US Navy seeks to boost production of new anti-radar missile

TL;DR

The U.S. Navy has issued an RFI to double annual production capacity for Advanced Emission Suppression Missiles from 300 to 600 units, responding to guided-missile shortages following the Iran War. The request prioritizes mature anti-radiation missile designs at TRL 6+ that are compatible with F/A-18 and F-35 platforms. This surge in demand follows a pause in procurement of the AGM-88G AARGM-ER program until FY2028, creating a window for alternative solutions to compete for near-term production. The move signals urgent procurement pressure and a preference for fieldable systems that can be scaled quickly. Contractors with production-ready designs, supply-chain depth, and export-control/compliance postures must assess capture opportunities now. Expect follow-on solicitations and production-focused acquisition vehicles; prepare capture plans, compliance evidence, and manufacturing scale-up options immediately. Use this alert to triage opportunities and mobilize cross-functional teams for rapid response.

Key Points

• What happened: The Navy issued an RFI seeking to double production of Advanced Emission Suppression Missiles from 300 to 600 units per year, driven by guided-missile shortages after the Iran War and a pause in the AGM-88G AARGM-ER program until FY2028.
• Who is affected: Defense and aerospace contractors, specifically firms aligned with the listed market segments and NAICS codes in segmentation (see Who Is Affected).
• Timeline: The Summary states the AARGM-ER procurement is paused until FY2028; additional procurement timeline details are pending source review.
• What contractors should do NOW: Immediately validate TRL and platform compatibility of relevant designs (TRL 6+ and F/A-18/F-35 compatibility), prepare manufacturing scale-up and quality/cost models, assemble export-control and cybersecurity compliance evidence (ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), EAR, DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) 252.204-7012, NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171)/CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) readiness), and alert capture/proposal teams to pursue near-term solicitations. Use Cabrillo tools to triage opportunities, update pipelines, and begin proposal workflows.

Who Is Affected

• Market segments: Defense; Aerospace; Guided Missiles and Munitions; Electronic Warfare; Aviation Weapons Systems.
• NAICS codes: 336414, 336415, 541712, 541330, 336413.
• Agencies: DOD; Department of the Navy; Naval Air Systems Command.
• Contract vehicles: IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity); Other Transaction Authority (OTA); Production Other Transaction (POT).
• Compliance surfaces: ITAR; DFARS 252.204-7012; CMMC; NIST 800-171; EAR.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly is the Navy asking for?

The Navy issued an RFI seeking to double Advanced Emission Suppression Missile production from 300 to 600 units per year and is prioritizing mature anti-radiation missile designs at TRL 6+ with compatibility for F/A-18 and F-35. Further procurement details and solicitations are pending source review.

Q: Can immature designs or lower TRL systems compete?

Summary guidance emphasizes TRL 6+ (mature designs). Contractors with systems below TRL 6 should treat participation as lower-probability for near-term production; pathways and timeline for insertion are pending source review.

Q: Which acquisition vehicles will be used to award production work?

Segmentation indicates potential use of IDIQ, OTA, and Production Other Transaction (POT) vehicles. Specific vehicle selection and award timing are pending source review.

Definitions

• RFI: Request for Information — a solicitation instrument used to gather information from industry.
• TRL 6+: Technology Readiness Level 6 or higher — indicates a system has been demonstrated in a relevant environment.
• Advanced Emission Suppression Missile / anti-radiation missile: Missiles designed to detect and engage radar emitters (term used in the Title and Summary).
• AARGM-ER (AGM-88G): A named anti-radar missile program referenced in the Summary; procurement paused until FY2028.

Intelligence Response

• Cabrillo Signals War Room — Already detected this event and delivered this briefing. The War Room will continue to monitor Navy notices and RFI updates and push alerts for any follow-on solicitations or sources that change the acquisition posture.
• Cabrillo Signals Match Engine — Will automatically rescore opportunity pipelines and supplier match lists based on TRL, platform compatibility (F/A-18/F-35), and the increased production demand.
• Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub — Tracks the affected NAICS codes, agencies, and contract vehicles listed in segmentation and will surface saved-search alerts when relevant solicitations or presolicitation notices appear on SAM.gov (System for Award Management).
• Proposal Studio (Proposal OS) & Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker — Use Proposal OS to assemble compliance matrices (ITAR, EAR, DFARS 252.204-7012, NIST 800-171/CMMC) and win themes; use Workflow Tracker to initiate a 9-gate capture workflow, route compliance reviews, and maintain audit-ready documentation.

Who to notify

• Capture Lead — prime driver of bid/no-bid and capture planning.
• VP Business Development — prioritization and resource allocation.
• Chief Engineer / Program Lead — validate TRL and platform integration risk.
• Security/Compliance Officer — confirm ITAR/EAR and NIST/CMMC posture.
• Manufacturing/Operations Lead — assess production scale and supply-chain risk.

Leverage Winning Federal Contracts Guide (/insights/winning-federal-contracts) and reference CMMC Compliance Guide (/insights/cmmc-compliance-guide) and CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information)-Safe CRM Guide (/insights/cui-safe-crm-guide) while preparing responses.

First 48-hour response playbook

• Hour 0–4: Confirm receipt of this alert with leadership; kick off an immediate capture triage meeting. Task Chief Engineer to validate TRL and platform-compatibility claims; task Security/Compliance to inventory ITAR/EAR and DFARS/NIST/CMMC posture.
• Hour 4–12: Use Cabrillo Signals Match Engine to rescore pipeline opportunities and identify which product lines meet TRL 6+ and F/A-18/F-35 compatibility. Begin building a compliance evidence package in Proposal Studio (Proposal OS).
• Hour 12–24: Assemble a 9-gate capture workflow in Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker; assign roles, set deadlines for draft responses to potential solicitations, and start supplier capacity assessments for scale to 600 units/year.
• Hour 24–48: Finalize bid/no-bid recommendation, produce a readiness memo (engineering, production, compliance), and prepare initial questions for the Navy’s RFI or upcoming solicitation. Set saved-search alerts in Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub for SAM.gov updates.