The Missile Defense Agency has published the second of two new industry competitions planned for the continued sustainment and development of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system: Systems Integration, Test and Readiness (SITR).
On Aug. 13, MDA announced a draft solicitation -- which contains classified information -- is available to select companies cleared by the agency to review the acquisition tender.
"The SITR contractor will be responsible for integration and testing of an integrated weapon system to include the Next Generation Interceptor, GMD Weapon System, and In-Service Fleet," the notice states. "The SITR contractor will also provide support to legacy and future GMD ground weapon system operations and sustainment."
This spring, MDA announced it would break up the current arrangement for managing the GMD system under a single contract and replace it with five smaller projects -- two of which would be competed and three awarded on a sole-source basis.
That followed an assessment that began in September 2019, exploring options to infuse the GMD sustainment effort with new competition.
"MDA reviewed all acquisition equities and determined that based on the existing competitive environment that portions of the future development, production, operations, and sustainment of the GMD should be competitively aligned to minimize program risks and to provide effective defense of the homeland," the agency reported to Congress in late May.
The agency's fiscal year 2022 budget request notes: "MDA plans to competitively award a single System Engineering, Integration, Test, and Readiness (SITR) contract to provide along with the Technical Direction Agent (TDA) a synergistic approach in executing the element-level engineering, integration, test, and readiness of the GMD System."
MDA is eyeing the second quarter of FY-22 to award the SITR contract, according to the budget request.
In April, MDA disclosed the other new competition is for the GMD Weapon System Program.
"MDA plans to competitively award a single GWS contract to provide design, development, production, product level testing, sustainment planning, and deployment of new capabilities for the Weapon System," states the FY-22 budget request. Source selection for this component of the project is also slated for the second quarter of FY-22.
Separately, MDA plans to award sole-source contracts to the GMD's original equipment manufacturers to perform service life extensions and maintain the existing fleet, execute repairs, and software development.
Boeing currently leads an industry team that owns the GMD contract, originally awarded in 2011 and slated to continue providing end-to-end development and sustainment of the system through the end of 2023 -- a contract with a potential $11 billion total across 12 years.
As the GMD prime, Boeing -- along with Northrop Grumman -- oversees development, integration, testing, operation and sustainment. The contractor also oversees ground system elements and supports operation and sustainment and system engineering test support. Boeing integrates a Raytheon Technologies-built exoatmospheric kill vehicle on a booster stack built by Northrop.