MHz to 300 GHz frequency range, using intense electromagnetic pulses to disrupt or permanently damage unshielded electronic systems over a broad area. 10 Banduric's technical claims differentiate his approach, suggesting the effect is generated by a form of "longitudinal radiation" emitted from the ends of an antenna-like structure, a departure from conventional HPM source design. 6 ● Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Assessment: The award of a Phase II SBIR contract for a hardware prototype indicates the technology has already demonstrated proof-of-concept and passed TRL 3. The objective of the Phase II effort is to develop and demonstrate a prototype system. This places the "compact radiation emitter" at a current assessed TRL of 4, with a programmatic goal of achieving TRL 5/6 (Component/subsystem validation in a relevant environment) by the contract's