# Mission Planning Systems — Program Element 0208006F

**Program element:** 0208006F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0208006F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $122.2M in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House cut 10.0% (to $110.0M); the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full. Leidos leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 78.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 123.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 122.2 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 123.1 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 119.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 116.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 113.6 |

> 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 | 122.2 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 110.0 | −12.2 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 122.2 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 122.2 | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 675380 | Mission Planning Systems (MPS) Modernization | 76.1 | 121.0 | 121.3 | +0% |
| 675302 | Precision Aerial Delivery Systems (PADS) | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.9 | −59% |

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

### Project 675380 — Mission Planning Systems (MPS) Modernization

A. Mission Description and Budget Item Justification. The Mission Planning System (MPS) Modernization program develops software for aircraft mission planning and integrates the latest intelligence, weather, aircraft performance, and threat data into flight management systems enabling flight operations for Combat Air Forces (CAF), Mobility Air Forces (MAF), Special Missions Air Combat Command (SMACC) aircraft, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), and training aircraft. The MPS and the Mission Planning Process is the only way aircrews can configure the holistic platform System of Systems for any fixed or rotary wing aircraft sortie, merging weapons, crypto, sensors, communications systems and avionics. The warfighter must be able to: 1) leverage mission data feedback to formulate plans with current data; 2) optimize and de-conflict flight routes with other aircraft; 3) review, print, and brief the plan; 4) download flight information to onboard aircraft avionics; 5) conduct dynamic/in-flight replanning, including collaboration and data sharing with mission partners and the Command and Control (C2) chain; and 6) quickly and seamlessly share post-mission data to inform planning for subsequent missions. Main efforts include JMPS Open Mission System (JOMS), and Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS). Theater Air Planning System of Systems (TAP-SoS) . Mission Planning Modernization is a Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) program with a focus on collaborative cloud development for rapid fielding and real-time software updates ensuring the warfighter retains the ability to execute the operational mission in the event they are disconnected from cloud resources, for all phases of mission planning (pre-mission, in-flight, and post-mission planning). Software development is essential for real-time mission data Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Position, Navigation, and Timing (C5ISRC-PNT) updates and collaboration with mission partners as well as dynamic mission replanning for evolving conditions and sharing post-mission data to inform follow on operations. Tools include Weapons Planning Software, Electronic Warfare (EW), Global Positioning System (GPS), crypto including GPS M-Code and weather.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** Leidos (21.8, 18%), Northrop Grumman (18.7, 15%), 96CTG (6.7, 5.6%), Odyssey Systems (0.2, 0.2%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Planning (MP) Modernization | 74.6 | 118.1 | 118.8 |
| Mission Planning Systems Joint Mission Planning System (MPS JMPS) Development | 1.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |

> 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 675302 — Precision Aerial Delivery Systems (PADS)

Budget line 0208006F funds Airdrop Mission Planning/Joint Precision Airdrop System (PADS). Airdrop Mission Planning/PADS consists of hardware and software that serve as the primary mission planning system for all airdrop missions, enabling high-altitude logistical resupply and the delivery of diverse payloads. These payloads include kinetic effects, such as guided missiles capable of navigating to designated coordinates, and non-kinetic effects like sensors, communication nodes, and jammers, which rely on gravity for launch. PADS is utilized by mobility aircraft, primarily the C-17 and C-130 platforms, for high and low-altitude airdrops. The Consolidated Airdrop Tool (CAT) and other mobile airdrop mission planning applications are key software for airdrop operations. New software tools include automating and enhancing airdrop mission segment planning with multi-stage airdrop, task saturation mitigation, and delivering palletized effects using Heavy Equipment Loading and Extraction airdrop techniques. These initiatives utilize real-time data and acquisition of payload and delivery hardware systems (e.g. various delivery vehicles, modern parachute technologies, and various kinetic and non-kinetic effects) for prototyping, testing, evaluation, and demonstrations. FY2027 Airdrop efforts are focused on developing software/hardware capabilities for airdrop missions to include but not limited to: 1) high-altitude, precise, and stand-off airdrop while mitigating surface-to-air threats; 2) improved single-pass airdrop capability to enhance survivability; 3) command and control of aerial delivery systems and palletized effects; 4) supporting contested logistics aerial delivery (airdrop) in hostile or denied areas; and 5) develop, test, demonstrate and field secondary air drop capabilities. These software modernization efforts integrate mobility forces in the Joint Long-Range Kill Chain while increasing aircraft and crew lethality and survivability.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** Leidos (0.4, 46%), 96CTG (0.3, 35%), Quantech Services (0.0, 3.1%), 28TH TEST AND EVAL (0.0, 2.3%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funds used for the development, integration, demonstration and test activities of the PADS Program. | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.9 |

> 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 | 40% | 48.5 |
| Government labs & warfare centers | 2.5% | 3.0 |
| Other / unspecified | 58% | 70.7 |

**Top named industry performers:** Leidos ($22.2M, 18%), Northrop Grumman ($18.7M, 15%), 96CTG ($7.0M, 5.8%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

A. Mission Description and Budget Item Justification. The Mission Planning System (MPS) Modernization program develops software for aircraft mission planning and integrates the latest intelligence, weather, aircraft performance, and threat data into flight management systems enabling flight operations for Combat Air Forces (CAF), Mobility Air Forces (MAF), Special Missions Air Combat Command (SMACC) aircraft, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), and training aircraft.

Consolidated multiple ACAT III programs into Mission Planning Modernization Software Acquisition Pathway(SWP) program of record planning phase FY2025. We moved Core Mission Planning (CMP) software services and architecture, Combat Air Forces (CAF) and Global Strike (GS) mission capabilities, Global Mobility Special Mission (GMSM) capabilities, and Mission Planning System (MPS) Weapons integration are now consolidated under this new program. The SWAP acquisition strategy approach focuses on agile software development, continuous integration/continuous delivery of capability and constant feedback.

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## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0208006F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0208006F")`.

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