# Missile/Air Defense Product Improvement Program — Program Element 0203801A

**Program element:** 0203801A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0203801A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding ramps 54% to a $2.1M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full. RTX / Raytheon leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 1.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 1.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 2.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 2.1 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 2.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 2.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 2.2 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 2.1 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 2.1 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 2.1 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 2.1 | +0.0 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 038 | Avenger PIP | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.1 | +54% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project 038 — Avenger PIP

The Avenger is a lightweight, ground-to-air missile and gun weapon system mounted on a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). It is designed to protect against unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), cruise missiles, and fixed- and rotary-wing threats. The Avenger provides day/night and adverse weather operational capabilities, shoot-on-the-move functionality, rapid target engagement, and remote firing capability. It is highly mobile, capable of being air-dropped, helicopter-lifted, and air-transportable. The system employs up to eight Stinger missiles to counter aerial threats and is equipped with an M3P .50 Caliber Machine Gun for close-in ground and air defense. An Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system is integrated to aid in identifying friendly aircraft, minimizing the risk of fratricide. The Avenger fleet consists of 421 systems, including 169 systems equipped with a digital Slew-to-Cue (STC) capability, which enhances target detection and engagement speed. The Avenger Modification - Service Life Extension Program (MOD-SLEP) consists of Project 038: Avenger Production Improvement Program (PIP) and Program Element CE8710: Avenger MODS. The ongoing MOD-SLEP addresses the obsolescence of Avenger components to ensure Avenger maintains operational capability through the end of its economic useful life. Key MOD-SLEP components are the Targeting Console (TC), the M3P, the Avenger Fire Control Computer (AFCC), the Mode 5 IFF, the Vehicle Internal Communications (VIC-5), and the Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) capability. The AFCC and TC are fielded to the STC Avengers. All other components are fielded to the entire Avenger fleet. The FY 2027 funding of $2.054 million is allocated to support ongoing system testing requirements and implement system improvements to address evolving threats.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** RTX / Raytheon (2.1, 100%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avenger MOD-SLEP | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.1 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 100% | 2.1 |

**Top named industry performers:** RTX / Raytheon ($2.1M, 100%).

> R-3 exhibit contract funding, not USAspending obligations.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

The Avenger is a lightweight, ground-to-air missile and gun weapon system mounted on a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). It is designed to protect against unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), cruise missiles, and fixed- and rotary-wing threats. The Avenger provides day/night and adverse weather operational capabilities, shoot-on-the-move functionality, rapid target engagement, and remote firing capability. It is highly mobile, capable of being air-dropped, helicopter-lifted, and air-transportable. The system employs up to eight Stinger missiles to counter aerial threats and is equipped with an M3P .50 Caliber Machine Gun for close-in ground and air defense.

The Avenger MOD-SLEP addresses obsolescence of key components and ensures that Avenger is viable and sustainable through the end of its economic useful life. The MOD-SLEP components are the TC, the AFCC, the Mode 5 IFF, the VIC-5, the M3P machine gun and A-PNT. The M3P machine gun will be fielded through attrition. The other MOD-SLEP components will be installed in the field. Development and testing of hardware and software modifications necessary to fully integrate the A-PNT capability into the Avenger will be performed by a combination of Government and Original Equipment Manufacturer efforts, using the existing and new Engineering Service contracts. A-PNT modifications will be performed by Depot Maintenance teams.

## Related program elements

- [0604642A — Light Tactical Wheeled Vehicles](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604642A) (Army)
- [0604611A — Javelin](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604611A) (Army)
- [0605520M — Marine CORPS AIR Defense Weapons SYS](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605520M) (Navy)
- [0702207N — Depot Maintenance (NON-IF)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0702207N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0203801A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0203801A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*