Special NoticePosted Oct 22, 2026·Responses due Nov 17, 2026

HERMES BAA CALL: Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine-Combined Cycle (RDRE-CC) Flight Demonstration

Air Force and Space Force · FA9300 AFTC PZR

In plain words

Air Force and Space Force is planning to buy "HERMES BAA CALL: Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine-Combined Cycle (RDRE-CC) Flight Demonstration". This is an early notice: it is not taking bids yet. The work is in Edwards, CA, USA. Responses are due Nov 17, 2026. In the last 2 years, similar work went to 10 or more companies, usually for about $6.0M per award. An award is expected between November 2026 and March 2027.

Put together from the facts on this page; the details and sources are below.

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
541715
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
FA9300-20-S-0001-CALL-RDRE-CC
Set-aside
No Set aside used
PSC
AC11
Place
Edwards, CA, USA
Contact
Mathew Pierson (mathew.pierson@us.af.mil)
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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 FA9300-20-S-0001-CALL-RDRE-CC in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Oct 1, 2026
    Special Notice
    View
  • Oct 19, 2026
    Special Notice
    View
  • Oct 22, 2026 · this notice
    Special Notice
  • Oct 22, 2026
    Special Notice
    View
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Nov 26, 2026 to Mar 29, 2027, middle of the range Jan 7, 2027.
Measured from 253 past early notices at Dept of the Air Force that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Oct 1, 2026).

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

============================================== AMENDMENT 0002 - NOTICE OF THE USE OF NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS & RELEASE OF REVISED ATTACHMENT 2 (v2) ============================================== The purpose of this update is to notify interested parties of two critical administrative and technical updates to the subject 2-Step Call: 1. RELEASE OF REVISED TECHNICAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (v2): The Government has released v2 of the Controlled Technical Q&As (Distribution C) to provide additional clarification. Specifically, a new clarification has been added as Question 2.3, "Air-Launched Flight De… (show all)

monstration." As a result of this insertion, the former Questions 2.3 and 2.4 have shifted to Questions 2.4 and 2.5, respectively. All vetted contractors must request access to the updated attachment: "Attachment 2 - Call Q&A v2 (Distribution C)" via the SAM.gov "Attachments" portal. You MUST enter your company's CAGE Code in the "Reason for Request" text box to facilitate rapid cross-referencing against our registration log.** 2. All prospective offerors are hereby notified that the Government intends to utilize a non-government advisor to provide technical advisory support during the evaluation of Phase I White Papers and subsequent Phase II Proposals resulting from this Call. a. ADVISOR ENTITY: Technical advisory support will be provided by an authorized subcontractor under Sierra Lobo, Inc. (SLI) (Contract FA930023F6001). b. ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY: The advisor's role will be strictly advisory and non-governmental. The advisor will provide technical subject matter expertise to assist the Government evaluators but will not assign ratings, make selections, or perform any inherently governmental decision-making functions. c. DATA PROTECTION: In accordance with RFO Part 15.108 and 15.201, the advisor is bound by strict, legally binding Government Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and statutory Procurement Integrity Act requirements to safeguard all contractor proprietary and source selection sensitive information. d. OBJECTION PROCESS: Prospective offerors who have a specific, documented objection to the disclosure of their proprietary white paper/proposal data to Sierra Lobo, Inc. personnel must submit their objection, including a detailed technical/business justification, to the Contracting Officer (mathew.pierson@us.af.mil) within three (3) business days of this posting. Failure to submit a written objection within this timeframe shall be deemed as concurrence with the use of the specified non-government advisor. ============================================== END of AMENDMENT 0002 ============================================== ============================================== AMENDMENT 0001 - NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF TECHNICAL Q&AS (DISTRIBUTION C) ============================================== The purpose of this update is to notify interested parties that official Government Responses to Industry Questions has been finalized. Because these Q&As address technical details of the Call, they have been marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) under Distribution Statement C (Distribution authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors). INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACCESS: 1. Previously Vetted Contractors (Already Approved for Attachment 1): Please request access to "Attachment 2 - Call Q&A (Distribution C)" via the SAM.gov "Attachments" portal. CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: You MUST enter your company's CAGE Code in the "Reason for Request" text box on SAM.gov. Access will be cross-referenced against the Government's approved registration log and granted immediately upon validation. Requests submitted without a CAGE Code will be rejected. 2. New Requestors: If you have not yet been vetted, you must request access to both Attachment 1 and Attachment 2 simultaneously. You must submit your active Joint Certification Program (JCP) details, CAGE Code, and a valid US-citizen company email address in accordance with the original access protocols detailed below. ============================================== END of AMENDMENT 0001 ============================================== SPECIAL NOTICE � CALL FOR PROPOSALS Department of the Air Force / Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Rocket Propulsion Division � Edwards AFB, CA HERMES Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) FA9300-20-S-0001 CALL: Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine-Combined Cycle (RDRE-CC) Flight Demonstration Parent Solicitation Number: FA9300-20-S-0001 Call Identifier: FA9300-20-S-0001-CALL-RDRE-CC Prior Market Research Notice: RFIFA930026R0001 NAICS Code: 541715 � Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) Product Service Code (PSC): AC11 � National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense; Basic Research Response Date (Step 1 - White Papers): [16 NOV 2026] at 1600 PST Set-Aside: Full and Open Competition (under RFO 35.102) 1. Program Description The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rocket Propulsion Division (AFRL/RJP), located at Edwards AFB, CA, is issuing a formal Two-Step Call for Proposals under the overarching HERMES Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) FA9300-20-S-0001. This Call follows the market research previously conducted and publicized under RFI Notice ID RFIFA930026R0001. AFRL/RJP seeks innovative research and development approaches to mature advanced Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine-Combined Cycle (RDRE-CC) propulsion systems from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to TRL 6. This research effort is intended to culminate in a ground-launched, sounding-rocket-boosted flight demonstration to validate the system's operational viability for future High-Speed Affordable Mass Munitions (HAMM). The scope encompasses: Maturation and demonstration of RDRE-CC propulsion technology through RDRE development and test, integrated RDRE-CC direct-connect and freejet testing, vehicle development, and flight demonstration.The anticipated Period of Performance (PoP) for resultant award(s) is 36 to 48 months. 2. Acquisition Structure (Two-Step BAA Process) In accordance with RFO 35.102 and Section IV of the Hermes Master BAA, this Call utilizes a Two-Step solicitation process: Step 1: White Paper Submission Interested offerors are invited to submit a concise White Paper outlining their proposed technical architecture, compliance with the seven Specific Test Objectives (STOs), schedule milestones, and a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost. No contract awards will be made based solely upon Step 1 White Paper submissions. Step 2: Request for Proposals (RFP) The Government will evaluate White Papers using a Peer/Scientific Review process based on the criteria published in the Call. Only those offerors whose White Papers are evaluated as having high technical merit, relevance to HAMM objectives, and for which funding is available, will be formally invited to submit a full, high-fidelity Technical and Cost Proposal. The Government anticipates completing its Step 1 White Paper evaluations and issuing notifications within approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks following the submission closing date. 3. Submission Guidelines & Page Limits Format: Submissions must be in Adobe PDF format, standard business font (10-point minimum), double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Page Limitations: Core White Paper: Strictly limited to ten (10) pages (excluding the single, self-explanatory Title Page). Technical Appendix (Optional): Offerors may include an optional appendix of up to five (5) pages, strictly restricted to engineering drawings, CAD schematics, aerothermal performance curves, test data summaries, and modeling results. (Narrative marketing or promotional text is prohibited in the appendix). Enforcement: Pages exceeding the stated 10+5 limits will be removed prior to evaluation and will not be reviewed. 4. Security & Access to Controlled Call Document (Distribution Statement C) The detailed technical requirements, vehicle constrai

