# Defense Research Sciences — Program Element 0601102F

**Program element:** 0601102F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 1 — Basic Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601102F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $296.5M in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 1.7% (to $301.5M); the Senate added 8.4% (to $321.5M); House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 324.8 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 307.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 296.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 305.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 345.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 356.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 363.8 |

> 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 | 296.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 301.5 | +5.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 321.5 | +25.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 296.5 | +0.0 |

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

## Projects (5)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 613003 | Mathematics, Information and Life Sciences | 98.9 | 95.4 | 96.9 | +2% |
| 613001 | Physics and Electronics | 91.8 | 91.4 | 89.0 | −3% |
| 613002 | Aerospace, Chemical and Material Sciences | 96.4 | 91.1 | 83.7 | −8% |
| 613004 | Science Alliances and Talent Development for DAF Superiority | 30.8 | 24.9 | 26.9 | +8% |
| 613005 | STEM Pipeline Development | 7.0 | 4.8 | 0.0 | −100% |

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

### Project 613003 — Mathematics, Information and Life Sciences

Basic research in the Mathematics, Information Sciences, and Life Sciences Project seeks to expand fundamental knowledge and enable revolutionary advances and supporting technologies critical to the future of the Department of the Air Force. Major areas being investigated in this project are data fusion, machine learning and artificial intelligence, information and complex networks, cyber-security, autonomous decision making, dynamical systems, optimization and control, and natural materials and systems. While the following are specific sub-areas within this Project, there is a continuing interest to explore novel ideas to bridge disciplines within 0601102F, Defense Research Sciences.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information and Complex Networks | 21.6 | 20.1 | 21.1 |
| Decision Making | 21.7 | 20.2 | 21.2 |
| Dynamical Systems, Optimization, and Control | 28.1 | 26.2 | 27.5 |
| Natural Materials and Systems | 27.6 | 25.7 | 27.0 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project 613001 — Physics and Electronics

Basic research in the Physics and Electronics Project seeks to enable revolutionary advances and expand the fundamental knowledge supporting technologies critical to the future of the Department of the Air Force. Research prioritizes high-risk, high-reward, game-changing scientific breakthroughs essential for future leaps in warfighter system performance, functionality, reliability, and survivability while simultaneously reducing component and system power, size, mass, and life cycle costs. Major areas being investigated in this project are complex electronics and fundamental quantum processes; plasma physics and high energy density non-equilibrium processes; and lasers and optics, electromagnetics, communication, and signal processing. While the following specific efforts are the focus of the Project, there is interest in exploring novel ideas that may bridge these major efforts as well as those in the other Projects within 0601102F, Defense Research Sciences.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex Electronics and Fundamental Quantum Processes | 44.4 | 41.8 | 43.0 |
| Plasma Physics and High Energy Density Non-Equilibrium Processes | 14.1 | 13.3 | 13.7 |
| Lasers and Optics, Electromagnetics, Communication and Signal Processing | 33.3 | 31.3 | 32.3 |

> 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 613002 — Aerospace, Chemical and Material Sciences

Basic research in the Aerospace, Chemical, and Materials Sciences Project seeks to enable revolutionary advances and expand the fundamental knowledge supporting technologies critical to the future of the Department of the Air Force. Research stresses high-risk, high-reward, game-changing scientific breakthroughs essential for future leaps in warfighter system performance, functionality, reliability, and survivability while simultaneously reducing component and system power, size, mass, and life cycle costs. Research topics include: aero-structure interactions and control; energy, power, and propulsion; complex materials and structures; and cross-disciplinary research reflecting the highly integrated nature of future weapon systems. While the following specific efforts are the focus of the Project there is interest in exploring novel ideas that may bridge these major efforts as well as those in other Projects within 0601102F, Defense Research Sciences.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aero-Structure Interactions and Control | 32.5 | 30.8 | 28.3 |
| Energy, Power, and Propulsion | 28.1 | 26.5 | 24.4 |
| Complex Materials and Structures | 35.8 | 33.8 | 31.1 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project 613004 — Science Alliances and Talent Development for DAF Superiority

The major efforts in the Science Alliances and Talent Development for DAF Superiority Project are to facilitate interactions between the international and domestic research communities and Department of the Air Force researchers, and to develop scientists and engineers with an awareness of Department of the Air Force basic research priorities. These professional interactions and collaborations benefit the Department of the Air Force by increasing awareness of basic research priorities in the research community as a whole and attracting talented scientists and engineers to address Department of the Air Force needs. International interactions foster relationships with scientific partners and leverage international expertise in nascent scientific developments. This project also seeks to enhance interactions with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and other institutions, in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4144, Research and Educational Programs and Activities: Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions of Higher Education.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leveraging International S&T for DAF Advantage | 15.3 | 15.4 | 14.6 |
| Building the Pipeline of DAF Science and Technology (S&T) Talent | 15.5 | 9.5 | 12.3 |

> 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 613005 — STEM Pipeline Development

The major efforts in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pipeline Development Project are initiatives to support STEM education and outreach activities for kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) students, and to support activities that encourage elementary, middle, and high-school youth to develop an interest in, and pursue, higher education and employment in the science, mathematics, and engineering career fields. These initiatives benefit the Department of the Air Force by cultivating a progressive pipeline of highly-trained and knowledgeable STEM professionals aimed at filling Department of the Air Force STEM workforce needs. This project seeks to cultivate STEM opportunities across the Department of the Air Force by supporting education and outreach activities that promote foundational knowledge building and experiential learning to inspire young students to pursue STEM-related career fields of critical importance to the Department of the Air Force.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAF K-12 STEM Pipeline Development | 5.1 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| Leadership Experience Growing Apprenticeships Committed to Youth (LEGACY) | 1.9 | 2.1 | 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.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Defense Research Sciences consists of basic research activities in academia and industry along with research performed in the Department of the Air Force (DAF), including the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Institute of Technology, and the United States Air Force Academy. This program supports basic broad-based scientific and engineering research in areas critical to DAF weapon, sensor, and support systems. All research areas are subject to long-range planning and technical review by both DAF and tri-Service scientific planning groups. This program is accomplished by AFRL.

## Related program elements

- [0601121A — Cyber Collaborative Research Alliance](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601121A) (Army)
- [0602234D8Z — Lincoln Laboratory Research Program](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602234D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0305242M — Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Payloads](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305242M) (Navy)
- [0602135A — Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-SUAS) Applied Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602135A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0601102F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0601102F")`.

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