Definitive Contract FA238524CB003

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation's Space Systems Division was awarded a $21.85 billion definitive contract on December 1, 2023, by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop Technologies for Heat Removal in Electronics at the Device Scale (THREADS). Under the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, Northrop Grumman will work toward achieving an 8x reduction in transistor thermal resistance and an output power density of 81 W/mm through advanced nanotechnology and electronic engineering solutions. The contract, which will be performed at the company's Redondo Beach, California facility, is scheduled for completion by February 1, 2028, and carries no set-aside designation, indicating competitive award to this large prime contractor based on technical merit.

The prime contractor has engaged a multi-tiered subcontracting team to support THREADS development. Core subcontractors include the University of Texas at Dallas and Stanford University, both providing technical services and advanced research capabilities in materials science and aerospace engineering. Additional support is provided by Corporate Computer Centers, Inc., a woman-owned small business supplying electronic hardware components and technical services, and Majestic12 Electronics, Inc., a minority-owned and Asian-Pacific American-owned small business providing electronic components, computer hardware, and software. These subcontractor partnerships leverage specialized expertise in materials investigation, thermal management technologies, and advanced electronics manufacturing to achieve the program's aggressive technical milestones across multiple phases.