Who won similar work

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

Single-winner award sizes (95): middle half $1.5M to $15.0M, median $6.0M; range $35K to $33.2B.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON INC · $BAH · $11.1B5$46.6MSep 24, 2025
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP · $LMT · $77.0B5$40.1MJan 8, 2026
RAYTHEON COMPANY · $RTX · $93.5B4$39.5MAug 5, 2026
DCS Corporation3$109.7M + 1 sharedFeb 23, 2026
SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC3$12.1MSep 29, 2025
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP · $SPCX3$10.1M + 1 sharedMar 6, 2026
MATRIX RESEARCH INC2$109.9MJan 20, 2026
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION · $NOC · $42.9B2$31.8MJul 21, 2026
MODERN TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, INC.2$2.3M + 1 sharedMar 26, 2025
MORSECORP, INC1$33.2BJan 15, 2025

Value counts new single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling (same contract, or the same office, day and amount); that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in. Contract modifications are not new awards and are not added in either (1 here). Notices whose amount is a placeholder such as $999,999,999 are not added in. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's revenue over the latest 12 months in its SEC filings.

Investor context
  • $BAH reported $11.1B revenue (12 months to Jun 30, 2026). The median single-winner award in these 95 past awards, $6.0M, is under 0.1% of that. SEC filing
  • $LMT reported $77.0B revenue (12 months to Jun 28, 2026). The median single-winner award in these 95 past awards, $6.0M, is under 0.1% of that. SEC filing
  • $RTX reported $93.5B revenue (12 months to Jun 30, 2026). The median single-winner award in these 95 past awards, $6.0M, is under 0.1% of that. SEC filing
  • $NOC reported $42.9B revenue (12 months to Jun 30, 2026). The median single-winner award in these 95 past awards, $6.0M, is under 0.1% of that. SEC filing

One award's total value against one year of revenue; many awards are paid over several years.

Latest awards

Materiality: one award's value as a share of the winner's revenue over the latest 12 months in its SEC filings (or its last fiscal year, as noted when you point at it). Low under 1%, Medium 1 to 5%, High 5% or more. Many awards are paid over several years, so this overstates a single year's share.

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.

  • 3 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (26 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
  • $1.5M 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. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.

  • 5 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, including the subsidiaries a company lists in its SEC filings. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.