# Project 673040 — Force Element Terminal

**Program element:** 0303131F — Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN)  
**Project:** 673040  
**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/0303131F/673040  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303131F

## Summary

Project 673040 — Force Element Terminal requests $81.3M in FY2027, 32% of the $254.8M requested for program element 0303131F, up 22% on FY2026. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request. RTX / Raytheon is the largest named R-3 performer at $65.4M, 80% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 66.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 81.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 41.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 43.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 44.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 46.7 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0303131F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 673040 buys

The Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) Force Element Terminal (FET) program is not a New Start in FY 2026. FAB-T FET was transferred from Space Force (PE 1203001SF / Project 673040 / Appropriation 3620 / Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation) to Air Force (PE 0303131F / Project 673040 / Appropriation 3600 / Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation), Transfer Memo signed 12 Nov 2024. The FAB-T FET program replaces the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Milstar terminal and provides secure, protected, and survivable communications for the strategic warfighter through airborne-based Military Satellite Communication (MILSATCOM) terminals. The FAB-T FET will provide worldwide nuclear and non-nuclear, survivable, anti-jam Low Probability of Detect (LPD)/ Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) data. The FAB-T FET will be interoperable with Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF), Enhanced Polar Systems - Recapitalization (EPS-R), and Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) satellite constellations and will be installed on the B-52 aircraft (threshold). FAB-T FET was designated as a Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) in February 2019 and in January 2026 was designated as a Major Capability Acquisition (MCA) with closure of the MTA program. 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 elements 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, and 0605898F.

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

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| RTX / Raytheon | 65.4 | 80% |

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

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAB-T FET | 0.0 | 66.7 | 81.3 | +22% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303131F/673040/a0) |

> 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.

### FAB-T FET

Funding is for the continued development of FETs and ESS Development. FAB-T FET integration and testing activities will include reliability growth testing and fabrication of test assets; test terminals will support terminal security, environmental, and functional testing, to include flight testing, and early integration efforts. Planning…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303131F/673040/a0

## 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/0303131F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0303131F project 673040 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0303131F")`.

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