Project 624347
$55.1MFY2027 request ▼ 42%Materials for Structures, Propulsion, and Subsystems
FY2025 actual$80.8M
FY2026 enacted$95.5M
FY2027 request$55.1M
FY2027 Request
$139.9M
▼ 40% vs FY2026
Senate mark
$149.9M
▼ $10.0M vs request
FY2026 Enacted
$232.2M
In law
Roll-up of 3 projects. Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it.
For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. Air Force is requesting $139.9M for Materials under RDT&E program element 0602102F, down 40% from FY2026. In the FY2027 defense authorization, Senate moved to raise it to $149.9M.
Funding trajectory
Funding profile, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 176.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 232.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 139.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 146.9 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 156.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 159.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 158.0 |
Where it sits
Acquisition lifecycle
This program is funded in RDT&E Budget Activity 2 — Applied Research.
Current
Research
BA 1–2
Later
Advanced Technology
BA 3
Later
Prototyping
BA 4
Later
Development & Fielding
BA 5–7
Inside the program element
3 projects roll up into PE 0602102F
Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it. Program elements and projects carry the full five-year plan; activities stop at the budget year. This PE moves -40% overall, which can hide much larger swings below.
Project 624349
$46.3MFY2027 request flatMaterials Technology for Sustainment
FY2025 actual$45.7M
FY2026 enacted$46.1M
FY2027 request$46.3M
Project 624348
$38.5MFY2027 request ▼ 57%Materials for Electronics, Optics, and Survivability
FY2025 actual$50.1M
FY2026 enacted$90.6M
FY2027 request$38.5M
Congressional action
The request is contested
Committee marks on the FY2027 request. Adds and cuts are reconciled in conference before they become law.
RequestPresident's Budget
$139.9M
House NDAA (HASC)HASC
$152.9M +$13.0M · +9.3%
Senate NDAA (SASC)SASC
$149.9M +$10.0M · +7.1%
House Approps (HAC-D)HAC_D
$223.3M +$83.4M · +60%
▲ $73.4M chamber gap — unresolved as of 2026-07-27. These are FY2027 authorization marks (NDAA); appropriations and the conference agreement may differ.
Program detail
Mission & acquisition strategy
This program develops advanced materials, processing, and inspection technologies to reduce life cycle costs and improve performance, sustainability, availability, affordability, supportability, reliability, and survivability of current and future Department of the Air Force systems and operations. The program has three projects that develop: structural, propulsion, and sub-systems materials and processes technologies; electronic, optical, and survivability materials and processes technologies; and sustainment materials, processes technologies, and advanced non-destructive inspection methodologies. This program is accomplished by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
Project 624347, 624349, 624348 — Materials for Structures, Propulsion, and Subsystems
Ask Hitch
Ask this program element
Answers are generated from the figures on this page — the FY2027 justification exhibits and the marks tracked above — and nothing else is consulted. Confirm any figure against the cited exhibit before you use it externally.
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Questions this page can answer
How does the FY2027 request compare with FY2026, and what does the five-year plan show?What did Senate do to this request, and what is still unresolved?Which project inside PE 0602102F is growing fastest, and which is shrinking?In plain terms, what is this program element for and how is it being acquired?
This page carries the budget justification and the NDAA marks — nothing else. For what a contractor has actually been obligated, the ledger is at hitchintel.com/vendors; for live solicitations, hitchintel.com/opportunities. Both are member surfaces.
Provenance
Cite this page
Sources
FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification · Exhibits R-2 / R-3 · PE 0602102F (President's Budget PB2027) — and FY2027 NDAA committee marks, as tracked 2026-07-27.
