Missile Defense Agency considers replacing or upgrading THAAD using MOSA and other open-systems standards
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – U.S. ballistic missile defense experts are reaching out to industry to find companies with the interest, knowledge, and resources to replace or upgrade the existing Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.
Officials of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in Huntsville, Ala., released a request for information (MDA22THRFI01) on Tuesday for the Terminal Missile Defense Layer Enhancement project, which will rely on open-systems standards.
Evolving missile threats present complex challenges to existing missile defense systems, which drives the need for new solutions to enhance the terminal defense layer, MDA officials say.
THAAD plays a key role in the terminal missile-defense layer by protecting against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles using hit-to-kill technology. MDA continues to develop, procure, and sustain the THAAD Weapon System.
MDA experts are interested in potential open-systems solutions that could defeat known and future terminal-defense threats, and in determining industry’s interest and capability to build, test, and support these solutions.
Proposed solutions should capitalize on design guidelines of the military's Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), other open-systems standards, and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, software, operating systems, and middleware.
Companies should provide details of how proposed solutions would integrate with the broader missile-defense systems architecture, and describe its logistics and sustainment.
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Solutions should address development and fielding of existing THAAD components, such as its launcher, fire control, communications, interceptor, support equipment, integration, and testing. This project should begin in 2025.
Companies interested should email unclassified responses no later than 6 June 2022 to [email protected] , with RFI Terminal Missile Defense Layer Enhancement in the subject line.
More information on MOSA open-systems standards is online at https://ac.cto.mil/mosa/. More information about the Terminal Missile Defense Layer Enhancement project is online at https://sam.gov/opp/002e79ece1874b19839a96f74aba304b/view.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
