MDA_NOBLE_Amendment 3_final.pdf

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited

Missile Defense Agency

Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Announcement

Amendment 3

March 27, 2025 – March 27, 2030

Missile Defense Agency

5224 Martin Road

Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898

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RECORD OF REVISIONS

Amendment No. Change Date 1 Update organization e-mail address to MDA-

MAA@mail.mil

Update title of Attachment 1 to “Solicitation/Special Notice Tracker”

Apr 2025

2 Update announcement name from “Multiple Authority Announcement (MAA)” to “Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE)” Announcement

Update organization e-mail address to MDA- NOBLE@mail.mil

Aug 2025

3 Section II. – Revised sentence and added link for MDA’s Opportunity Marketplace NOBLE page

Section III. - Update Department of Defense (DoD) to Department of War (DoW)

Section IV. - Update authorities

Section V. - Update Topic Area #7, Add Topic Area #9, Add Topic Area #10

Section VI. - Update Paragraph E and F

Section VII. - Update Paragraph D

Section X. – Removed attachment. Solicitation Tracker is available via the MDA Opportunity Marketplace and a link is provided in SAM.gov

July 2026

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I. OVERVIEW

SECTION II. PURPOSE

SECTION III. USE AND AVAILABILITY

SECTION IV. AUTHORITIES

SECTION V. DESCRIPTION

SECTION VI. GENERAL INFORMATION

SECTION VII. SOLICITATION INFORMATION

SECTION VIII. EVALUATION & SELECTION

SECTION IX. FEEDBACK

SECTION X: ATTACHMENTS ................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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SECTION I. OVERVIEW

A. Federal Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

B. Announcement Name: Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Announcement

C. Announcement Number: HQ0860-25-S-0001

D. Announcement Period: March 27, 2025 through March 27, 2030

E. Announcement Process: NOBLE consolidates several solicitation authorities under a single overarching announcement. As areas of need, capability gaps, or technical attributes/objectives are identified, individual solicitations will be released under this overarching announcement. Individual solicitations may be issued using any of the authorities listed in Section IV. Authorities. Offerors are encouraged to monitor this announcement for the release of individual solicitations which will include a specific technical description and identify a submission due date and time. NO WHITE

PAPERS, PROPOSALS, OR RESPONSES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THIS

ANNOUNCEMENT.

F. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 541715 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)

G. Agency Contact: All communication regarding this announcement should be

UNCLASSIFIED and submitted via email to MDA-NOBLE@mail.mil. DO NOT

EMAIL CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

SECTION II. PURPOSE

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Announcement is intended to provide a comprehensive acquisition strategy for a range of technical efforts. The authorities under this announcement should provide avenues for maturation and transition of applied research and advanced technology development, prototype and demonstration, and experimentation and testing efforts. Offerors are invited to learn more about MDA at https://www.mda.mil. Offerors should monitor the MDA Opportunity Marketplace for new and updated NOBLE information, opportunities and events at https://www.mda.mil/business/noble.html. and follow the NOBLE announcement on https://www.SAM.gov for posting of individual solicitations.

SECTION III. USE AND AVAILABILITY

This tool is available for use by all Department of War (DoW) entities. DoW entities interested in utilizing this announcement to issue a solicitation related to the topic areas (Section V.) should email MDA-NOBLE@mail.mil for further information and instruction.

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SECTION IV. AUTHORITIES

Solicitations issued under this announcement will utilize any single authority or a combination of the authorities below:

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA): Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation

(FAR) Overhaul (RFO) 35.102 / DFARS RFO 235.016

Other Transaction (OT) for Research: 10 U.S.C. §4021

OT for Prototype: 10 U.S.C. §4022

Procurement for Experimental Purposes (PEP): 10 U.S.C. §4023

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO): 10 U.S.C. §3458 / DFARS RFO 212.70

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA): 15 U.S.C. §3710a

DoW Grants and Agreements: 32 CFR §21-22

Technology Investment Agreement (TIA): 32 CFR §37

Other Competitive Procedures: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) 6.101(b)(3)

SECTION V. DESCRIPTION

A. Overview

MDA is committed to developing and fielding an integrated, layered Missile Defense System to safeguard the United States (U.S.) and its deployed forces and allies from the evolving threat of advanced missile attacks. Recognizing the dynamic nature of these threats, MDA prioritizes technological superiority through a multi-layered approach. This approach integrates cutting-edge sensors, kinetic energy systems, non-kinetic and other directed energy systems, robust battle management, and advanced command and control elements. This layered defense aims to neutralize threats across all phases of flight from far left-of-launch through fly-out, effectively countering a spectrum of ballistic and non-ballistic missiles.

