Mk21A Reentry Vehicle

The Mk21A Reentry Vehicle (Mk21A RV) is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) managed by the Department of Defense under Acquisition Category IB. The program focuses on developing and manufacturing reentry vehicle technology for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) weapon system. Operating under the Major Capability Acquisition pathway, the program aims to achieve Initial Operating Capability by fiscal year 2030, representing a significant component of U.S. strategic deterrence capabilities.

The program's contract awards range from $1.7 million to $1.09 billion, with the largest awards going to Lockheed Martin Corporation's Space Division. Notable contracts include a $1.09 billion Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development phase contract awarded in October 2023 extending through 2039, and a $324.5 million Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction contract awarded in 2019. Key subcontractors include Hydra-Lock Corp, Reinhold Industries Inc., SGL Composites Inc., Avnet Inc., Powell Electronics, Inc., Advanced Thermal Batteries Inc., and Eaglepicher Technologies LLC. The program also includes smaller research initiatives, such as a $1.7 million Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II award to ATA Engineering for fluid-structure-material interaction modeling. The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command serves as the primary contracting authority, with most large contracts utilizing cost-plus pricing structures and no set-aside designations, while smaller research contracts maintain small business set-asides.