# Ceramics and Composites

**R-2A activity** of project 624347 — Materials for Structures, Propulsion, and Subsystems  
**Program element:** 0602102F — Materials  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624347/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624347

## Summary

This activity requests $26.1M in FY2027, 47% of project 624347, down 11% 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 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 successful performance in extreme environments. - Continue the development of multifunctional polymer matrix composites (PMCs) leveraging additive manufacturing for agile production of self-sensing and resilient components targeted for future collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) applications. - Continue in-depth analyses and assessments of the durability of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) and affordable PMCs in extreme environments to understand performance versus cost trade-offs. Activities include: -- Validation of production scale-up and performance of UHTCMCs, with different chemistries and processing methods to meet new requirements for evolving threats and new extreme environments. -- Development of multifunctional PMCs for extreme environments in both air and space to optimize performance while keeping costs down. - Continue the validation, development, and testing of new ceramic and polymer matrix composite materials in relevant service environments for propulsion and aerospace structures. Advance test methods (e.g., automated, robotic torch testing, combined thermal/mechanical effect tests) and testing new materials at the most extreme environments for hypersonic and other extreme environment applications. Activities include: -- Development, validation, and testing of new PMCs in relevant service environments (air and space) with the development of novel testing methods such as exposure to atomic oxygen, radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations. - Continue the advancement and integration of a computational materials science modeling and analysis tool suite. Deploy artificial intelligence/machine learning tools and digital materials engineering methods to rapidly analyze processing, characterization, and performance data to improve understanding of performance in extreme environments and to inform certification of advanced ceramics and composites, including textile and bonded-integrated structures on emerging platforms. - Continue the verification and validation of damage progression models on increasingly geometrically complex, integrated polymer matrix composite structures (including textile and bonded-integrated structures) to support transition of required materials in weapon systems. Activities include: -- Deployment of these progressive damage models on real-world problems of interest to bomber platforms. - Complete the development and validation of advanced specialty and multifunctional, intelligent materials for platform resilience and weight savings to meet evolving mission requirements. - Continue the development and refinement of modeling and computation tools to link processing to performance of organic/polymer matrix composites and expand damage mechanics models to increasingly complex composite materials to certify for use in current and future systems. Activities include: -- Deployment of digital engineering tools on real-world problems of interest to bomber platforms. - Commence the development of advanced predictive processing tools for infusion-based polymer matrix composites (PMC) and carbon matrix composite (CMC) manufacturing and predictive modeling tools for additive manufacturing of thermoplastic composites for CCA platforms. Activities include: -- Conduct real-time measurements at advanced facilities for modeling input.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decreased by $3.296 million in FY 2027 compared to FY 2026 due to slowing of research in high temperature materials and processes for extreme environments. This reduction reflects programmatic adjustments to the DAF Science and Technology portfolio for strategic realignment to optimize core research areas and improve resource efficiency.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue the validation, demonstration, and maturation of advanced processing methods, including novel preceramic polymer and fiber infiltration techniques, for the fabrication of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs). This effort also encompasses the development of robust life prediction models for current and future CMCs to ensure mission success in operational environments. - Continue the development of affordable polymer matrix composites (PMCs) leveraging additive manufacturing for rapid production of components targeted for future collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) applications. - Continue in-depth analyses and assessments of the durability of UHTCMCs and affordable PMCs in extreme environments to understand performance versus cost trade-offs. - Continue the validation, development, and testing of new ceramic and polymer matrix composite materials in relevant service environments for propulsion and aerospace structures. - Continue the advancement and integration of a computational materials science modeling and analysis tool suite to accelerate the development, characterization, and ultimate certification of new advanced composite materials. - Continue the verification and validation of damage progression models on increasingly geometrically complex, integrated polymer matrix composite structures to support transition of required materials in weapon systems. - Complete the development and validation of newer testing and assessment methods on composite damage progression models for application in an engineering environment. - Continue the development and validation of advanced specialty and multifunctional materials for platform protection and weight reduction, to meet evolving mission requirements. - Accelerate the development and refinement of modeling and computation tools to link processing to performance of organic/polymer matrix composites and expand damage mechanics models to increasingly complex composite materials to certify for use in current and future systems.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 25.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 29.4 |
| FY2027 | Request | 26.1 |

> 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 624347

- [Metals](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624347/a1) — FY2027 18.9
- Thermal Protection Materials — FY2027 5.9
- Pervasive and Affordable Metals Technologies — FY2027 4.2

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602102F project 624347 (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.*