AFRL Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies (MITS)

The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded this Master IDIQ on September 28, 2016 with a shared ceiling of $46.6 million to procure research and development of manufacturing science and technology covering electronic, metallic, ceramic, composite, multifunctional, and additively manufactured materials, components, devices, and their manufacturing processes. The vehicle's ordering period closed on September 28, 2021, and no new task orders may be placed against it.

Fourteen task orders were awarded under the vehicle through September 2021, with combined potential value of $44 million. Of that, $43.2 million (98%) has been obligated, leaving minimal remaining ceiling capacity. Award activity peaked in 2021 with five orders; prior years averaged two to three orders annually. All 14 orders are unrestricted competitive awards with cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing.

Arctos Technology Solutions, LLC dominates the vehicle, holding 12 of 14 orders (93% of combined potential value at $41.3 million). General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. holds the remaining 2 orders valued at $2.7 million combined. All task orders funded Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RXM) efforts exclusively.

Recent task orders span diverse manufacturing domains. Arctos received multi-million-dollar awards for regional training labs ($12.97 million), manufacturing readiness and hypersonic process technology assessments ($4.5 million), composite consolidation ($3.4 million), and solid-state battery manufacturing ($2.9 million). Smaller orders addressed gallium-oxide crystal growth for high-power electronics, manufacturing readiness-level research, and low-cost ISR sensors. General Dynamics received orders for scalable vacuum technology and all-solid-state lithium battery development. All orders used cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing with ultimate completion dates between 2018 and 2024. This vehicle is closed to new task orders.

The objective of this effort is to obtain for the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division (AFRL/RXM) research and development directed towards increased knowledge and advanced state-of-the-art of manufacturing science and technology in order to bridge the gap between military manufacturing requirements and industrial capabilities. Specifically, AFRL/RXM requires the ability to: research, develop, design and prototype electronic, metallic, monolithic ceramic, composite, multifunctional, and additively manufactured materials, components and devices, and their manufacturing processes; identify manufacturing technologies which can bridge the gap between military needs and industrial capabilities; and perform R & D of new techniques, methods, and analytical tools to improve manufacturing technologies and practices.