# Thresher — Program Element 0304109F

**Program element:** 0304109F  
**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/0304109F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $0.1M in FY2027, 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.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.1 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.1 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.1 |

> 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 | 0.1 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 0.1 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 0.1 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 0.1 | +0.0 |

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

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 675222 | THRESHER | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | +6% |

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

### Project 675222 — THRESHER

This program funds technology development, testing, and support to USAF warfighter real time access to Thresher. Additionally, this program develops technology to expand data sources and enhance analytics within Thresher to improve fidelity of the air and maritime picture for the USAF warfighter. Thresher is an National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) program of record to provide a situational awareness capability to produce a high-fidelity real-time multi-domain picture by integrating data from multiple sources and security levels. Thresher makes this information available to tactical (warfighter) and strategic (national intelligence) users at multiple security levels. Technology developed in this program is transitioned into the Thresher baseline. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY24 0.00M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY25 00.00M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology Development | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Government labs & warfare centers | 100% | 0.1 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This program funds technology development, testing, and support to USAF warfighter real time access to Thresher. Additionally, this program develops technology to expand data sources and enhance analytics within Thresher to improve fidelity of the air and maritime picture for the USAF warfighter. Thresher is an National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) program of record to provide a situational awareness capability to produce a high-fidelity real-time multi-domain picture by integrating data from multiple sources and security levels. Thresher makes this information available to tactical (warfighter) and strategic (national intelligence) users at multiple security levels.

This effort funds necessary development, testing, and support for USAF Warfighter near real time access to Thresher. Funds will be sent to Other Government Agencies (OGAs) via Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request (MIPR) for execution.

## Related program elements

- [0305208M — Distributed Common Ground/Surface Systems](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305208M) (Navy)
- [0604317F — Technology Transfer](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604317F) (Air Force)
- [1206895C — Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206895C) (Defense-Wide)
- [0305179F — Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305179F) (Air Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0304109F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0304109F")`.

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