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Vita Inclinata Technologies is an American aerospace, industrial, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was established in 2012 by founder Caleb Carr. It is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado and has offices in Washington, D.C., the United

Vita Inclinata Technologies

Company type	Privately held
Industry	Aerospace Industrial Advanced Technologies
Founded	2012
Founder	Caleb Carr, Derek Sikora
Headquarters	Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Number of employees	50-100
Website	www.vitatech.co
Footnotes / references https://vitatech.co/

Kingdom, Huntsville, Alabama and the UAE. Vita Inclinata employs approximately 70 people worldwide as of December 2021.

History

2010's

In 2012, the Vita Inclinata was founded at the University of Colorado-Denver, by Caleb Carr, a then-search and rescue volunteer. In 2015, the company was established as a corporation and the name was changed to Vita Inclinata Technologies. In early 2016, Derek Sikora joined the company as an intern. In March of the same year, Carr pitched Vita’s original rail solution to three business competitions and lost all three of them. In July, Sikora came on as an equal partner, CTO and co-founder. In early November of 2018, Vita completed it's first successful test flight under a helicopter. Later that month, it was awarded the United States Air Force Phase 1 SBIR.

2020's

On February 23, 2021, The United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) announced that they successfully completed initial prototype flight-testing on Vita’s Load Stability System Litter Attachment (LSS-LA) at Fort Rucker, in support of Cooperative Research and Development Agreement W81XWH-19-0115. On November 30, 2021 The United States Army announced it purchased 15 Vita Rescue Systems (VRS-LAs) to be evaluated for operational effectiveness and suitability.

Awards

2018 Big Pitch Award, Georgia Southern University

2019 New Venture Competition Winner, Baylor University

2020 Tibbets Award Winner

2021 Aerospace, Manufacturing & Robotics Innovation of the Year, IQ Awards

Finances

Vita Inclinata has raised $27 million since 2018. The company is in the process of raising another $150 million in Series B funding.

Corporate governance

Board of directors

The board of directors consists of 7 members. As of December 2021, members include:

• Derek Sikora
• Caleb Carr
• Steve Alesio
• Mick Maurer
• Patrick Murphy
• Warren Katz
• Will Roper

Chief executive officer

• Caleb Carr (2012-present)

Chairman of the board

• Caleb Carr (2012-present)

Systems

Vita Load Pilot

The Vita Load Pilot is a remotely-operated suspended load system that allows lifters the precision control to remotely orient their lifts without being in the critical vicinity of the load. The device dynamically adjusts to load sizes and wind conditions, allowing high-precision lifts in the most challenging environments. The ability to control a load varies depending on the mass moment of inertia of the load, surface area, and wind conditions. For example, a small cube-type modular load can be controlled in far higher winds than a load with a large surface area.

Vita Load Navigator

A heavy duty stabilization system for cranes that mounts to spreader bars. For bigger loads over 25,000 lbs. The Navigator has twice the torque output and battery life of the Load Pilot.

Vita Rescue System

The Vita Rescue System Litter Attachment is a lightweight, quick-attach unit compatible with a variety of rescue kits, such as SKEDCO, Stokes, and other rescue bags. It enables helicopter crews greater speed, safety, and control on hoisting operations, allowing them to complete hoists four times faster than traditional taglines.

Vita Sling Load

The Vita Inclinata Sling Load is configured for long line rotary wing operations. The sling load stabilizer can be configured to either actively stabilize sling load swing, or spin/rotation. Optional remote hook(s) may be included to release the load per standard hook manufacturer specifications.

Precision Rapid Aerial Extraction System (PRAES)

The Precision Rapid Aerial Extraction System (PRAES) is a dual use solution for The Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial operators to conduct fixed-wing extraction of personnel or supplies without putting people or loads at risk. This system allows for an aircraft to quickly release a harness or suspended load with a connected tether while circling a target above (in a long line loiter technique). With the pull of the tether, the harnessed target will be lifted from the ground and eventually released to safety. The Load Stability System technology suite will provide the precision needed for a successful mission. By attaching the Load Stability System technology suite to the end of the tether, above the harness or suspended load, the technology will ensure precision placement into a 25 sq. foot area on the ground (or smaller). Following legacy programs like the “Sky Hook Program,” also known as the Fulton Recovery System, the PRAES capability evolves decades of research and development into a fieldable solution that can precisely place and extract loads and personnel of all size and shapes. While history has tried to provide this capability to the warfighter and commercial operators, the lack of precision has resulted in a slow commercial development of the capability.

References

November 2018

Vita completes the AeroInnovate Accelerator, culminating in a showcase at

EAA’s AirVenture.

June 2018

Scott joins advisory board, Vita accepted into AeroInnovate Accelerator

May 2018

Vita wins Seattle University BPC

December 2017

Identify initial prototyping materials

August 2017

Models prove concept of LSS.

June 2017

Initial CAD models designed.

April 2017

Samir Chokshi joins Advisory Board.

2017

Control methods developed, Vita wins CU’s BPC.

February 2017

LSS design initially conceptualized.

January 2017

Traditional error based control methods developed, Vita wins Witworth

University BPC.

