Request for Information (RFI) - Ration Supplement, Frameless Heater, for Meal, Ready-to-Eat - NSN 8970-01-321-9153

This is a Request for Information (RFI).  Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support, Subsistence Supply Chain, is requesting information on state of the art of the individual ration heater technology/performance

The supplies to be described are:

Item                NSN                            Item Name

FRH                8970-01-321-9153      Meal Ready To Eat (MRE), Heater

This is not a sources sought notice. This is a request for information. Periodically the government is required to update their product specifications to foster innovation and competition. The government seeks to update MIL-R-44398B RATION SUPPLEMENT, FLAMELESS HEATER, FOR MEAL, READY TO EAT. The specification for MIL-R-44398B is included as an attachment to this RFI. The government is requesting that interested parties review the specification and annotate language that is out of date and to propose language that better reflects the current state of the art for individual ration heaters, over the entire life cycle, specifically including the discussion of the constituent components, manufacture, packaging, storage, shipping/transport, safety of use, disposal, etc. Interested parties are requested to address issues on a global basis as the MRE is shipped and used globally.  The Government will collect the annotated documents and republish a performance based* specification based on current, innovative and possible future technologies.

**See below for areas of interest not covered in the current specification

Interested parties shall return the annotated document to the Government. In addition, the respondents shall separately supply, in a format of their choice, documentation that supports the annotated changes. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this RFI, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information provided to the Government.  This RFI does not constitute a commitment from the Government and any information provided in response to this market survey will be used for informational purposes only.  Any proprietary information submitted will be protected if appropriately marked.  Vendor participation is not a promise for future business with the Government.  The sole purpose of this RFI is to better understand available technology. 

Please provide the following company information  

Company Name:  _______________________________________

Cage Code (if available): ____________________________________________

Point of Contact: _______________________________________

E-Mail: _______________________________________________

* A performance-based specification is a type of technical requirement that defines what the end product or system must achieve — such as performance levels, efficiency, durability, or functional outcomes — without dictating exactly how to achieve it.

**

1. MREs have a long shelf life. The government is interested in expressing the shelf life of proposed MRE heaters as a performance specification based on the state of the art. i.e. “the heater shall demonstrate no loss of heating capacity when stored for 5-years at 88°F and 88% relative humidity” or the “heater shall demonstrate no less than 80% of heating capacity when stored for between 5-10 years at 88°F and 88% relative humidity”. These performance requirements shall be based on current or projected state of the art for individual ration heaters
2. Water on the battlefield is a difficult logistics problem. The government is interested in technologies that can heat the MRE meal without the use of added water and how those technologies could be included in a performance specification for ration heaters.

We thank you in advance for your participation. Your responses, questions, or concerns regarding this RFI are requested to be received by the close of business on June 22nd, 2026. Please respond via e-mail to the following address: Joseph.Venuto@dla.mil and Jacob.slotnick@dla.mil