TRL and MRL: Accelerating Aerospace and Defense Technologies

Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRL) have been the gold standard for bringing new aerospace and defense technologies to market for decades. These time-tested frameworks make sure the cutting edge, mission-critical technologies space and military personnel use, and often trust their lives with, are proven and low risk.

For many innovators awarded contracts under high-stakes initiatives, the goal is clear: get modern technology into the hands of the warfighter before the threat evolves.

However, that path is often blocked by the notorious “Valley of Death.” Many innovators find themselves at a standstill with a high-performing prototype that lacks a viable roadmap to volume production. Navigating the intensive documentation and rigorous quality standards of TRL and MRL frameworks can be a significant slowdown for a lean team. That’s where a strategic partner becomes essential. At Plexus, we specialize in bridging this gap, embedding our engineering expertise early to ensure your innovation doesn’t just work in a lab, it’s ready for the field.

What are Technology and Manufacturing Readiness Levels?

Put simply, TRLs provide a robust process for proving the commercial viability of a particular technology before it goes to market, while MRLs assess that the technology, system or component can be reliably manufactured and delivered.

TRL and MRL go hand-in-hand. While TRLs prove the technology works, MRLs prove it can be built repeatedly and at scale. As reinforced by the Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 5000.02, these aren’t just milestones, they are a common language. They provide all stakeholders, from your lead engineer to a procurement officer, with a unified understanding of the relative maturity and risk of a technology before a production decision is made.

The TRL Framework

The TRL framework was first developed by NASA in 1974 and has since expanded to other government agencies, including the Department of Defense (DoD), the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the European Union (EU). While definitions can vary slightly by government agency, they generally use nine maturity levels to guide a technology’s development cycle.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) TRL framework can be simplified into three main stages: research, development and deployment.

Research

Development

Deployment

The MRL Framework

The DoD developed the MRL framework, which is considered a best practice for improving major acquisition programs. Manufacturing risk identification and management must begin at the earliest stages of technology development, and continue vigorously throughout each stage of a program’s life-cycle. An MRL assessment, also known as Manufacturing Readiness Assessment (MDA), is performed to:

• Define current level of manufacturing maturity
• Identify maturity shortfalls and associated costs and risks
• Provide the basis for manufacturing maturation and risk management

The MRL framework is a structured evaluation of a technology, component or subsystem that has 10 levels of criteria. These are correlated to the nine TRLs in use and include:

For many innovators, the “Valley of Death” occurs between MRL 4 and MRL 7, transitioning from a lab-built proof of concept to a system produced in a production-representative environment.

The Value of Technology and Manufacturing Readiness Levels

The wide adoption of TRL and MRL activities by both startups and established primes is a testament to the value they provide. Established innovators view these activities as paramount because they know government customers will scrutinize documentation for any data gaps. For a startup, a rigorous TRL/MRL roadmap is what transforms an innovative idea into a bankable contract bid.

Using these frameworks, supported by Design for Excellence (DFX) analysis, helps you achieve the ultimate goal: Full-Rate Production at an optimized cost. By integrating (DFX) early in your TRL journey, you can resolve manufacturing hurdles, giving you visibility into today’s top threats:

• Supply Chain Resilience: Supply chain disruptions are a top threat to technology readiness today. You need to make sure the parts or components used in your design will be available, not only for prototyping and low rate initial production (LRIP) but also for full-rate production (FRP) and beyond. Utilizing Plexus tools like ALARM™ and DRIVE to ensure components are available not just for prototypes, but for years of production.
• Foreign Influence and Compliance: In defense, this is a non-negotiable hurdle. Assessing readiness means identifying foreign-sourced components on day one. If you discover a non-compliant part during a formal government audit, that can be a program-ending event. True readiness means having a funded plan to design out those parts long before LRIP.
• The Talent Gap: Scaling requires a different human-capital strategy than prototyping. You must assess if you have the internal manufacturing bandwidth to scale or if you need to leverage external expertise.

How a Partner Accelerates Your TRL and MRL Journey

Identifying where you stand on the TRL and MRL scales is only the first step. To move at the speed of the modern threat environment, you need a partner who can bridge the gap between a validated prototype and a ruggedized, field-ready asset.

Whether you are at TRL 3 or mid-way through development, a strategic partner helps you navigate the “Valley of Death” by:

• Conducting System-Level Reviews: Identifying unaddressed design gaps early to prevent the costly rework that can stall your innovation.
• Formalizing Manufacturing Readiness: Performing detailed assessments to ensure you have the labor, capacity and supply chain required for Full-Rate Production.

The ultimate measure of success is not just a successful test flight; it is the reliable delivery of technology into the hands of the warfighter. By partnering with Plexus, you ensure your innovation is engineered for the long haul. Built to be reliable, manufacturable and ready for the field.