Bättra Launches N-Tier Illumination® Pilot to Map Defense Supply Chains Below Tier 1

No-cost pilots for defense contractors, ahead of the supply chain mapping guidance due under Executive Order 14415

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, TN, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Bättra, LLC today introduced N-Tier Illumination^®, a new secure service that helps defense contractors map their supply chains below Tier 1 using information their suppliers confirm, and opened a no-cost pilot phase for up to five companies.

Executive Order 14415, signed July 20, 2026, directs the Department of War to issue guidance by Jan. 16, 2027, requiring prime contractors and subcontractors at any tier to map and illuminate their critical supply chains, from raw materials to the end-use products they deliver. Implementing regulations are to follow, and they are to require contractors to vet their suppliers. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the order directs the Department to stop issuing waivers under 10 U.S.C. 4872(c)(1) for covered materials, except where a prime contractor or subcontractor has submitted a formal mitigation plan that the Department has accepted.

GAO has documented both the gap and why it persists. In July 2025, GAO reported that Defense Department officials estimated they had collected country-of-origin information on fewer than 10 percent of the suppliers of components and raw materials for the F-35 parts their tracking tool covers (GAO-25-107283). GAO also reported that in a Defense Logistics Agency effort to collect supplier data for three classes of goods, 22 of 63 suppliers declined or did not respond, and those that declined cited reasons that included an unwillingness to share proprietary information.

N-Tier Illumination pairs technology with Bättra's supply chain analysts. Each company in the chain reports only its direct customers and suppliers under a nondisclosure agreement with Bättra, and chooses how much of its own information its customers can see. A link counts only when both sides confirm it. AI-assisted matching and risk analysis support the analysts, who verify every finding.

"Mapping a supply chain is hard, and it gets harder below Tier 1, because suppliers have good reasons not to share what they know," said Adam Barford, Founder and Managing Member of Bättra. "What has been missing is trust. N-Tier Illumination lets each company decide how much of its confidential information its customers can see, and we believe more suppliers will take part when they stay in control."

Pilots are open to defense prime contractors and Tier 1 suppliers and are chosen for fit through initial conversations. Each delivers a confirmed supply chain map covering up to 30 suppliers and a report of key findings over eight to twelve weeks. Each pilot company provides a list of up to 30 suppliers with a named contact at each, an executive sponsor, and introductions to those suppliers. Companies that take part will be offered preferred commercial terms when the pilot phase concludes.

To learn more or start a conversation about a pilot, email mrothermel@outreach.battraco.com or visit battraco.com/n-tier-illumination. Bättra will arrange a secure channel before any documents are shared.

About Bättra, LLC

Founded in 2011, Bättra, LLC is a Veteran-Owned Small Business that helps government and industry understand and strengthen the supply chains behind national defense. Its team brings decades of experience working with defense suppliers large and small and advising federal agencies on supply chain risk.

N-Tier Illumination^® is a registered trademark of Bättra, LLC.

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Mark Rothermel
Bättra, LLC
+1 910-604-6258
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