What the FY2027 request buys
Verbatim from the R-2A exhibit for project 3097 of PE 0101221N. This is the budget justification's own description of work that has not happened yet — the one thing no other level of the budget carries.
- Prepare for the execution of FCET-10 (FY 2028) and FCET-11 (FY 2029) developmental flight test programs, encompassing hardware manufacturing and test execution readiness activities. - Complete Gen 5 hardware manufacturing, begin Gen 6 development manufacturing, and initiate Gen 7 conceptual design for FCET-11 testing. - Revise and release the Physical and Functional Interface Control Documents while concluding component testing in relevant environments. - Conduct comprehensive ground testing program with 10 tests including normal environment, missile integration, compatibility, and providing hardware and supporting DOE hydrodynamic tests. - Develop Navy component ground testing activities for both improving manufacturing ramps and assessing generational design changes. - Build Mk7 flight test body for FY 2028 flight and begin manufacturing activities for 2 additional flight test bodies for FY 2029. - Complete design documentation release including drawings, software development, script testing, and procurement/build initiation. - Develop and manufacture support equipment required to support flight testing, ground testing, training, and Strategic Weapons Facility (SWF) operations. - Execute integration engineering support for all variants of the SWS. - Ramp up the manufacturing of Mk7 aeroshells to support test and qualification hardware requirements, while also developing and proving the vendor's industrial capacity. - Procure additional machines to increase aeroshell machining capacity at Valley Forge. - Execute aeroshell design maturation including aerothermal testing, manufacturing process development, and alternate Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials qualification. - Qualify alternate suppliers and materials including constituent suppliers, Fiber Materials Inc. (FMI) antenna window fabrication facility, and material specification updates. - Additional advanced manufacturing hardware required to augment the existing Shape Stable Nosetip (SSNT) production line. This capital investment will scale manufacturing throughput and enhance quality assurance capabilities to satisfy all programmatic requirements and delivery milestones to meet Navy needs.
The requested funding increase of $74.811 million is required for the program's transition from Phase 2A (Design Definition & Cost Study) to Phase 3 (Development Engineering). This critical phase requires the simultaneous execution of multiple flight and ground testing programs alongside a significant ramp-up of manufacturing capabilities to support testing. Specifically, this funding will support preparations for the FCET-10 and FCET-11 flight tests by completing Gen 5 hardware manufacturing while beginning Gen 6 development and Gen 7 conceptual design. A comprehensive ground testing program will be conducted, and manufacturing will be scaled up for Mk7 flight test bodies and aeroshells, necessitating the procurement of additional machines. This FY27 investment is critical for enabling pre-test support for major flight tests in FY28 and FY29 and preparing for sub-component design reviews. Additional details are held at a higher classification level.
FY2026: the year under way
Prior-year accomplishments and current-year plans from the same exhibit. Context for the FY2027 plan, not a series — an activity partitions its project exactly in the request year, but can under-cover it in earlier years.
- Execute the inaugural flight test on FCET-8, a critical milestone in the W93/Mk7 program. - Manufacturing, assembly, and integration and testing of RBA for FCET-9 flight test in FY 2027. - Support DOE design reviews. - Transition of government-furnished items to Lockheed Martin (LM) subcontracts. - Manufacturing ramp to produce higher quantities of development hardware. - Preparations for upcoming ground testing activities. - Gather essential performance data under realistic flight conditions to validate design assumptions. - Assess the RBA's functionality and identify areas for refinement based on observed flight behavior. - Aggressively pursue Phase 2A deliverables, focusing on risk reduction and technology maturation. - Conduct detailed analyses and simulations to solidify the RBA design and address challenges. - Prepare comprehensive documentation and presentations to demonstrate readiness for Phase 3 entrance. - Initiate the next design revision, incorporating lessons learned from testing, analyses, and simulations. - Focus on optimizing the RBA for improved performance, reliability, and manufacturability. - Implement design changes based on evolving requirements and technological advancements. - Continue manufacturing and assembly for follow on flight tests and begin design activities for follow on flight tests. - Conduct ground tests to continue design maturation.
Three years, and no five-year plan
An R-2A activity publishes the prior year, the current year and the budget year. The FYDP outyears exist at project and program-element level and are deliberately absent here rather than inferred. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 146.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 359.4 |
| FY2027 | Request | 434.2 |
This activity is 52% of project 3097's FY2027 request and 41% of PE 0101221N's. In the request year the activities under a project sum to it exactly; in the current year they under-cover it in about 9% of cases, so an activity's delta can legitimately exceed its parent's and the two must not be compared row to row.
5 activities in project 3097
Every R-2A line of this project, largest FY2027 request first. Linked where the activity has enough of its own narrative to carry a page; the rest are shown in full on the project page.