Suggested citation
HitchAI, "Materials (PE 0602102F)," federal budget intelligence, PB2027 vintage. hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F
Machine access
Markdown twin
/programs/0602102F.md · MCP mcp.hitchintel.com → budget_get_program_element, budget_get_cong_marksFY2027 Request
$55.1M
▼ 42% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$95.5M
▲ 18% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$80.8M
Prior year
Materials for Structures, Propulsion, and Subsystems — one RDT&E project inside PE 0602102F. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 624347 — Materials for Structures, Propulsion, and Subsystems — requests $55.1M in FY2027, 39% of the $139.9M requested for program element 0602102F. Year over year it falls 42% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 624347 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 80.8 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 95.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 55.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 59.9 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 64.7 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 65.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 62.9 |
Inside the project
4 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
FY2025 actual$25.3M
FY2026 enacted$29.4M
FY2027 request$26.1M
- Continue the validation, demonstration, and maturation advanced processing methods of ceramic matrix composites. Activities include: -- Increase production of durable, electromagnetically transparent materials from ceramic powders. -- Demonstration and refinement of the processing of ceramic powders into shaped parts to enable…
Read the FY2027 plan →Metals▼ 5%
FY2025 actual$17.1M
FY2026 enacted$19.9M
FY2027 request$18.9M
- Continue the validation, demonstration, and implementation of advanced computational methods to accelerate the invention, development, and characterization (including physical properties modeling) of next-generation alloy systems for future weapon systems. Activities include: -- Validation of first order predictions of high temperature…
Read the FY2027 plan →Thermal Protection Materialsflat
FY2025 actual$5.1M
FY2026 enacted$5.9M
FY2027 request$5.9M
- Continue the validation, development, and refinement of unique experimental techniques to assess behavior in extreme environments such as thermal shock for use in future expendable and reusable hypersonic systems. Activities include: -- Test a large test matrix of state-of-the-art 3D woven and other unique architecture fiber ceramic…
Pervasive and Affordable Metals Technologiesflat
FY2025 actual$3.8M
FY2026 enacted$4.2M
FY2027 request$4.2M
- Continue the development of low cost, complex shape metallic components made through additive manufacturing supporting qualification, certification, and sustainment for use in advanced weapon system component prototypes and legacy aircraft. Activities include: -- Development of additive manufacturing qualification and certification…
Project detail
What project 624347 buys
This project develops and transitions materials and processing technologies to enhance the affordability, maintainability, and performance of current and future Air Force weapon systems. A key focus is affordable, lightweight materials for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and propulsion systems. These materials include metals, polymers, ceramics, metallic and nonmetallic composites, and hybrid materials, designed to improve the structural and performance of existing systems and to address future system needs. Key features of the materials and structures being developed are that they have improved ablation and oxidation resistance, structural integrity, thermal management capabilities, and strength to weight ratios. These attributes enable expanded mission capability for missile and aircraft systems. New processes are developed to provide more affordable solutions while maintaining the performance of fielded and future operational systems. To maintain the performance of fielded systems, the project develops alternative or replacement materials that address obsolescence challenges. The project develops advanced processing methods to enable adaptive manufacturing of aerospace materials.
