# Saturn — Program Element 0303008F

**Program element:** 0303008F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303008F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $4.8M in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), 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. ARS leads the industry work, though an unusually large share flows to government labs and warfare centers.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 4.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 4.8 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 4.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 4.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 4.8 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 4.9 |

> 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 | 4.8 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 4.8 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 4.8 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 4.8 | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 655052 | SATURN | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.8 | new start |
| 655050 | TDL System Integration | 0.0 | 4.9 | 0.0 | −100% |

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

### Project 655052 — SATURN

Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) Lead Service activities support Headquarters Air Force in its Lead Service role for SATURN. Each role consists of several distinct engineering and fielding responsibilities, to include, but not limited to leading and overseeing the engineering and analysis activities, fielding strategy, cost and schedule data, resolving cross-service disconnects, and training operators on the use of SATURN. DoD Instruction 4630.09, "Communications Waveform Management and Standardization” outlines the roles of a Lead Service that will be pursued via the funds in the program element. To note, DoDI 4630.09 identifies specific roles for a "Lead Service” and a "Waveform Sponsor”. "Waveform Sponsor” activities are unique and provided for in a separate program element 0604281F. "Lead Service” activities, which differ from "Waveform Sponsor” activities, will be utilized to: - Foster development of joint capability needs; - Expedite adoption across the Services, NATO and other Coalition partners of the SATURN and affiliate (e.g. SATURN Enhanced Data Rate (SEDR) and others) waveform(s) - Foster adoption of terminals capable of operating SATURN - Resolve Joint/NATO/Coalition issues which are slowing adoption of the SATURN waveform - Developing, centralizing, and/or providing training, coordinating exercises or demonstrations to foster Lead Service objectives. As the Lead Service for the Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN), Headquarters Air Force is responsible for overseeing the development, refinement, updating, and U.S. interoperability of this fast frequency hopping waveform, designed to replace Have Quick and provide improved radio resistance to jamming. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including joint enterprise-level system engineering and analysis, development of joint fielding and terminal development strategies, monitoring compliance with reference implementations, establishing policies for common interfaces, collecting cost and schedule data, documenting mission threads, maintaining network management tools, resolving cross-Service disconnects, and providing technical advice for foreign military sales and export controls.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** ARS (1.4, 29%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) Lead Service | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.8 |

> 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 655050 — TDL System Integration

Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) Lead Service activities support Headquarters Air Force in its Lead Service role for SATURN. Each role consists of several distinct engineering and fielding responsibilities, to include, but not limited to leading and overseeing the engineering and analysis activities, fielding strategy, cost and schedule data, resolving cross-service disconnects, and training operators on the use of SATURN. DoD Instruction 4630.09, "Communications Waveform Management and Standardization” outlines the roles of a Lead Service that will be pursued via the funds in the program element. To note, DoDI 4630.09 identifies specific roles for a "Lead Service” and a "Waveform Sponsor”. "Waveform Sponsor” activities are unique and provided for in a separate program element 0604281F. "Lead Service” activities, which differ from "Waveform Sponsor” activities, will be utilized to: - Foster development of joint capability needs; - Expedite adoption across the Services, NATO and other Coalition partners of the SATURN and affiliate (e.g. SATURN Enhanced Data Rate (SEDR) and others) waveform(s) - Foster adoption of terminals capable of operating SATURN - Resolve Joint/NATO/Coalition issues which are slowing adoption of the SATURN waveform - Developing, centralizing, and/or providing training, coordinating exercises or demonstrations to foster Lead Service objectives. As the Lead Service for the Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN), Headquarters Air Force is responsible for overseeing the development, refinement, updating, and U.S. interoperability of this fast frequency hopping waveform, designed to replace Have Quick and provide improved radio resistance to jamming. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including joint enterprise-level system engineering and analysis, development of joint fielding and terminal development strategies, monitoring compliance with reference implementations, establishing policies for common interfaces, collecting cost and schedule data, documenting mission threads, maintaining network management tools, resolving cross-Service disconnects, and providing technical advice for foreign military sales and export controls.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) Lead Service | — | 4.9 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 29% | 1.4 |
| Government labs & warfare centers | 71% | 3.4 |

**Top named industry performers:** ARS ($1.4M, 29%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) Lead Service activities support Headquarters Air Force in its Lead Service role for SATURN. Each role consists of several distinct engineering and fielding responsibilities, to include, but not limited to leading and overseeing the engineering and analysis activities, fielding strategy, cost and schedule data, resolving cross-service disconnects, and training operators on the use of SATURN. DoD Instruction 4630.09, "Communications Waveform Management and Standardization” outlines the roles of a Lead Service that will be pursued via the funds in the program element.

The Headquarters Air Force, as the Lead Service for SATURN, employs a multi-faceted acquisition strategy to secure required services and contracts. This approach leverages a combination of competitive contracts, sole-source awards where appropriate, and Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) to foster innovation and accelerate development. Emphasis is placed on utilizing existing government contracts and agreements whenever feasible to streamline the acquisition process and reduce administrative overhead. The Air Force collaborates closely with industry partners, academic institutions, and other government agencies to identify and leverage cutting edge technologies and expertise.

## Related program elements

- [0303140A — Information Systems Security Program](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303140A) (Army)
- [0306250JCY — Cyber Operations Technology Support](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0306250JCY) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604454N — LX (R)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604454N) (Navy)
- [0604791D8Z — Multi-Domain Joint Operations (MDJO)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604791D8Z) (Defense-Wide)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0303008F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0303008F")`.

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