The Navy's Strategic Systems Program (SSP) office issued the so-called "sources sought notice" on March 18, 2021. This kind of announcement is intended to get companies to submit proposals in order to see what kind of options might be available to meet certain requirements, but is not automatically a prelude to a formal contract. SSP is better known as being responsible for managing the development, acquisition, and containment of the Trident D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile and the service's Ohioclass ballistic missiles submarines, or SSBNs, as well as work on the forthcoming Columbia class SSBNs.