Central to MDA's strategy is the development of resilient and adaptive defense mechanisms and an integrated approach to missile defeat. MDA is focused on fortifying the Missile Defense System against increasingly complex threat environments, including unknown missiles, advanced warheads, unpredictable trajectories, non-kinetics, and evolving adversary capabilities.

This is achieved through robust Joint Service Kill Webs, encompassing Ballistic Missile Defense, Cruise Missile Defense, and Hypersonic Missile Defense, ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive defense network that integrates offensive and defensive capabilities.

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MDA is actively pursuing prototype capability and technological breakthrough demonstrations across all domains of missile defense: planning, detection, identification, tracking, tasking, engagement, and assessment. The MDA objective is two-fold: to enhance the capabilities of current systems through near-term, evolutionary advancements, and to achieve revolutionary leaps in far-term systems. MDA is seeking innovative concepts, technological innovations, prototype demonstrations, and scientific breakthroughs that will significantly enhance the robustness and effectiveness of all Missile Defense System elements.

MDA is interested in the rapid development of cutting-edge, disruptive technologies to revolutionize missile defense capabilities. This includes the acceleration of development and deployment of critical technologies and emphasis on agility, iterative development and a focus on delivering tangible results within compressed timelines. Offerors should showcase and validate the capabilities and maturity of their proposed technology or system in a relevant missile defense context. MDA is seeking novel solutions that enhance effectiveness, affordability, acceleration, and operational superiority.

B. Topic Areas

Solicitations under this announcement could be issued relative to any of the following topic areas. These topic areas should be viewed as suggestive, rather than limiting.

1. Kinetic and Hypersonic Defense: Rapid development, demonstration and transition of cost efficient kinetic defense solutions against ballistic and hypersonic missile threats. This considers potential Missile Defense System concepts and technologies with a spectrum of capabilities and seeks technologies applicable to current interceptor concepts or completely new interceptor concepts. Multiple attributes should be considered in this area, such as: ability to intercept threats including ballistic, maneuvering, hypersonic, and cruise missiles; ability to intercept threats with ranges from short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBSs), and intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs); maximization of intercept range;

ability to intercept at endo-atmospheric or exo-atmospheric altitudes; ability to field an initial demonstration capability in 2-5 years; ability to disrupt the threat by rapidly developing a low cost interceptor.

2. Command and Control Battle Management: The Missile Defense System shall incorporate innovative and disruptive technologies to enhance missile defense effectiveness against evolving threats, including large-scale, diverse attacks. This includes improving threat tracking, discrimination, speed of delivery, communication resilience, and adaptability for faster, more informed decision-making in time-critical scenarios. The Missile Defense System shall prioritize advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, autonomous systems, directed energy, hypersonic defense, resilient networking, and cybersecurity to enable a more proactive and adaptable defense posture.

3. Integrated Non-Kinetic and Electronic Warfare: Develop and integrate scalable, multi-domain non-kinetic and electronic warfare (INK&EW) capabilities to achieve decisive effects, enhance decision-making tempo, minimize collateral damage, and ensure operational advantage in contested environments.

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4. Disruptive Technologies: The Missile Defense System shall incorporate disruptive technologies to rapidly field advanced capabilities. This effort prioritizes innovations ready for immediate application or near-term transition, focusing on areas such as AI, directed energy, hypersonic defense, resilient networking, and cybersecurity. This could include novel concepts in the areas of satellite ground Telemetry, Tracking and Commanding (TT&C) capabilities, effectors, high-performance sensor algorithms, space-based tracking phenomenologies and discrimination, space-based off-board sensing concepts for weapons guidance and AI/machine learning (ML) for space/ground applications. These technologies shall enhance the defense system's effectiveness against rapidly evolving threats through enhanced situational awareness, rapid decision-making, and effective response options.

This could also include rapid demonstration and prototype development of disruptive technologies to accelerate the deployment and maintenance of a missile defense shield over the United States. This effort, encompassing new system-level capabilities, component concepts, upgrades to existing systems, and novel concepts of operation (CONOPS) across the entire kill chain, will focus on enhancing the Missile Defense System ability to deter and defend against any foreign aerial attack.

5. Space-based Sensors, Interceptors and Effectors: Incorporate disruptive technologies to maintain space domain awareness superiority and enable effective operations in contested environments. This includes, but is not limited to, developing and integrating resilient satellite constellations, advanced sensor modalities, on-orbit servicing and manufacturing, AI for space situational awareness, and counter-space capabilities. These advancements shall ensure persistent sensing, resilient communication, electromagnetic dominance, and freedom of action within the space domain.

