Advanced manufacturing company MicroTau has been selected by the United States’ Department of Defense (DoD) to conduct flight testing of its sharkskin-inspired ‘riblet’ film on US Air Force Lockheed Martin.C-130J aircraft. The project is led by the Air Force Operational Energy Office, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The contract also includes Lockheed Martin as a key subcontractor to support flight testing and performance evaluation.

MicroTau’s CEO and COO accepted the award.