SHIELD just went live- If you aren't a Prime on, you need to be a Sub.

The $151 Billion "SHIELD" Expansion: Just days ago (Dec 18), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced an additional 1,086 awards under the SHIELD IDIQ. They have officially transitioned to the "Ordering Phase."

The Takeaway: If you aren't a Prime on SHIELD, you need to be a Sub. These Primes are now actively looking for partners to help them deliver AI, Machine Learning, and Digital Engineering at "War Speed."

 The SHIELD (Systems, Hardware, Integration, Engineering, Logistics, and Development) IDIQ is a $151 billion multiple-award contract vehicle established by the Missile Defense Agency to rapidly acquire end-to-end capabilities supporting U.S. missile defense missions. SHIELD covers the full lifecycle of missile defense systems, including advanced sensors, interceptors, command and control, modeling and simulation, systems engineering, integration, software development, cybersecurity, logistics, test and evaluation, sustainment, and emerging technologies such as hypersonic defense and space-based architectures. Now transitioned into the Ordering Phase, SHIELD enables MDA and supported DoD customers to issue task orders quickly to a broad pool of pre-qualified prime contractors, accelerating delivery while reducing acquisition risk across the Missile Defense System enterprise.  

 From a small-business perspective, the SHIELD IDIQ creates sustained subcontracting and teaming opportunities across missile defense programs by allowing the Missile Defense Agency to issue frequent task orders for engineering support, software development, cybersecurity, modeling and simulation, logistics, testing, data analytics, and niche technical services—many of which primes will source from qualified small businesses to meet capability gaps, speed delivery, and satisfy small-business participation goals.  

The SHIELD IDIQ vehicle now includes well over 2,000 companies across the initial and second tranche of awards, spanning large defense primes to mid-tier integrators and technology firms.

• Examples of newly added large primes reported in news coverage include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing, Anduril, Sierra Nevada Corp., Leidos, and others.