The AF employed a "rolling down-select" acquisition strategy which consisted of three phases: Low Cost Concept Validation (LCCV)--four contractors would compete to validate the low-cost concept; Pre-Engineering Manufacturing and Development (Pre-EMD)--two of the four contractors would be selected to compete for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract; and EMD one contractor would receive the award.
In May 1995, Alliant Techsystems, Boeing Defense and Space Group, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, were each awarded $30 million LCCV contracts and took their proposals through Tailored Preliminary Design Review, which lasted fifteen months.