# Project 2530 — Unmanned Expeditionary Systems

**Program element:** 0206623M — MC Ground Cmbt Spt Arms Sys  
**Project:** 2530  
**Component:** U.S. Navy  
**Appropriation:** 1319 — RDT&E, Navy  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0206623M/2530  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0206623M

## Summary

Project 2530 — Unmanned Expeditionary Systems requests $14.9M in FY2027, 19% of the $79.0M requested for program element 0206623M, down 40% on FY2026. 4 R-2A activities decompose the request. SIKORSKY is the largest named R-3 performer at $4.6M, 31% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

**Markets:** Uncrewed & Autonomy — matched on the project title only, and no market size is quoted.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 16.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 24.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 14.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 56.5 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 51.3 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 8.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 8.2 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0206623M; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 2530 buys

Prior to FY 2024, Unmanned Expeditionary Systems (UES) was funded in Project 4002, Family of Rapid Reconnaissance. UES consists of the Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS- A) Family of Systems, a Marine Corps Logistics Modernization initiative. ULS-A provides Combat Arms and Logistics Commanders with an organic aerial delivery option, which diversifies distribution options while reducing risk to manned aircraft and ground convoy operations. ULS-A supports the full range of military missions with relevant lift capacity and simple-to-operate autonomous systems. ULS-A consists of two different air vehicle classes which will share common autonomy and architecture characteristics. ULS-A Small, or Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS), provides front-line Combat Arms and Logistics Commanders with an aerial distribution option capable of deliveries of up to 120 pounds at a range of 12 kilometers. ULS-A Medium, or Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle-Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL), will provide Logistics Commanders with an organic lift capacity of at least 1,300 pounds for a range of 100 nautical miles. MARV-EL has awarded two Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) in 2Q FY 2026 for the development, test, and evaluation of the MARV-EL system under a Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) program. FY 2027 continues to fund MARV-EL Increment 2 system development, test, and evaluation efforts that will address critical capability gaps identified by combatant commanders' and maintain America's technological edge against rapidly advancing peer competitors.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Support; Test and Evaluation; Management Services.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| SIKORSKY | 4.6 | 31% |
| NEAR EARTH AUTONOMY | 4.6 | 31% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 4

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Development | 10.5 | 17.6 | 10.0 | −43% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0206623M/2530/a0) |
| Test and Evaluation | 4.8 | 4.8 | 3.2 | −34% | — |
| Support | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.2 | −28% | — |
| Management Services | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | −24% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Product Development

- Initiate the integration of autonomous capabilities to include Beyond Line of Site communication, Landing Zone Evaluation and Obstacle Avoidance, to enhance the operational safety and mission effectiveness of MARV-EL - Begin contractor flight testing of the MARV-EL prototype solutions

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0206623M/2530/a0

### Test and Evaluation

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue MARV-EL Developmental Testing - Continue design and integration validation/verification - Develop MARV-EL Increment 2 Integrated Evaluation Framework

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The decrease from FY 2026 to FY 2027 aligns with the completion of shipboard capability testing in FY26.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** -Conducted Developmental Test for shipboard capabilities for MARV-EL using TRUAS as a surrogate air vehicle -Developed Master Test Strategy for MARV-EL Increment 2 -Developed MARV-EL Increment 2 test plans -Began MARV-EL Increment 2 developmental testing -Completed Developmental Test for TRUAS technology capability improvements

### Support

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue government and contractor program management, engineering, logistics, technical and other support for MARV-EL - Conduct MARV-EL Cooperative Vulnerability and Penetration Assessment

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The decrease from FY 2026 to FY 2027 aligns with the completion of market research and technical studies.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Conducted market research to inform future technology capabilities and demonstrations for MARV-EL and TRUAS - Continued government and contractor program management, engineering, logistics, technical and other support for MARV-EL and TRUAS

### Management Services

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue program management support of the development, test and integration of MARV-EL. - Management Services will also account for cross-organization travel funding requirements.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The decrease from FY 2026 to FY 2027 aligns with the reduction in TRUAS RDT&E efforts.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue program management support of the development, test and integration of MARV-EL. - Management Services will also account for cross-organization travel funding requirements.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0206623M.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0206623M project 2530 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0206623M")`.

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