RDT&E Program Element · President's Budget PB2027

Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-SUAS) Applied Research

PE 0602135A·U.S. Army·Approp. 2040 — RDT&E·BA2 — Applied Research
FY2027 Request
$26.5M
◆ Scaling +110%
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U.S. Army funding ramps 110% to a $26.5M request in FY2027 — the program's peak. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 9.4% (to $29.0M); the Senate added 15% (to $30.5M); House appropriators funded it in full.

FY2027 Request
$26.5M
▲ 110% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$12.6M
No FY2025 funding
FY2025 Actual
$0.0M
Prior year

For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. Army is requesting $26.5M for Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-SUAS) Applied Research under RDT&E program element 0602135A, up 110% over FY2026.

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.

2500.0FY25ACTUAL12.6FY26ENACTED26.5FY27REQUEST14.8FY2814.5FY2914.5FY3016.2FY31
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
Fiscal YearEstimate TypeAmount ($M)
FY2025Actual0.0
FY2026Enacted12.6
FY2027Request26.5
FY2028Outyear14.8
FY2029Outyear14.5
FY2030Outyear14.5
FY2031Outyear16.2
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

1 project rolls up into PE 0602135A

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 110% overall, which can hide much larger swings below.

Project A31

Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys (C-sUAS) Tech

$26.5MFY2027 request ▲ 110%
FY2025 actual
FY2026 enacted$12.6M
FY2027 request$26.5M

This project investigates, designs, and develops novel capabilities that aid in the detection, tracking, identification, mitigation, and/or defeat of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) groups 1-3. Designs and develops interceptor capabilities to deliver physical effects that enable faster intercept, greater standoff ranges, increased magazine depth, survivability, affordability, and/or decrease in size, weight, and power requirements. Provides capabilities to track and predict UAS flight paths, airspace situational awareness, and/or location of UAS operators to increase defeat and force protection capabilities. Develops algorithms to enable threat prioritization, airspace control, coordinated response, and resource management of C-SUAS capabilities. Develops technical solutions to defeat sUAS capabilities, including target acquisition, navigation, and control, in addition to identifying and exploiting weaknesses in sUAS system design and operation. Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).

Accomplishments / planned programs (R-2A) — prior, current and budget year only
Extended Range C-sUAS (XRC) Tech▼ 100%
FY2025 actual
FY2026 enacted$12.6M
FY2027 request

FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects realignment within this project to create C-sUAS Deny and Defeat Tech.

FY2026 plans — current year Will investigate critical component technology designs to address small form factor C-sUAS missile systems and continue risk reduction efforts; continue to develop novel propulsion concepts through component evaluation and test data analysis; design and develop seeker technology to meet long range missile intercept requirements and small form factor constraints; mature small form factor critical missile components for extended range UAS threats; design and develop modeling and simulation technology for independent performance prediction and evaluation capabilities.

FY2025 actual
FY2026 enacted
FY2027 request$26.5M

C-sUAS Deny and Defeat Tech: Extended Range C-sUAS (XRC) will optimize novel propulsion concepts for extended range C-sUAS efforts through component evaluation and test data analysis; mature modeling and simulation technology for independent performance prediction and evaluation capabilities; continue development of seeker technology to…

Read the FY2027 plan →
Congressional action

Congressional marks

Committee marks on the FY2027 request. Adds and cuts are reconciled in conference before they become law.

RequestPresident's Budget
$26.5M
House NDAA (HASC)HASC
$29.0M +$2.5M · +9.4%
Senate NDAA (SASC)SASC
$30.5M +$4.0M · +15%
House Approps (HAC-D)HAC_D
$26.5M full · +$0
▲ $4.0M 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 Element (PE) investigates, designs, and develops novel capabilities that aid in the detection, tracking, identification, mitigation, and/or defeat of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) groups 1-3. Provides counter-small UAS (C-SUAS) detection capabilities in radar, radio frequency (RF), electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR), and acoustic signature regimes. Provides capabilities to track and predict UAS flight paths, airspace situational awareness, and/or location of UAS operators to increase defeat and force protection capabilities. Develops identification methods to discern aerial systems and payloads.

Project A31 — Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys (C-sUAS) Tech
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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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Provenance

Cite this page

Sources
FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification · Exhibits R-2 / R-3 · PE 0602135A (President's Budget PB2027) — and FY2027 NDAA committee marks, as tracked 2026-07-27.
Suggested citation
HitchAI, "Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-SUAS) Applied Research (PE 0602135A)," federal budget intelligence, PB2027 vintage. hitchintel.com/programs/0602135A
Machine access
Markdown twin /programs/0602135A.md · MCP mcp.hitchintel.combudget_get_program_element, budget_get_cong_marks