Leonardo DRS Joins SHIELD Missile Defense Program

Why It Matters

The deal expands Leonardo DRS’s role in the U.S. layered missile‑defense architecture, potentially shortening development cycles for critical counter‑missile systems. It signals continued federal investment in flexible acquisition models to address evolving ballistic, cruise and hypersonic threats.

Key Takeaways

• Leonardo DRS wins multiple SHIELD IDIQ contracts.
• SHIELD ceiling totals $151 billion across participants.
• Contracts enable competition for future missile‑defense task orders.
• Program accelerates rapid fielding of layered defense technologies.
• IDIQ structure promotes flexibility and sustained industry competition.

Pulse Analysis

The Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD program reflects a broader shift toward IDIQ contracts that prioritize agility over traditional, long‑lead procurement cycles. By aggregating a $151 billion ceiling across a pool of vetted contractors, SHIELD creates a flexible funding mechanism that can quickly allocate resources to emerging technologies such as hypersonic interceptors, advanced radar suites, and AI‑driven command‑and‑control. This model aligns with the Department of Defense’s push for rapid prototyping and iterative fielding, reducing the time from concept to operational capability.

Leonardo DRS’s participation leverages its extensive industrial base, spanning sensor development, power systems, and integrated mission architectures. The company’s proven track record in delivering modular, network‑centric solutions positions it to win high‑value task orders that demand swift integration across land, sea, air, and space domains. As competition intensifies among prime contractors, Leonardo DRS can capitalize on its engineering depth to propose cost‑effective, scalable designs that meet the MDA’s layered‑defense objectives while maintaining a competitive edge.

For the defense market, the SHIELD IDIQ underscores the growing importance of collaborative, multi‑vendor ecosystems in countering sophisticated missile threats. The program’s emphasis on rapid technology insertion supports the United States’ strategic goal of outpacing adversaries developing advanced cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic weapons. Industry observers anticipate that the flexible contract structure will spur innovation, drive down lifecycle costs, and ultimately enhance the resilience of the nation’s missile‑defense shield.

Leonardo DRS joins SHIELD missile defense program

By Colton Jones · Feb 18, 2026

Key Points

• Leonardo DRS received multiple awards under the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD IDIQ contract with a shared ceiling value of $151 billion.

• The contracts allow the company to compete for future task orders supporting U.S. air and missile defense capability development.

Leonardo DRS announced on Feb. 17, 2026, that it has been awarded multiple contracts under the Missile Defense Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program, an indefinite‑delivery/indefinite‑quantity (IDIQ) agreement with a ceiling value of $151 billion aimed at accelerating delivery of air and missile defense capabilities for U.S. forces.

According to a company press release, the contracts place Leonardo DRS among industry participants eligible to compete for future task orders supporting the Missile Defense Agency’s layered‑defense initiatives. The SHIELD program is structured to enable rapid development, integration, and deployment of advanced technologies intended for homeland and operational missile‑defense missions.

The award allows work across a broad set of technical areas tied to next‑generation air and missile‑defense systems. As noted by the company, the contracts are designed to support “the rapid delivery of innovative capabilities to the warfighter with increased speed and agility,” reflecting the agency’s push to shorten development timelines and transition new technologies into operational use faster.

Leonardo DRS said the agreement draws on its nationwide industrial base and engineering capabilities focused on designing, manufacturing, and integrating defense technologies across multiple operational domains. The company develops systems supporting sensing, power and propulsion, networked mission equipment, and integrated defense architectures used by U.S. military services.

“Leonardo DRS has a proven track record of moving quickly to develop, integrate, and successfully deliver leading‑edge technologies and real‑world mission capabilities that support some of the most critical needs of the U.S. military,” said John Baylouny, president and chief executive officer of Leonardo DRS. “We stand ready today to answer the call with our next‑generation air and missile defense capabilities and deliver proven performance at speed to help the Missile Defense Agency and the warfighter outpace rapidly evolving threats.”

The SHIELD contract vehicle is structured as an IDIQ program, meaning individual task orders will be issued over time rather than funded as a single procurement. The $151 billion ceiling represents the maximum potential value shared among participating contractors over the program’s period of performance.

The Missile Defense Agency uses IDIQ frameworks to allow flexible acquisition of technologies supporting layered missile defense, including sensors, command‑and‑control systems, intercept solutions, and enabling technologies that integrate land‑, sea‑, air‑, and space‑based defensive networks. Such structures are intended to accelerate experimentation and fielding cycles while maintaining competition among industry participants.

Leonardo DRS, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, operates across multiple U.S. locations and focuses on integrated defense electronics and advanced mission systems. The company stated that its role under SHIELD will involve leveraging rapid design and manufacturing capabilities to transition concepts into deployable solutions supporting operational requirements.

The announcement does not specify immediate funding amounts tied to individual task orders, and participation in the IDIQ contract positions Leonardo DRS to compete for future awards rather than guaranteeing production contracts. Task orders issued under SHIELD will define specific programs, timelines, and deliverables as the Missile Defense Agency advances capability development.

The award follows continued U.S. investment in layered missile‑defense architectures intended to address expanding missile threats, including cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic systems. Programs managed by the Missile Defense Agency increasingly emphasize modular design and scalable integration to allow faster adaptation to changing operational demands.