Ground-Based Affordable Mass (G-BAM)

The Department of Defense, through the United States Army, is seeking innovative solutions to address the growing challenge of achieving affordable mass in high-intensity conflict scenarios against peer adversaries. Recognizing that hypersonic systems, while technologically advanced, are prohibitively expensive at over $50 million per round, this initiative prioritizes a ground-based, non-hypersonic long-range precision delivery system capable of high-volume production at a fraction of the cost—targeting a price point roughly one-tenth of existing high-end munitions. The goal is to enable sustained operational tempo by maximizing magazine depth through commercially driven, low-cost manufacturing techniques and readily available technologies, ensuring scalability and strategic resilience in prolonged engagements. This effort is structured under the official topic ARM26BX04-DV011, titled Ground-Based Affordable Mass (G-BAM), and is tied directly to a Defense Innovation Unit Challenge that serves as the exclusive gateway for SBIR Direct-to-Phase II awards under this solicitation. Only entities that win the DIU G-BAM Challenge are eligible to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation; all other submissions will be rejected without evaluation. The solicitation is a total small business set-aside, restricted to businesses with fewer than 500 employees as mandated by the SBIR/STTR program, and applications must be submitted through the DIU Open Solicitations portal by the deadline of July 22, 2026. The program is federally managed under the Department of Defense, with no specific place of performance identified, and is intended to accelerate the fielding of affordable, high-volume precision capabilities to restore strategic balance in future conflicts.