High Speed Low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) Radio Frequency (RF) Communications Systems for Space-to-Space and Space-to-Terrestrial Applications

SBIR topic MDA27BZ02-DV003 (U.S. Department of Defense – Missile Defense Agency), Phase I and II. Open to U.S. small businesses. Opens: December 2, 2026. Closes: January 6, 2027. Specific to this topic, to support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) mission of developing and deploying a layered Missile Defense System to defend the United States, its deployed forces, and friends from missile attacks in all phases of flight, the MDA seeks improved defensive communication capabilities by increasing bandwidth of new low size, weight, and power, radios and antennas to gigabyte speeds. Small form-factor (.1L) or less volume and low power (<10 W) RF radio utilizing Ku bands or higher (due to National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) restrictions) capable of transmitting data at speeds of 1.5Gbps or greater in a natural space environment is desired. Technology should also be capable of burst transmission of data through the atmosphere to flight vehicles at speeds of 1 Gbps or greater. Communications system capable of meshed (self-forming, self-healing network, high probability of delivery network) High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptors (HAIPE) interactions for inclusion into "Zero Trust" platforms and networks. Solutions should consider frequency diversity, antenna diversification, and advanced modulation and coding schemas for security and jamming prevention. At the end of the Phase II, two flight radio payloads would be the deliverables. Official solicitation: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/