# Autonomous Collaborative Platforms — Program Element 0207179F

**Program element:** 0207179F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207179F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $57.2M in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House cut 10.0% (to $51.5M); the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 49.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 63.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 57.2 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 58.2 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 59.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 60.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 65.0 |

> 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 | 57.2 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 51.5 | −5.7 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 57.2 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 57.2 | +0.0 |

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

## Projects (2)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 643721 | Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) | 42.9 | 56.9 | 57.2 | +1% |
| 645340 | Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) | 6.1 | 6.6 | 0.0 | −100% |

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

### Project 643721 — Experimental Operations Unit (EOU)

The Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) effort explores Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy (DOTMLPF-P) concepts for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Program activities serve as early risk reduction for employment of CCA with crewed aircraft to mature operational concept development and evaluate supporting force structure to execute CCA operations. Funding provides operational concepts and studies, flight test and test support, prototypes, infrastructure investment for information technology, training and demonstration, and program management support to mature autonomous operational concepts. Program management support costs include but are not limited to contractor support services, supplies, and facility related expenses. Funding may be utilized to implement innovation insertion, capability insertion, software increments, spiral upgrades, modular component swaps, and other insertions consistent with Modular Open System Architecture. Funding may be utilized to design, develop, integrate, and test weapon system and/or component level open architectures. Funding may be utilized to fund the concept refinement, design, development, integration, and testing of interdependent technologies and common architectures that underpin weapon system and portfolio-wide mission outcomes. This program element included all necessary expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental Operations Unit | 42.9 | 44.9 | 57.2 |

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

### Project 645340 — Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM)

The Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) effort serves as a flying autonomy testbed for Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP). Program activities reduce risk to ACP through test and demonstration of the autonomy reference architecture and autonomy software on a F-16, or other human-on-the-loop testbed. Funding provides flight test and test support (including modifications), infrastructure investments for information technology, training, and program management support to mature autonomy architecture and software. Program management support costs include but are not limited to contractor support services, supplies, and facility related expenses. In FY 2027, PE 0207179F, Autonomous Collaborative Platforms, Project 645340, Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) efforts were transferred to PE 0605807, Test and Evaluation Support, Project 6606TS, Test and Evaluation Support, in order to continue to support flight test hours and on-going F-16 VENOM integration & sustainment. This program element included all necessary expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model | 6.1 | 6.6 | 0.0 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other / unspecified | 100% | 57.2 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) are uncrewed weapon systems designed to work in conjunction with current and future aircraft to provide operational flexibility and enhance operational effectiveness. Key ACP attributes include tailored cost of platforms, rapidly updateable software, autonomy, interoperability with multiple platforms and network capabilities, agility of use, lethality, and ability to penetrate challenging air environments. The program matures technology to reduce risk through development, integration, experimentation, and test activities.

The Experimental Operations Unit squadron is staffed with traditional Air Combat Command personnel and other cross-functional teams to develop and iterate employment and operational concepts for CCA. Funding is spent on studies, contractor support, modeling and simulation, demonstrations, exercises, and operations required to establish the framework to successfully employ CCA at operational locations.

## Related program elements

- [0207110F — F-47](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207110F) (Air Force)
- [0207147F — Collaborative Combat Aircraft](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207147F) (Air Force)
- [0608648D8Z — Acquisition Visibility - Software Pilot Program](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0608648D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604135A — Strategic Mid-Range Fires](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604135A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0207179F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0207179F")`.

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