FY2027 Request
$46.3M
▲ 0.4% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$46.1M
▲ 0.8% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$45.7M
Prior year
Materials Technology for Sustainment — one RDT&E project inside PE 0602102F. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 624349 — Materials Technology for Sustainment — requests $46.3M in FY2027, 33% of the $139.9M requested for program element 0602102F. Year over year it grows 0.4% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 624349 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 45.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 46.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 46.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 47.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 48.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 49.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 50.4 |
Inside the project
3 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
FY2025 actual$16.0M
FY2026 enacted$16.1M
FY2027 request$16.2M
- Continue advancing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) modeling/simulation capabilities to assess emerging material states and degradation behavior. These improved material assessments will increase availability and ensure structural integrity for future DAF systems. Activities include: -- Developing innovative modeling approaches combined…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2025 actual$11.9M
FY2026 enacted$12.0M
FY2027 request$12.0M
- Continue to identify and communicate best practices for ensuring repeatable quality and performance of specialty materials (e.g., ceramics, coatings, adhesives, resins) for assured material integrity and mission readiness throughout the life cycle of Department of the Air Force aircraft and weapon systems. Furthermore, demonstrations…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2025 actual$17.8M
FY2026 enacted$18.0M
FY2027 request$18.0M
- Continue to rapidly respond to electrical and structural failure investigations and to transition material and process lessons learned to promote mishap prevention, design/production risk reduction and accelerated system solutions. - Continue the research and development of improved material and process analysis techniques…
Read the FY2027 plan →Project detail
What project 624349 buys
This project develops materials and processing technologies to support operational Department of the Air Force mission areas by providing the ability to inspect the quality of delivered systems, transition more reliable and maintainable materials, establish a capability to detect and characterize performance threatening defects, characterize materials processes and properties necessary for materials transition, and provide quick reaction support and failure analysis to the operational commands and repair centers. Repair techniques and nondestructive inspection/evaluation (NDI/E) methods are developed that are needed for metallic and non-metallic structures, coatings, corrosion control processes, and to support integration of composite structures for aerospace systems. Various NDI/E methods are essential to ensure optimum quality in the design and production of aircraft, propulsion, and missile systems. These NDI/E methods are also essential to monitor and detect the onset of any service-initiated damage and/or deterioration due to aging of operational systems.
FY2027 Request
$38.5M
▼ 57% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$90.6M
▲ 81% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$50.1M
Prior year
Materials for Electronics, Optics, and Survivability — one RDT&E project inside PE 0602102F. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 624348 — Materials for Electronics, Optics, and Survivability — requests $38.5M in FY2027, 28% of the $139.9M requested for program element 0602102F. Year over year it falls 57% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 624348 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 50.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 90.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 38.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 39.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 43.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 43.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 44.7 |
Inside the project
4 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
FY2025 actual$11.6M
FY2026 enacted$12.7M
FY2027 request$11.9M
- Continue the development, laboratory scale testing, and assessment of low-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and superlattice structures for use in high resolution imaging by electromagnetic radiation. Activities include: -- Assessment of focal plane array performance against the state of the art for mission…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2025 actual$11.2M
FY2026 enacted$12.3M
FY2027 request$11.6M
- Continue the analysis, validation, and demonstration of the viability of inorganic/organic optical coatings, liquid crystal photonics, solid state photonics, and inorganic/organic optical metasurfaces technologies to protect against extreme electromagnetic environments. Activities include: -- Identification and growth of new crystal…
Read the FY2027 plan →Laser Source Materialsflat
FY2025 actual$1.5M
FY2026 enacted$1.5M
FY2027 request$1.5M
- Continue the demonstration and validation of semiconductor materials and processing control technologies to generate higher power lasers. Activities include: -- Fabrication and testing to verify key performance parameters. -- Establishment of new test capabilities to better measure properties of materials. -- Development of next…
FY2025 actual$13.1M
FY2026 enacted$14.5M
FY2027 request$13.5M
- Continue the validation and verification of scientific, engineering, and processing methods for domestic bio-production of critical materials including characterization, qualification, demonstration, downstream purification, production scale up, and biomanufacturing. Activities include: -- A focus on natural rubber, fuels, and…
Read the FY2027 plan →Project detail
What project 624348 buys
This project develops materials technologies for the Department of the Air Force's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), situational awareness, and specialty coatings for aerospace platforms and munitions. This includes sensors for microwave, short, mid, and long-wave infrared (SWIR, MWIR, LWIR) detection and countermeasures devices used for targeting, electronic warfare, and active aircraft protection. Electronic and optical materials are being developed to enable surveillance and situational awareness with faster operating speeds, greater tunability, higher power output, improved thermal management (including higher operating temperatures), greater sensitivity, and extended dynamic range. This project develops materials for protection of aircrews, sensors, and aerospace structures from directed energy threats without impairing mission effectiveness. Biotechnological materials are being developed for aerospace structures, resilient basing, energetics and advanced coatings.