Missile Defense Agency (MDA) ManTech


MDA Logo

 
The mission of the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Office, aligned under the Agency's Innovation, Science and Technology Directorate, is to address manufacturing challenges to reduce cost, improve manufacture cycle time, increase performance, and accelerate development of MDA weapons systems and support future production requirements emerging from science and technology programs.
 
The MDA Directive 4200.01, endorsed by the MDA Director, established policy to conduct a ManTech program consistent with Department of Defense (DoD) policy and strategy.

MDA's advanced technology focus is to seek out, develop, and deliver innovative technologies and capabilities across the missile defense system to outpace the threat.  The MDA ManTech Program matures advanced technologies and evolves missile defense capabilities through research and development testing and demonstrations, and enhances manufacturing technologies for insertion into missile defense systems.  MDA’s ManTech Program partners with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and other DoD Services and Agencies on projects whenever possible to reduce cost and risk.  Additionally, MDA’s ManTech Council (MTC) executes its mission by collaborating with MDA program executive offices, directorates, and its Science and Technology Council, which is chartered to identify and develop technologies that enable future capabilities.
   

Proposal Process


MDA solicits whitepapers for new ManTech projects through the Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs and MDA’s Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs).  Companies that wish to work with MDA to mature their technologies for fielding in an MDA system should submit a whitepaper directly addressing one of the research topics described in the announcements, clearly laying out the strengths of their technology and the work being proposed.  The whitepaper should clearly explain the following:
 
  • The technology, its maturity level, and how the maturity level has been demonstrated to date
  • What development is currently underway and who has funded it in the past
  • What development MDA is being asked to fund
  • What the status of the technology will be at the end of the proposed effort
  • The approximate cost or cost-share of the project
 
MDA will evaluate the whitepapers based on:
 
  • The feasibility and maturity of the technology
  • Its applicability to MDA programs
  • The expanded capabilities the technology would bring
  • Redundancy with other current technology maturation efforts
  • Joint applicability to other Service’s requirements
  • Cost
More detailed information on the proposal process and the business opportunities are available here.
 
For specific questions related to MDA ManTech contact: manufacturingtechnology@mda.mil

Investment Portfolio Areas


MDA ManTech, in collaboration with the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP), is currently investing in the following areas:
 
  • High Temperature Materials
  • Thermal Protection Systems
  • Directed Energy Enabling Technologies
  • Hypersonics
  • Increased Toughness of Composite Materials 
  • Flexible Hybrid Electronics
  • Nondestructive Evaluation Methods
  • Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing (AM) has created a new design space that allows for the utilization of designs that are difficult to manufacture with more traditional methods.  MDA is evaluating areas where AM significantly reduces lead time to produce parts and manufacturing process improvements, resulting in cost savings to the U.S. Government and the production of previously impossible or cost prohibitive designs.

Successes