Pulling Guard Industry Day

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Technology Office (TTO) has issued a Special Notice for an Industry Day focused on the Pulling Guard program, scheduled for March 18, 2025, at the Amentum Services Conference Center in Arlington, VA. This event is designed to provide potential proposers with detailed information about the program in advance of a planned Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The Pulling Guard initiative aims to develop a semi-autonomous platform to enhance the survivability of unarmed logistics vessels against uncrewed surface vehicle threats. The Industry Day will feature both unclassified (CUI) morning sessions and classified (SECRET) afternoon sessions, available both in-person and virtually. The program represents a significant effort to create innovative maritime defense capabilities through advanced technological solutions.

The primary objective of the Pulling Guard program is to develop a point-defense overwatch/escort system for maritime protection, structured across three focus areas including sensing, platform design, and ecosystem development. Contractors must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents representing U.S. companies, with attendance limited to 125 in-person participants with SECRET clearance and up to three virtual representatives per organization. Key deadlines include a registration close date of March 11, 2025, with opportunities for one-on-one meetings with the Program Manager on March 19, 2025. The program will be executed in two phases: an initial 18-month Development Phase focusing on platform and sensor/kill chain development, followed by a 21-month Integration, Manufacturing, and Commercial Transition phase. Critical requirements include remote supervisor control, secure communications, modular software/hardware design, and the use of formal methods for software development. The ultimate goal is to create commercial entities capable of providing "protection as a service" for vessels in high-threat environments, with systems that can defeat multiple unmanned surface vehicle threats.