Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA)

A statutory requirement for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) and a regulatory information requirement for all other acquisition programs. It is a systematic, metrics-based process that establishes the maturity of critical technologies. The TRA may be conducted concurrently with other technical reviews such as the Alternative Systems Review (ASR), System Requirements Review (SRR), or the Production Readiness Review (PRR). If a platform or system depends on specific technologies to meet system operational threshold requirements in development, production, or operation, and if the technology or its application is either new or novel, then that technology is considered “critical.” The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering) (ASD(R&E)) is required to conduct an independent assessment of the Program Manager’s TRA for MDAPs as part of the Development Request for Proposal (RFP) Release Decision Point Review. This assessment will inform the Certification Memorandum required at Milestone B in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2366b. The TRA at Milestone C is a regulatory requirement when Milestone C is Program Initiation.

Sources:

• Defense Acquisition Guidebook
• DoD Technology Readiness Guidance