Space-based interceptors (SBI) and effectors includes, but is not limited to, interceptor or effector concepts/capabilities, advanced light-weight space propulsion technology for high acceleration performance, small satellite and associated technologies, seeker technologies, sensor technologies that can handle high-closing speeds, on-board processing algorithms and hardware, low latency communications, target discrimination, advanced light-weight Telemetry, Tracking and Commanding (TT&C) capabilities, SBI fire control and battle management architectures.

6. Digital Revolution: Develop and integrate advanced analytics, including AI/ML, statistical methods, and computational intelligence, to enhance all aspects of missile defense, from threat characterization and target recognition to resource allocation and consequence management.

This includes capabilities for rapid data processing, multi-modal analysis, and secure interfacing with classified and unclassified systems. Efforts shall enhance missile defense effectiveness by leveraging AI/ML, disruptive technologies, and interoperable, adaptable architectures. This could also include improved threat detection and tracking accuracy, accelerated decision-making, ensuring communication resilience, and enabling proactive defense through AI-informed insights and flexible response options to counter evolving, large-scale threats in complex environments.

7. Radiation Effects on Electronic Devices and Systems: New methodologies and technologies for characterizing complex components (System on Chip (SoCs), Field-

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Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)) across a full spectrum of radiation environments including heavy ion, proton, neutron, total ionizing dose (TID), and prompt dose rate; utilizing diagnostic techniques such as pulsed lasers; applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to optimize test execution and automate data analysis; developing validated and physics-based models and digital twins to predict system performance; and culminating in prototype demonstrations within relevant space or man-made radiation environments to validate these new capabilities, etc.

8. International Missile Defense System Cooperation: Efforts that involve working directly with a foreign company, entity or university as either a partner or major subcontractor. All efforts related to this topic will be subject to U.S. Export Control laws and may be subject to additional requirements and/or regulations.

9. Innovative Technologies and Applications for Targets: Advancements in areas including but not limited to: materials research and evaluation (digital and physical); conceptual designs (digital and physical) from component level to subsystem level to system level; prototype development, ground testing, and flight testing; and, the modeling, simulation, and analyses necessary to demonstrate the viability of the concepts. These advancements are not limited to target performance, but also performance predictions, acquisition cost, and acquisition lead time.

These advancements may apply to payloads, associated objects, launch vehicles, or launch platforms.

10. Sensor and Processing Technologies: MDA is seeking new disruptive technologies to enhance current Track, Engage, Discriminate, and Assess mission applications for Missile Defense System – Next (MDS-Next), including their respective data collection areas: boost, post-boost, midcourse, and glide (Track); endo- and exo-atmospheric interceptor terminal guidance (Engage); and intercept assessment (Assess). These efforts include assessing and characterizing neuromorphic Event-Based Sensing (EBS) and processing. Solution categories can include algorithms, artificial intelligence/machine learning applications, proof of concept, prototypes, demonstrations, across Land, Sea, Air, and Space domains with a path to an operational capability. The Government is also interested in enabling capabilities, combined phenomenology and commercial sensor data, and development of associated models, tools, and simulations.

C. Technical Description

Individual solicitations will state specific areas of need, capability gaps, or technical attributes/objectives.

SECTION VI. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Communication

All communication regarding this announcement should be UNCLASSIFIED and submitted via email to MDA-NOBLE@mail.mil. DO NOT EMAIL CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

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Dialogue with any Government representative related to this announcement shall not constitute a commitment by the Government. Any dialogue that takes place will not be taken into consideration during the submission or evaluation of responses to individual solicitations. Only Contracting and Agreements/Grants Officers are legally authorized to make commitments on behalf of the Government.

B. Eligible Offerors

Offerors should review individual solicitations for information regarding eligibility.

C. System for Award Management (SAM)

Offerors responding to any individual solicitation under this announcement must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.SAM.gov at time of response and prior to any award. This includes completion of any required representations and certifications.

D. Security Requirements

Individual solicitations issued under this announcement will specify whether responses are expected at the unclassified or classified level. Individual solicitations will specify the desired level of performance along with the applicable security requirements.

E. Export Control

The technical areas in this announcement and any individual solicitation may contain export controlled technologies that are subject to U.S. Export Control laws, including the Arms Export Control Act (22 USC Chapter 39), the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR § 120-130 and/or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR) 15 CFR § 730-774). Offerors are hereby notified that access to any Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and legacy For Official Use Only (FOUO) will be limited to U.S. Persons and dual citizens that do not violate the Countries list in 22 CFR 16.1.

F. Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting

Protection of Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is of paramount importance to MDA and can directly impact the ability of MDA to successfully conduct its mission. Awards made from this solicitation may include certain regulations related to the protection of FCI and CUI and certain requirements for rapid reporting of cyber incidents.

Awardees may be subject to the security requirements in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, “Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations” Rev 2 and requirements of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program. More information about the CMMC Program, including definitions of FCI and CUI can be found at https://dowcio.war.gov/CMMC/About/.

G. Organizational Conflicts of Interest https://dowcio.war.gov/CMMC/About/

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It is MDA policy to ensure all appropriate measures are taken to resolve Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs) and unfair competitive advantages to prevent the existence of conflicting roles that might bias an offeror’s judgement and deprive MDA of objective advice or assistance, and to prevent offerors from gaining an unfair competitive advantage. All offerors are responsible for identifying and analyzing any potential or actual OCIs that exist as a result of responding to any solicitations under this announcement.

All offerors, regardless of award type, are subject to the OCI rules, procedures and responsibilities described in FAR Subpart 9.5 “Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest” and DFARS Subpart 209.5 “Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest”.

These regulations prescribe responsibilities, general rules and procedures for identifying, evaluating and resolving OCIs. All offerors, regardless of award type, are also subject to the rules in FAR 3.101-1 “Standards of Conduct – General” and the cases implementing it (See Health Net Fed. Svcs., B-401652.3 and others), which address unfair competitive advantages that can result from contractors hiring or associating with former Government employees.

H. Rights in Intellectual Property to include Technical Data and Computer Software

All offerors, to the maximum extent practicable, should be prepared to appropriately define the rights of the Government regarding Intellectual Property, including but not limited to rights in technical data and/or computer software to be delivered to the Government under any proposed effort. This includes both commercial and non-commercial items. If no restrictions to the Government’s use of Intellectual Property including technical data and/or computer software delivered under the effort are intended, the offeror should so state. Government rights in Intellectual Property may be further negotiated prior to award, which could include priced options.

I. Use of Non-Government Personnel

The Government may use selected Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), non-Government contracted support, and other non-Governmental personnel to assist in the evaluation and administrative handling of responses. These persons are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflict of interest statements to protect proprietary information. Non- Government advisors are limited to reviewing responses and providing technical advice to the Government and are prohibited from making recommendations for selection. Responses submitted to any solicitation under this announcement constitutes the offeror’s acknowledgment and consent to the use of non-Government personnel.

J. Ineligibility

Offerors may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement and the applicable solicitation are not met.

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SECTION VII. SOLICITATION INFORMATION

A. Response Date

NO WHITE PAPERS, PROPOSALS OR RESPONSES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THIS

ANNOUNCEMENT. Individual solicitations will specify a response date and time.

B. Industry Engagement

Individual solicitations will specify whether any Industry Engagement event(s) will be held.

C. Anticipated Awards

Individual solicitations will specify the anticipated number of awards. MDA reserves the right to award all, some, or none of the responses submitted to an individual solicitation.

D. Instrument (Award) Type

Individual solicitations will ask the offeror to recommend the best instrument type to allow for the best solution. MDA reserves the right to select and award the instrument type best suited for the nature of work proposed. MDA anticipates individual solicitations will use a mix of FAR and non-FAR instrument types to include, but not limited to:

FAR-based Procurement Contract Other Transaction (OT) Agreement or OT-like Agreement

Other award types may be considered and some award types may be prioritized as mandated by law or policy.

E. Period of Performance

Individual solicitations will specify the anticipated period of performance for the effort.

F. Funding Availability

Individual solicitations may state the anticipated funding levels. Due to Government budget uncertainties and fluctuations, offerors should be aware that funding availability may change with little or no notice. All awards are subject to the availability of funds.

G. Responses

Individual solicitations will specify requirements for response. MDA will protect all responses and proprietary information from unauthorized disclosure and will only disclose the contents for the purpose of evaluation. Offerors are responsible for marking proprietary information with the proper disclosures.

SECTION VIII. EVALUATION & SELECTION

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A. Evaluation Criteria

Individual solicitations will specify the criteria to be used in evaluation of responses.

B. Selection Criteria

Individual solicitations will state the criteria for selection of responses. It is anticipated the basis for selection will be the results of the evaluation and funding availability. MDA reserves the right to select all, some, or none of a particular response.

C. Notices

Individual solicitations will state the process for notification of selection or non-selection.

SECTION IX. FEEDBACK

Individual solicitations will state the availability of feedback and/or debriefs, if any.