TSM Special Topic - Advanced Manufacturing for Supersonic Aircraft
Response Date: June 24, 2026, 12:00PM EST
1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The ability to manufacture and sustain supersonic aircraft is a critical component of our national security posture. As global competition intensifies, it is imperative that the U.S. maintains a robust and resilient industrial base capable of producing next-generation aerospace systems. The Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program is tasked with ensuring the health and competitiveness of the U.S. defense industrial base, which includes mitigating supply chain risks, fostering innovation, and developing domestic manufacturing capabilities for critical technologies.
Currently, the manufacturing and sustainment of supersonic aircraft faces challenges related to cost, production speed, material availability, and the obsolescence of legacy systems. This fragmented and aging approach creates significant inefficiencies, hinders our ability to scale production, and increases reliance on foreign sources for critical components, posing a risk to national security.
2. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Department of War is urgently in need of innovative advanced manufacturing solutions to build and sustain the next generation of supersonic aircraft. The current industrial base capabilities are insufficient to meet the demands for reduced costs, enhanced performance, and a strengthened domestic supply chain. Without significant investment and innovation in manufacturing technologies, the U.S. risks facing critical supply chain vulnerabilities, struggling with the sustainment of existing fleets, and losing its strategic advantage in aerospace. These new solutions must accelerate development timelines, enable the use of advanced materials, and reduce acquisition and sustainment costs.
3. THE OPPORTUNITY
Entities are invited to submit solutions against this opportunity which meet or exceed the desired capabilities described below. All submissions must be made to the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (TSM), in conformance with the requirements, processes, and timelines identified within the official Tradewinds announcement available at Sam.gov. For the content requirements of the video submission, submitters shall follow the instructions in section 4 below. Aside from the video content instructions identified in paragraph 4 below, submitting entities shall follow all requirements, processes, and timelines within the Tradewinds Announcement v10.0, available on SAM.gov.
- Submissions against this opportunity will be collected between May 15, 2026 and June 24, 2026, 12:00PM EST. Reference the official Tradewinds Announcement for details on the solution submission process.
- Solutions which are deemed compliant and received timely will be queued for an assessment beginning July 1, 2026, and concluding no later than 12:00PM EST on July 31, 2026.
- In accordance with the Tradewinds process, solutions will be assessed against the Tradewinds rubric (Appendix B of the Tradewinds Announcement (pages 23-24)) and assigned a rating of either ‘Awardable’ or ‘Non-awardable’.
- Participating entities will receive notification of their assessment rating on or immediately after the conclusion of the assessment period (July 31, 2026).
- Solutions assessed as awardable will be placed in the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace and made available for future procurement actions.
4. DESIRED SOLUTION CAPABILITIES
For the content of the video submission against this opportunity, all submissions must adhere to the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace guidelines and submission instructions (TSM Announcement Section VII), and the below content instructions. As identified within the TSM Announcement, there are four required content elements that each video submission must address. Within each of the required content elements, for responses to this opportunity, submitters shall include the following information:
- Defining the Problem (Address the following as part of TSM criteria 1):
- The problem statement has already been defined (see paragraph 2 above). It is recommended that minimal time be spent on problem identification, however, the vendor must clearly demonstrate how their proposed solution directly solves the identified problem within the video submission.
- Accelerating the Mission (Address the following as part of TSM criteria 2):
- The sponsoring activity seeks innovative manufacturing solutions that directly support the urgent operational needs of current and future supersonic aircraft. Detail how the proposed solution will reduce acquisition and sustainment costs and shorten production timelines.
- It is required that the proposed solution strengthens the U.S. Defense Industrial Base. Detail how the technology or process will enhance domestic manufacturing capabilities and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities by reducing reliance on foreign sources for critical components and materials.
- Advancing the State of the Art (Address the following as part of TSM criteria 3):
- The proposed solution must advance the state of the art. The following technical areas are provided as examples of capabilities we are looking for. Detail how the solution is a significant improvement over existing technologies and processes.
- Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing): Maturation of processes (e.g., PBF-LB, EBF3) for flight-critical components using advanced materials like high-temperature thermoplastics, titanium alloys, and nickel-based superalloys.
- Advanced Materials: Application of lightweight, high-strength materials such as carbon fiber composites and metal matrix composites for high-stress, high-temperature environments.
- Robotics and Automation: Integration of robotics and automation into assembly and manufacturing to improve efficiency, precision, and safety.
- Reverse Engineering and Legacy Systems: Techniques for reverse-engineering legacy components for which technical data no longer exists to mitigate obsolescence.
- Advanced Repair Technologies: Innovative repair and sustainment technologies, such as laser cladding and cold spray, coupled with non-destructive inspection (NDI) techniques.
- Digital Engineering and Manufacturing: Implementation of digital tools like MBSE and digital twins to optimize manufacturing processes.
- Business Model (Address the following as part of TSM criteria 4):
- It is desired that the proposed solution fosters innovation and competition within the industrial base. Detail how the business model supports long-term viability, encourages broader adoption of the technology, and contributes to a more resilient and competitive domestic supply chain.
5. AWARDS
- All costs of preparing and submitting solution videos and submission forms are the responsibility of the submitting entity and not eligible for funding or reimbursement by the Government.
- Assessment as “awardable” and placement into the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace does not guarantee any current or future award.
- The Sponsor for this effort (IBAS) has identified that future awards resulting from this opportunity, if any, may be made through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC). While there is no requirement to be a current member of the DIBC to submit solutions against this opportunity, future awards may require participating entities to become DIBC members as a requirement for future awards. Information on the DIBC Consortium program can be found here: https://www.dibconsortium.org/
- Information related to the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace can be found at: https://www.tradewindai.com/tw-marketplace
