Missile Defense Agency - Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Announcement

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has established the Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Announcement, identified by solicitation number HQ0860-25-S-0001, as a flexible, overarching acquisition framework designed to accelerate the development and fielding of advanced missile defense technologies. Spanning from March 27, 2025, through March 27, 2030, this announcement does not solicit direct responses but serves as a portal for issuing individual solicitations under a unified structure that leverages multiple legal authorities including Broad Agency Announcements, Other Transaction Agreements, Procurement for Experimental Purposes, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, and Commercial Solutions Openings. The initiative targets disruptive innovations across kinetic and hypersonic defense, command and control battle management, non-kinetic and electronic warfare, space-based sensors and interceptors, digital transformation, radiation effects on electronics, and international cooperation, with an emphasis on agility, iterative development, and rapid capability transitions. Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov and comply with mandatory regulatory requirements including organizational conflict of interest provisions under FAR Subpart 9.5 and DFARS Subpart 209.5, cybersecurity standards aligned with NIST SP 800-171 for controlled unclassified information, and U.S. export control laws governing technology transfers and foreign national participation. Technical efforts may involve classified or unclassified work, with security and classification levels defined in each solicitation, and all communications must be unclassified and directed to MDA-NOBLE@mail.mil. The MDA anticipates issuing a variety of award instruments, ranging from traditional procurement contracts to non-traditional agreements such as Technology Investment Agreements and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, tailored to the nature of each innovation. The program encourages collaboration with non-traditional defense contractors, academia, and international partners under strict compliance with U.S. laws, and requires proposers to clearly define government rights in intellectual property and technical data. Individual solicitations published under NOBLE will specify detailed performance requirements, evaluation criteria, funding levels, and delivery timelines, with the contracting office located in Huntsville, Alabama. The Solicitation Tracker, maintained via SAM.gov following the discontinuation of the MDA_NOBLE_Solic_SN_Tracker spreadsheet, provides real-time updates on active opportunities such as the Shipborne Phased Array Instrumentation Radar, MDA Launchers, Low-Cost Interceptor, and High Altitude Infrared Search and Track