Engineers With a Range
Set in rural Opelika, this IS4S site was born from the need for a space where we could build a world-class facility with sophisticated equipment and a remote range in order to research, design, develop, and complete innovative testing for our customers.
Our list of capabilities has expanded over time with specialties in energetics, explosives, munitions, and more. We’ve created a site that allows us to move quickly, push boundaries, and stay cost effective while never sacrificing safety or regulatory compliance.
We aren’t just a test range; we are a group of creative engineers who are solving challenging problems and trying things that have not been done before.
Integrated Solutions
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Explosives
Pyrotechnics
Formulation Development
Reverse Engineering
Novel Processing (Acoustic Mixing, Pressing, Curing, etc.)
On-Site LAP Capabilities
3D Printing
Additives
Reactive Materials
Material & System Performance Characterization
Thermites & Intermetallics
Energetic Material Test Diagnostics
Blast/Fragment Performance Testing
Detonation Performance Testing
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Conceptual Design
Lethality Analysis
Effectiveness Assessment
Testing
Smart Munitions
Enhanced Lethality Warheads
Reactive Materials
Compact Warheads
Novel/Advanced Explosive Fills
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Compact High-Power Microwave (HPM) Development & Testing
High Power Radio Frequency (RF) System Fabrication & Testing
Compact Power Supplies
Susceptibility & Vulnerability Testing
High Voltage Switch Design (Up to 1 MV)
Flash X-Ray Design
Radar Cross Section Testing
Circuit Board Design & Fabrication
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Delivered Munitions
UAV Payload Integration
Drop Systems
Integrated Electronic Fuze Systems
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Rapid Prototyping
Energetic 3D Printing
3D Printed Munitions
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Algorithm Development
Implementation/Hardware Integration
Vision Detection & Object Recognition
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Explosives (Limited Quantities)
Remote & Robotic Manufacturing
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Energetic Operations (Manufacturing & Processing)
Remote Robotic Manufacturing
Specialized Test Setups
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Chemical/Biological Agent Simulant Testing
Biological Agent Simulant Production (Large Scale)
Decontamination Testing
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Robotic Manufacturing
Augmented Reality Systems
Our Work
Our Products & Services
Explosive Test Range
We have the ability to rapidly execute all phases of explosive testing, ranging from quick proof-of-concept tests to complex full-arena tests for both government and commercial customers. We support various explosive prototypes and energetic systems, and our advanced diagnostics allow for destructive testing of a variety of products and applications beyond traditional explosive, energetic, and ballistic testing.
No matter how complex or unconventional your testing need is, reach out to our team and see what we can do for you.
Opelika Leadership
Ryan Hill
Vice President
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Ryan Hill is a research mechanical engineer with 13 years of multi-disciplinary experience in the development, integration, operational testing, and evaluation of novel energetics and prototype concepts. He focuses on several DoD research thrusts including energetics, explosives, ballistics, navigation, robotics, projectiles, munitions, and chemical/biological agent defeat. Ryan has designed, executed, and overseen thousands of incendiary, explosive, and ballistics tests over the years and specializes in incendiary composition development and rapid prototype development and fabrication with an emphasis on low-cost systems.
During his tenure with IS4S, the Opelika site has grown from a few highly motivated and skilled individuals running small programs to a team of talented and creative engineers executing numerous high-end R&D and testing programs spanning areas such as munitions development, UAV munitions, advanced explosive formulation, explosives testing, warhead qualification, novel 3D printing, explosive 3D printing, and more. The Opelika test and engineering center has grown from a single building into a multi-site, multi-range facility providing ultra-fast, creative, and unique solutions to both the DoD and commercial partners.
Ryan is the site lead for Opelika and supports energetic operations at the North Alabama Range site.
Zac Shotts
Vice President
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Zac Shotts is an expert in pulse power and directed energy weapons, with 22 years of experience in research, design, and testing of these advanced systems. Throughout his career, Zac has specialized in the development and testing of a wide range of pulse power systems and directed energy weapons (DEW) for both offensive and defensive applications. His contributions have led to five patents, a Tibbets Award, and two SBIR Awards of Excellence. He has also authored over 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals focused on pulse power and directed energy weapons.
Zac has served as principal or co-principal investigator on over 38 Phase I, II, and III SBIR projects, focusing on pulse power systems, RF, high-power microwave, DEW sources, explosively driven pulse power, as well as alternative power and energy systems. He is currently a vice president and technical fellow in electromagnetics at IS4S and is the founder of the North Alabama Range—a 3,400-acre test range featuring two radiation survivability test assets, one of the world's fastest guns for hypervelocity impact testing, and a light gas gun for projectile testing.
Zac holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University and previously spent 14 years at Radiance Technologies before joining IS4S.
Steve Best
Senior Technical Fellow
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Steve Best is a senior systems engineer and physicist with over 45 years of engineering experience and is recognized as a senior technical fellow at IS4S working primarily in the electromagnetics systems division.
Steve’s areas of expertise include applied research, technology development, and research & development (R&D) management in high-voltage, pulsed power, and directed-energy research applications, plasma and space electric propulsion, space materials applications, photovoltaics (solar cell) projects, and Department of Defense (DoD) electromagnetic technologies.
His DoD related work includes pulsed high voltage generator (spiral vector inversion) applications, ultra-wideband (UWB) radio frequency (RF) generators, frozen wave generators, electromagnetic wave simulation and modeling, and applied power circuit topologies development. Additional key projects include developing novel methods for electro-hydraulic plasma blasting systems for a NASA sponsored project, designing and operating the hypervelocity impact facility at Auburn University Space Power Institute, and developing the high radiant solar flux facility for the NASA Solar Probe Plus project.
Steve earned his Bachelor of Science in physics from Auburn University. He holds 5 patents, has over 50 publications, and has been an IEEE associate member and AIAA associate member.
Opelika Careers
Join us in our mission to solve complex problems of national importance in an environment where doing the right thing is more important than profit, and in a company fully owned and operated by ethical, motivated employees.
Check out our active job openings to apply!
Contact Us
Opelika Site Address
Integrated Solutions for Systems
2564 Lee County Rd 151
Opelika, AL 36804
CAGE: 7HS10
DUNS: 080074916