# Common SIGINT Development

**R-2A activity** of project 675183 — Common Development (Airborne SIGINT Development - Common Development)  
**Program element:** 0304260F — Airborne SIGINT Enterprise  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 7  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F/675183/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F/675183

## Summary

This activity requests $37.9M in FY2027, 69% of project 675183, up 25% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - Will continue to develop new signals capabilities and enhancements. Details are classified. - Will continue to enhance OATL infrastructure to support future SIGINT sensor development and testing. - Will pursue new capability development and risk reduction and necessary follow-on Phoenix OA support to CI-6/SP-5 Family of Systems, building upon integration following assessments and demonstration efforts conducted in FY 2024, FY 2025, and FY 2026. - Will deliver bi-annual releases of Big Iron-compliant Phoenix OA Software to multiple end users (CI-6/SP-5/Others), explore new third-party signals of interest and integrate when required, and assess single-ship/multi-ship geolocation abilities. Details are classified. - Will pursue expanding Phoenix OA software outside the current end users (CI-6/SP-5) and on to new advanced SIGINT sensors. Details are classified. - Will continue to test and evaluate OA compliance of SIGINT sensor prototypes in the OATL. - Will continue to develop capabilities that address emerging needs, as identified by the SCWG. - Will continue LOCUST development, integration and test efforts with a focus on autonomy, real-life test event, and large-scale flight test on small UAS. Additionally, will continue to develop detection and geolocation capabilities of CENTCOM and PACOM signals of interest. Details are classified. - Will continue to develop, prototype, and test new software/hardware capabilities and form factors for the CRESTONE system. Details are classified. - Will develop RANGERS, a tactical aircraft roll-on/roll-off collection system effort to further miniaturize the system's form-factor, add Theater Net-Centric Geolocation (TNG), and expand the system's signal of interest (SOI) library to include ELINT threats. - Will develop NORTHSTAR to address ACC Tier 1 and 2 exploitation needs by hosting signals of interest exploitation software on scalable SIGINT sensors to support rapid deployment on a variety of USAF platforms.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding increased due to increased Air Force development in Counter-Long Range Kill Chain initiatives. Additional details available at a higher classfication.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to develop new signals capabilities and enhancements. Details are classified. - Enhancing OATL infrastructure to support future SIGINT sensor development and testing. - Continue to pursue capability development and risk reduction and necessary follow-on Phoenix OA support to CI-6/SP-5 Family of Systems, building upon integration following assessments and demonstrations efforts conducted in FY 2024 and FY 2025. - Deliver drop 2 and 3 of the Phoenix OA Software aligned with Big Iron to multiple end users, continue to integrate third-party applications for signals of interest, and assess single-ship/multi-ship geolocation abilities. All other details are classified. - Continue to test and evaluate OA compliance of SIGINT sensor prototypes in the OATL. - Continue to develop capabilities that address emerging needs, as identified by the SCWG. - Continue LOCUST development, integration and test efforts with a focus on autonomy, real-life test event, and large-scale flight test on small UAS. Additionally, continue to develop detection and geolocation capabilities of CENTCOM and PACOM signals of interest. Details are classified. - Continue to develop, prototype, and test new software/hardware capabilities and form factors for the CRESTONE system. Details are classified.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 30.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 30.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 37.9 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 675183

- RC-135 SIGINT Development — FY2027 17.1

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0304260F project 675183 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

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