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.
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.
| 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 |
4 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 2 of them describe FY2027 work in enough detail to have their own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
- 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 →- 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 →FY2027 planned work - 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 matrix composites in a custom-built thermomechanical chamber. - Continue the validation and demonstration of material properties, using novel high temperature testing methods with advanced techniques (automated, robotic torch testing, autonomous experimentation, and combined thermal/mechanical tests) for understanding material performance in the most extreme…
FY2026 to FY2027 change Not applicable.
FY2026 plans — current year - Complete the validation and maturation of processing methods for fabricating materials such as carbon silicon carbide (C/SiC) and ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites required for expendable hypersonics. - 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. - Continue the validation and demonstration of material properties using high temperature testing methods (e.g., torch testing, laserheating, arc jet, etc.) and predict performance to meet future mission requirements for control surfaces, leading edges, aeroshells…
FY2027 planned work - 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 methodologies into cold spray repair techniques. - Continue the development and extend computational methodologies that incorporate the impact of surface residual stress into additively manufactured components, focused on improved manufacturing on the ability to extend life and lower life cycle cost of air vehicle propulsion system and structures components…
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY 2027 funding increased by $0.020 million compared to FY 2026 due to minor programmatic adjustments to the DAF Science and Technology portfolio.
FY2026 plans — current year - Complete the demonstration of affordable metallic turbine engine disks made via powder processing technologies through high temperature, aggressive environment testing to enable acceptance/certification of engine components. - 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. - Continue the development of computational methodologies that incorporate the impact of surface residual stress on the ability to extend life and lower life cycle cost of air vehicle propulsion system components. - Commence the…