Special Programs Announcement for Office of Naval Research Opportunity: Enabling Technologies for Hypersonic Boost-Glide Vehicles

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Call (N0001426SBC10) from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) seeks to advance Hypersonic Aerodynamics, High Speed Propulsion, and Materials for the Flight Advancement of Structures for Hypersonics (FLASH) Innovative Naval Prototype (INP) program. The FLASH program aims to demonstrate a tactically relevant, low-cost, hypersonic capability for a strike vehicle, informing decisions on its development, manufacturing, and flight testing. The program seeks to integrate advanced hypersonic vehicle technologies to assess vehicle performance, controllability, affordability, and compatibility with existing systems like the Vertical Launch System (VLS) and Virginia Payload Module (VPM).

The announcement focuses on four Critical Enabling Technology (CET) areas:

• High TRL/Flight Qualified Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Systems and System Components: Seeking information on existing industry standard to state-of-the-art GNC systems compatible with hypersonic vehicles, including flight computers, INS, IMUs, GPS, flight termination, power, and communications. Systems must be compatible with extreme operational environments (vibe, shock, acceleration, temperature, etc.).
• High Temperature Structures, Thermal Protection Systems, Components, Manufacture and Test: Seeking information on traditional, less costly materials and systems for hypersonic vehicle components and structures that can tolerate extreme temperatures and mechanical loads. This includes high MRL skin materials, ultra-high temperature systems, ceramic matrix composites, elastomers, super alloys, coatings, and various components like motors, actuators, sensors, and seals.
• Scaled Design Verification and Flight Test Demonstration Capabilities: Seeking affordable, appropriately sized, subscale, free-flying vehicles for FLASH technology demonstration activities to verify flight performance and reduce risk for subsystems and components.
• Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis and Optimization (MDAO): Seeking insight into existing capabilities and novel concepts for an MDAO framework to accelerate the conceptual and preliminary design and mission analysis of hypersonic boost-glide weapons. This includes integrated design, aero-thermo-structural analysis, systems packaging, trajectory and control optimization, framework integration, AI/ML integration, and risk/manufacturability assessments.

Multiple contracts are anticipated. Grants are not being considered. The period of performance for MDAO projects is 1-3 years. Specific and near-term need dates for tech areas 1-3 are expected by May 2026. Approximately $(TBD) dollars per year is allocated for MDAO tech area 4.

• White Papers: Strongly encouraged, especially for COTS components/capabilities. Must be no more than 10 pages, responding to a specific topic. Evaluation will determine if the technology is of "particular value." Submission deadline: May 15, 2026.
• Oral Presentations: Offerors whose white papers are deemed of "particular value" may be invited for an oral presentation around June 25, 2026.
• Full Proposals: Detailed proposals will be encouraged from offerors whose technologies are identified as "particular value." Full proposals may also be submitted by any offeror. Submission deadline: August 17, 2026.

No specific set-asides are mentioned. Small businesses interested in subcontracting should contact the ONR Small Business Director. Proposals are sought from industry professionals.

• An Industry Day will be held on May 4, 2026, in Arlington, VA, for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) level discussion. Registration is required by April 27, 2026.
• Additional performance requirements may be accessible via CUI or classified addenda.
• All dates are notional and subject to change (STC).
• Points of contact for technical and business inquiries are provided.