December 2016

Identify that aircraft flight control system input shaping are not optimal for

load control.

September 2016

The concept of suspended load control via drone technology discovered.

August 2016

Derek completes simulations of control system and potential solutions.

May 2016

Company restructuring, with a new team and increased focus on viable

solutions.

March 2013

Caleb and the Vita team travel to NASA AMES to investigate problem

Minuteman III ICBMs, B-2, B-52H

Modern Nuclear Triad (2010-Present)

The Trump Administration has made clear its goals to eliminate nuclear weapons entirely in the long-term in their release of the 2017 NPR. President Trump also stated his intent to keep the US safe, as well as allies and partners. Until a time where nuclear weapons are not longer needed, the Trump Administration has also stated it's intent to maintain a "modern, flexible, and resilient" nuclear armada. Since the height of the Cold, the US's nuclear armada has been reduced by over 85 percent. The Trump Administration acknowledges it faces a "more diverse and advanced nuclear-threat environment than ever before."

It is estimated that the US currently has around 475 B-61 and B-83 bombs. The B61-7 is carried by the B-2, whereas the B61-3, 4, and 10 are lighter and can be carried by the F-16, F-35, and other light aircraft. These smaller bombs also yield smaller payloads due to their decreased size. The B61-11 is a more hardened bomb that can be used to destroy hardened targets such as bunkers, however it is unlikely that it can penetrate steel or concrete. The B83 is currently the largest bomb in the US. The US plans to retire it by the year 2025 after the new B61 LEP is completed.

The strategic bomber program for the United States still remains viable as well. B-2 and B-52H bombers still make up the entirety of the long range bomber force designed to deliver a nuclear payload. The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is also used for long range bombing missions. However, in 1997, it was modified to carry only conventional payloads. The B-1 Lancer is no longer used to deliver nuclear payloads. Currently, 76 B-52H bombers are maintained at bases in Barksdale, Louisiana, and Minot, North Dakota. Along with these, 20 B-2 bombers are in service at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The United States Air Force is in the process of integrating a new long range bomber, the B-21 Raider, into service. This aircraft is scheduled to begin service in 2025. The B-21 will contribute to even greater capabilities for the US nuclear armada. It will allow for a larger and more diverse payload that includes current and future weapons. It will allow for increased range compared to the B-1, 2, and 52. The range capabilities of the B-21 are currently classified and are not expected to be released. The B-21 was also cost significantly less than the B-2 bomber. In 1997, the average cost of a B-2 was $737 million. The projected average cost for the B-21 Raider is $550 million per plane.[51]

Long-Range Standoff, or LRSO, Weapons are another active option available to the US. Air-Launched cruise missiles (ALCM) and Advanced Cruise Missiles (ACM) are the missiles currently maintained by the Air Force. Both are carried via the B-52 bomber. The ACM's most current design makes it have higher stealth capabilities than the ALCM. In 2006, the US had 1,142 ALCMs and 394 ACMs. Since then, the number of ALC missiles has been reduced to 528. By 2030, the Air Force plans to phase out the ALCM and replace them with the long range standoff (LRSO) cruise missile.

While the US currently has strong capabilities and a vast arsenal, concerns about how old each component of their nuclear triad are valid. The US does is working to replace all legs or the nuclear triad, but budget limitations have been extremely restrictive in recent years. Using 2015 as a baseline, the ages of the current systems of the nuclear triad are 45 years for the Minuteman III, 25 years for the Trident II D-5 SLBM, 54 years for the B-52H, 18 years for the B-2, and 34 years for the Ohio Class SSBNs. Compared to other nuclear superpowers, these systems are lagging far behind. During the Cold War, the US lead the world in almost all categories. This is no longer the case. A recurring issue with maintaining the nuclear triad is that some manufactures who originally produced parts for some of these systems are no longer operational. The U.S. cannot produce a solid-fuel rocket engine on its’ own and currently has to rely on Russia to supply these engines. If the US and Russia ever experience extreme tension, this could be a major problem because the US would have to find another supplier of these engines, if at all. .

France Modern Capabilites

While France has drastically reduced its nuclear arsenal, it currently maintains approximately 300 nuclear weapons. France deploys four Le Triomphant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) on the Atlantic Coast. Out of the four, one is deployed at all times and the other three are on standby at all times. France is in the process of upgrading its’ current SLBMs to a newer model. The most recent addition to the French submarine fleet came in September 2010 in the form of Le Terrible, which is equipped with the newer model of SLBMs. France plans to modernize the rest of its submarine fleet by the year 2020.

As far as air-capabilities are concerned, France maintains four separate fighter squadrons meant to act as a deterrence against foreign threats. There are 23 Mirage 2000N aircraft and 20 Rafale aircraft equipped with ASMP-air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM). The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier also maintains approximately 24 Rafale M aircraft. The Rafale M aircraft, as well as the Mirage 2000N K3 aircraft, is equipped with an upgraded ASMP-A air-launched cruise missile with a range of 50 kilometers. In February 2015, Francois Hollande, the President of France at the time, declared that "France possesses 54 ASMP-A missiles", confirming their exact number of missiles.