# E-7 — Program Element 0207448F

**Program element:** 0207448F  
**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/0207448F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $0.0M in FY2027.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 3.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |

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

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 644413 | E-7 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — |

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

### Project 644413 — E-7

Tactical Data Links (TDLs), as a subset of the broader airborne network, are used in a combat environment to exchange information such as messages, data, radar tracks, target information, platform status, imagery, and command assignments. TDLs provide interoperability, local and global connectivity, and situational awareness to the user when operating under rapidly changing operational conditions. TDLs provide a jam-resistant; secure digital data transfer network capability with new and standardized waveforms and data formats allowing Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) intra-and inter-flight communications. TDLs increase mission effectiveness, provide positive identification of aircraft in the network, correlate on and off-board sensor data sharing, target, and threat information, and provide the data link to accomplish time critical targeting and other mission update functions. TDLs are used by all service theater Command and Control (C2) elements, weapons platforms, and sensors. This program provided critical capability and enhancements to the airborne network by supporting common development, integration and interoperability among ground and C2 platforms. The E-7A program was created to replace the unsustainable E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). The E-3 AWACS, first fielded in the 1970s, is at the end of its service life, and costly to maintain. The E-7A was intended to serve as the USAF's principal airborne platform for airborne command and control and airborne moving target indicator, providing a reliable, persistent critical node in the long range kill chain for the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC). This project funded E-7A advanced communications studies (to include but not limited to hybrid SATCOM, Internet Protocol Beyond Line-of-Sight (IP-BLOS), and datalink, analysis, further requirements definition, and software and hardware development and testing. These advanced communication capabilities that may ultimately be used on the E-7A or E-3 are required to increase airborne C2 communications resiliency, enabling seamless connectivity with the DAF Battle Network and ensuring that either platform can connect to various SATCOM networks and datalinks should one or more SATCOM networks or datalinks become unavailable.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-7A Advanced Communications | 3.4 | 0.0 | 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.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Tactical Data Links (TDLs), as a subset of the broader airborne network, are used in a combat environment to exchange information such as messages, data, radar tracks, target information, platform status, imagery, and command assignments. TDLs provide interoperability, local and global connectivity, and situational awareness to the user when operating under rapidly changing operational conditions. TDLs provide a jam-resistant; secure digital data transfer network capability with new and standardized waveforms and data formats allowing Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) intra-and inter-flight communications.

The E-7A Advanced Communications initiative leveraged various contracts. The Milestone Decision Authority for the E-7A program is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Program management for the E-7A program is under direction of PEO Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and Special Operations Forces (SOF) located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH is the contracting authority for the E-7A program. AFLCMC provides contracting, legal, comptroller, programmatic, engineering, test, and logistics support.

## Related program elements

- [0604281F — Tactical Data Networks Enterprise](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604281F) (Air Force)
- [0207444F — Tactical Air Control Party-Mod](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207444F) (Air Force)
- [0605236A — Integrated Tactical Communications](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605236A) (Army)
- [1203156SF — Data Transport and Networking](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203156SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0207448F (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0207448F")`.

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