Pre-solicitationPosted May 6, 2026·Responses due Mar 20, 2026

HADES (Hybrid Architecture and Development for Experimental Systems) Draft Request for Proposal

Air Force and Space Force · FA8809 SDA AND CMBT PWR SSC/SZK-IK

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
541715
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
FA8809-26-R-B002
Set-aside
No Set aside used
PSC
R425
Place
Kirtland AFB, NM, USA
Contact
Lt Col John Purcell (john.purcell.3@spaceforce.mil)
CSV Email

Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.

Where this opportunity stands

Every notice posted under solicitation FA8809-26-R-B002 in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Jan 21, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • Jan 28, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • Mar 9, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • Mar 16, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • Mar 17, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • May 6, 2026 · this notice
    Pre-solicitation
  • May 29, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • Jun 5, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
  • Jul 2, 2026
    Pre-solicitation
    Open
Solicitation
  • Aug 5, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Aug 5, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Aug 6, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Aug 20, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Sep 2, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Sep 16, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Mar 18, 2026 to Jul 19, 2026, middle of the range Apr 29, 2026.
Measured from 253 past early notices at Dept of the Air Force that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Jan 21, 2026).
Responses are due Mar 20, 2026, so an award before then is unlikely; past cases include short solicitations.

Next steps for this stage

Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.

  • Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
  • Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
  • Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.

What the notice says

5/6/2026 Update - The second round of Questions and Answers have been included. The Government expects to release an updated draft of L&M in the coming weeks based on industry feedback. Official RFP is expcted to be released by end of May 2026 pending any delays due to changes. 3/17/2026 Update - Updating the Jaguar and Ground Control PWS with a PDF document due to permissions issues in the previously uploaded word format. 3/16/2026 Update - Adding updated version of the Performance Work Statements for the Basic IDIQ and three Task Orders. Adding updated Notional Staffing for Ground Control TO… (show all)

Adding updated Notional Schedule 3/9/2026 Update � Adding updated copy of the draft RFP FA8809-26-R-B002, please note that many clauses will have deviations or will be updated due to the Revolutionary Far Overhaul. Expect to see many updated clauses and deviations in the final RFP. Adding updated section L&M Adding updated Award Fee Plan Adding updated Ordering Instructions Adding GFP list Adding draft CDRLs Adding HADES notional schedule Adding OCI Mitigation Plan checklist referenced in Section L Adding Questions/Comments and Answers received up to 20 Feb 26 Please review and continue sending questions and comments. 1/28/2026 Update - Adding three Task Order (TO) Performance Work Statements (PWS's), three notional staffing plans for the TO PWS's as identified in Sections L&M. Also clarifying engagements and questions: Please send your questions and comments to the POCs listed below early. We plan to update the Draft RFP and post them as we receive your feedback. This pre-solicitation notice is to provide a DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Hybrid Architecture and Development for Experimental Systems (HADES) contract. The Space Systems Command (SSC), Innovation and Prototyping Delta, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico intends to release a solicitation for a competitive Cost-Reimbursable (CR) with Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF), Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), and Cost CLINs contract to support satellite ground system and satellite operations center engineering, development, integration, and sustainment, and associated support services primarily at, but not limited to, the Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) Support Complex (RSC) at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The required services are described in the draft RFP. This pre-solicitation notice is for planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. The Government will not award a contract based upon vendor responses to this announcement. The Government does not assume any costs associated with obtaining the draft solicitation documents or industry responses to the draft solicitation documents. In accordance with FAR Part 15.201, Exchanges with Industry before Receipt of Proposals, the Space Systems Command (SSC) Innovation and Prototyping Delta (SD) is pleased to provide copies of the draft RFP for the HADES program. This draft RFP is provided to assist prospective offerors in the planning and development of proposals for future submission pending release of the final version. The information in this draft pre-solicitation is subject to change prior to release of the final RFP. The final RFP is scheduled to be released in Spring 2026. The North American Industry Classification System code for this DRAFT is 541715. The HADES team is encouraging industry input, comments, and questions from all interested companies. The purpose of exchanging information is to identify and resolve concerns regarding the acquisition and to improve the understanding of Government requirements and industry capabilities, thereby allowing potential offerors to judge whether or how they can satisfy the Government's requirements, and enhancing the Government's ability to obtain quality supplies and services at reasonable prices, and increase efficiency in proposal preparation, proposal evaluation, negotiation, and contract award. The government intends to post all questions/comments with answers on SAM.Gov, unless the questions/comments are marked company proprietary. Please limit the proprietary questions/comments as much as possible. The HADES team is interested in industry comments and feedback in the following key areas: Request feedback on Performance Work Statement (PWS) structure in relation to overall structure, format, ease of use/ understanding the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for consistency in proposing the WBS for individual task orders. Request feedback with respect to completeness, clarity, and understanding on the Award Fee Plan. Request feedback regarding appropriateness, adequacy, and sufficiency on documents currently provided in the draft RFP. The Government intends to add to the draft RFP and make changes throughout the comment period in response to feedback. Please provide your inputs, comments, and questions regarding the draft RFP to the following inbox: alyssa.phillips.4@spaceforce.mil or john.purcell.3@spaceforce.mil no later than 20 March 2026. Vendors must be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) prior to the award of any contract. You may register at www.sam.gov. This pre-solicitation notice is for planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. The Government will not award a contract based upon vendor responses to this announcement. The Government does not assume any costs associated with obtaining the draft solicitation documents or industry responses to the draft solicitation documents.

Who won similar work

113 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Match: Same agency (Air Force and Space Force), same NAICS 541715.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON INC · $BAH5$46.6MSep 24, 2025
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP · $LMT5$40.1MJan 8, 2026
RAYTHEON COMPANY · $RTX4$39.5MAug 5, 2026
SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC4$18.3MSep 29, 2025
DCS Corporation3$33.3BFeb 23, 2026
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP · $SPCX3$49.4MMar 6, 2026
MODERN TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, INC.2$33.2BMar 26, 2025
MATRIX RESEARCH INC2$109.9MJan 20, 2026
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION2$31.8MJul 21, 2026
SAAB, INC2$8.5MJul 23, 2025

Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in.

Latest awards

Competitive landscape

For the 8 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.

  • 1 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (8 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
  • $780K from their corporate PACs since 2024 to members of House Committee on Appropriations, House Committee on Armed Services, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on Armed Services
  • 1 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
See who and the source records with Pro

Policy around it

Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.

  • 8 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
  • 32 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

Market

For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards.

  • 4 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 6 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.

Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.