New NPS Challenge Aims to Rewrite How the Military Builds Missiles

War Department components are pivoting away from “exquisite” hardware in favor of agile, low-cost manufacturing methodologies. Part of this shift includes prize challenges like the Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Tactical Missile Innovation Challenge, a non-traditional challenge that emphasizes methodology.

Speaking at AFCEA/USNI WEST in San Diego, California, NPS Director of Research Innovation Kaitie Penry said that the Tactical Missile Innovation Challenge, unlike traditional military contracts that demand a hardware prototype, asks participants for a design methodology. The goal, she said, is to produce missiles at scale using 3D printing and commercial off-the-shelf parts for cost efficacy and scalability.

Penry also said that the challenge aims to replace million-dollar assets with $5,000 alternatives that can be mass-produced, allowing the fleet to maintain a “quantity has a quality of its own” advantage for munitions.

Check out our full coverage of the conference.