The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) last week issued a new solicitation as part of its Golden Dome efforts that give industry an ongoing five-year opportunity to present new missile defense ideas to the government on several key topics.
According to a May 9 solicitation, called MDA Advanced Capability Concepts, the agency is seeking white papers to provide “innovative concepts, technological innovations, prototype demonstrations, and scientific breakthroughs that will significantly enhance the robustness and effectiveness of all Missile Defense System elements.”
Advanced Capability Concepts is an outgrowth of the
Multiple Authority Announcement vehicle unveiled in March that aims to let DoD quickly pursue non-traditional acquisition to further the Trump Administration’s Golden Dome initiative (Defense Daily, March 31).
This latest notice entails a two-step process, with those passing the initial phase then receiving a request for information or documentation to proceed with negotiations towards an award.
The government wants white papers from the topic areas found in the Multiple Authority Announcement, including rapid development and transition of cost efficient kinetic and hypersonic defense solutions; technologies to enhance command and control battle management; scalable multi-domain integrated non-kinetic and electronic warfare; disruptive technologies that rapidly field advanced capabilities like AI, directed energy, hypersonic defense, resilient networking and cybersecurity; space-based sensors, interceptors and effectors; digital revolution with advanced analytics and computational intelligence to enhance all aspects of missile defense; single event effects test methodologies and technologies like using lasers, modeling, X-rays, protons and automated test software to improve testing speed.
The last area covers efforts that involve working directly with foreign companies, universities or other entities, for more international missile defense system cooperation.
Interested offerors can submit white papers any time from May 9, 2025 to May 8, 2030.
Notably, the notice said MDA anticipates making multiple selections and plans to use a mix of both Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and non-FAR award types, like Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) or OT-like agreements.
MDA said the white papers in step one should recommend an award type the government should consider for their effort.
“Should the white paper submission be selected for Step-Two, the Government and offeror will further negotiate the best award type for the effort. Other award types may be considered and some award types may be prioritized as mandated by law or policy.”
The agency said the white papers will be evaluated against technical achievement, research capabilities and program management, with technical achievement the most important, ranked as the equivalent of research capabilities and program management combined.