# Product Development

**R-2A activity** of project 8277 — UAS Payloads  
**Program element:** 0305242M — Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Payloads  
**Component:** U.S. Navy · **Budget Activity:** 7  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305242M/8277/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305242M

## Summary

This activity requests $16.5M in FY2027, 80% of project 8277, up 114% 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.** -Continue ES product correction of deficiencies, pre-planned product improvements, and air vehicle integration efforts. -Maintain lab development, integration and test capabilities. -Continue to refine AI/ML ATR algorithms and expand the scope and speed of object classification at the tactical edge. -Expand AI/ML sensor package with pre-planned capabilities. -Continue to transition C4ISR of advanced technologies and payloads to UAS programs. -Continue CDS redesign for NSA Raise the Bar (RTB) compliance, and cyber security tasking. -Continue to evaluate new sensor technologies, improvements to enabling technologies, and prototype design and fabrication in support of the development and fielding operations of UAS platforms and payloads. -Continue to utilize additive manufacturing techniques, tools, processes, and requirements to enable installation production capability for UAS components.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Increase will expand efforts associated with integrating the AI/ML ATR and Agile Model Refinement (AMR) capability with the ES, AI/ML, CSW, CDS and WAMI payloads, resulting in refined and enhanced Sensor Payload Suite capabilities. The increase will also expand target recognition data and improve the model library deployed with the AI/ML ATR payload.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** -Continue ES product correction of deficiencies, pre-planned product improvements, and integration -Maintain lab development, integration and test capabilities. -Continue to improve and integrate AI/ML capability. -Continue to transition C4ISR of advanced technologies and payloads to UAS programs. -Continue Cross Domain Solution (CDS) redesign and cyber security tasking. -Continue to evaluate new sensor technologies, improvements to enabling technologies, and prototype design and fabrication in support of the development and fielding operations of UAS platforms and payloads. -Continue to utilize additive manufacturing techniques, tools, processes, and requirements to enable installation production capability for UAS components.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 9.8 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 7.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 16.5 |

> 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 8277

- Support — FY2027 2.0
- Test and Evaluation — FY2027 1.5
- Management Services — FY2027 0.8

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0305242M project 8277 (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.*