What project 0000 buys
In an Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled maritime battlespace, the ability to fight at the speed of light will determine the outcome. The effective defense against threats increasingly beyond human speed, will enable U.S. naval forces to outthink, outmaneuver and outfight adversaries. This Program Element (PE) supports both advanced technology research and near to mid-term transition opportunities. The advanced research focus is primarily on Directed Energy, High Speed Weapon Propulsion, Electro-Optic/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor Technologies, and Naval Precision Strike Decision Tools and Planning. The goal of this research is to develop technologies and capabilities that enable Directed Energy (DE) weapons as well as defense against adversary DE systems; the development of vehicle and propulsion technology for high-speed weapons operating from Mach 3 and beyond; investment in the areas of Electro Optic/Infrared devices and advanced sensors; and technologies that provide the navy of the future the ability to quickly locate, target, and strike critical targets in the maritime environment and ashore.
Project 0000 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 | 24.8 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 30.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 38.8 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 43.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 45.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 44.6 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 43.9 |
3 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. 1 of them describes FY2027 work in enough detail to have its own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
Continue: - Development and characterization of ultra-high temperature metamaterials and structures to enable, sensing, flow control, power generation, and improved aero-thermo-mechanical performance of aeroshells and high-speed propulsion systems. - Development of efficient, predictive computational tools for high-speed, air-breathing…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work DE Lethality and Operations Analysis (OA) Initiate: - Directed energy modeling/simulation framework for operations analysis - Battle damage assessment tools via sensors and algorithms - Kinetic/non-kinetic coordination tools with directed energy inclusion - Real-world representative target testing and lethality - Sensor applications analysis supporting Fleet and Marine Corps operations concepts High Power Microwave (HPM) Initiate: - Develop/test functional integrated HPM prototypes validating novel DE concept feasibility - Demonstrate controlled HPM effects in laboratory/limited field environments - Develop multi-shot solid-state HPM systems delivering multiple rapid high-power pulses…
FY2026 to FY2027 change The funding decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to the completion of multiple Pulsed Laser research efforts.
FY2026 plans — current year HEL/CDEW Continue: - HEL efficiency enhancement via solid-state diode/fiber laser technologies - Atmospheric blooming, laser-maritime environment interactions understanding - Laser detection/testing sensors improvements - Novel NIR, MWIR, LWIR lasers development - Novel beam-director architectures and high energy laser optics - Counter-HEL and counter-HPM capability development Initiate: - Examine concepts in metamaterial research for Counter Directed Energy Weapons Complete: - Improved laser sensor and illuminator technologies - Improvements in fiber laser doped illuminating lasers at unique "eye-safer" wavelengths - Examination of new ceramic-metal composite nanomaterials, such as Carbon…
FY2027 planned work - Initiate efforts into Surveillance Technolgies. The goal of these efforts is to conduct applied research to greatly enhance the RF sensing capabilities of systems optimized to detect signals reflected from targets. These systems can operate alone or as part of a distributed network and encompass systems operating across the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum, from High Frequency (HF) to millimeter wave (MMW) frequencies. It encompasses enabling system concepts, technologies, architectures, and algorithms. Further, it develops concepts, techniques, and technologies to advance critical capabilities in advanced signal processing, waveform design, environmental characterization & adaptation…
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to more focus being directed to other applied research areas which deal with sensor technology.
FY2026 plans — current year - Continue efforts into Imaging IR Countermeasures. The technical objective of this task area is to research and develop state-of-the-art technologies that will be used to support the protection of naval platforms against Imaging Infrared (IIR) seekers. Research will be conducted across a broad area of Optic/Infrared (EO/IR) technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing, counter-AI processing obscurants, modeling and advanced simulation tools, adaptive optics and supporting technologies. This area develops innovative EO/IR sensing and countermeasure paradigms, to insure full EO/IR spectrum superiority. These technologies address near and emerging far term threats.