# Soldier Lethality Technology — Program Element 0602143A

**Program element:** 0602143A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602143A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding falls 70% to a $68.0M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 33% (to $90.5M); the Senate added 26% (to $86.0M); House appropriators added 241% (to $232.2M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 131.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 224.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 68.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 95.4 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 111.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 113.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 109.1 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 68.0 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 90.5 | +22.5 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 86.0 | +18.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 232.2 | +164.2 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (11)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC2 | Next Gen Mobility & Lethality Tech for Warfighters | 8.2 | 5.6 | 24.2 | +331% |
| BD1 | Adv Soldier Sensors/Displays Tech for Dismounts | 15.4 | 17.1 | 15.5 | −9% |
| BB4 | Dismounted Soldier Survivability Materials | 4.3 | 4.8 | 12.2 | +156% |
| AY6 | Soldier Squad Small Arms Armaments Technology | 10.2 | 3.2 | 9.9 | +208% |
| AZ5 | Soldier Protection Technology - Vulnerability | 8.5 | 8.3 | 6.1 | −27% |
| BP9 | Soldier Lethality Technologies (CA) | 43.5 | 151.3 | — | −100% |
| BC7 | Training Technology (Other than STE) | 28.5 | 20.8 | — | −100% |
| AZ2 | Body Armor & Integrated Headborne Technology | 5.6 | 4.7 | — | −100% |
| BE3 | Joint Service Combat Feeding Technology | 4.1 | 4.3 | — | −100% |
| BR9 | Personnel & Airdrop Safety Technology | 3.0 | 3.6 | — | −100% |
| BD6 | Soldier Sys Interfaces/Integration- Sensor Tech | 0.3 | 0.3 | — | −100% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project BC2 — Next Gen Mobility & Lethality Tech for Warfighters

This project conducts applied research, technology development, and demonstrations to enhance Soldier and small unit performance, survivability, and effectiveness across operational and training environments. By integrating innovative methodologies, advanced materials, and cutting-edge technologies and training techniques, the project addresses critical challenges in Soldier and small unit mobility, sustainment, lethality, and readiness. It investigates and develops design criteria, methods, metrics, and modeling & simulation (M&S) tools to determine the Soldier and Squad-System trade space to enhance physical and cognitive performance outcomes. The project uses advanced analytics and modeling to quantify readiness and performance, while strategies are explored to improve resiliency under adverse conditions. The project develops tools to address emerging operational paradigms to train for Information Advantage, focusing on cyber and information-related domains to prepare personnel for modern challenges while enhancing simulation and training capabilities in live, virtual and constructive environments leveraging artificial intelligence, data fusion, synthetic terrain and behavior modeling. The project investigates nutrient compositions and stabilization techniques to maximize Warfighter physical and cognitive performance, while technologies to detect and identify chemical and biological threats in foods reduce risks and improve readiness. Innovative ration and field feeding technologies further reduce resupply requirements and enhance operational independence. It designs and develops aerial delivery systems to enhance payload extraction, increase parachute gliding capabilities, and improve delivery accuracy for varying payload weights, while advancing airborne personnel insertion safety modernizing the Airborne Soldier and reducing mission risks. It develops advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to address the Army's unique need in future operating environments, including agile sustainment and distribution operations. It develops and demonstrates power and energy technologies to support Soldier and small unit operations, including energy storage (batteries), power generation, and power management and distribution systems.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Interaction for Mobility & Lethality | 8.2 | 5.6 | — |
| Soldier/Squad-System Trade Space for Lethality & Readiness | — | — | 4.1 |
| Training and Simulation Technology | — | — | 3.7 |
| Joint Service Combat Feeding Technology | — | — | 5.0 |
| Personnel and Airdrop Safety Technology | — | — | 3.7 |
| Institute for Advanced Composites Engineering - Applied Research | — | — | 4.0 |
| Domestically Sourced Next Generation Batteries Technology | — | — | 3.7 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project BD1 — Adv Soldier Sensors/Displays Tech for Dismounts

This project designs and develops low power, next generation modular sensor and display components for detection and identification of both threats and friendlies in all environments to increase situational awareness, decrease fratricide, and enable Soldiers to respond more quickly for greater lethality. This project complements s work done in Program Element (PE) 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology) / BC9 (Adv Soldier Sensors/Displays AdvTech for Dismounts). Work in this project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center, Soldier Center, and Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Soldier Sensors/Displays Technology for Dismounts | 15.4 | 17.1 | 11.0 |
| Distributed Information for Enhanced Squad Lethality (DIESL) | — | — | 4.5 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project BB4 — Dismounted Soldier Survivability Materials

This project investigates fibers, textiles, components, and materials focused on enhancing Soldier survivability from combat threats (flame and thermal, blast and ballistic, multispectral sensor, and laser threats) and environmental threats (e.g., cold, heat, wet, vector, antimicrobial, etc.) to increase operational effectiveness while decreasing the Soldier's physical and cognitive burden. The results from this project will transition knowledge, materials, subcomponents and methods to Advanced Technology Development efforts in support of enhancing Soldier Lethality by providing protective material solutions focused on the aspects of dismounted movement and maneuver operations of the Army. This project develops and applies validation methods that enable systematic studies of human systems integration principles and practices to protective equipment materials and designs to advance the understanding of trade-offs between protection, lethality, and mobility. Work in this project supports key Army needs and leverages/complements the technical research of several Program Elements (PEs) to include PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences), PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology) / Project AZ5 (Soldier Protection Technology - Vulnerability), and PE 0603118A Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology / Project BB3 (Dismounted Soldier Survivability Equip/Tech Integ). Work in this project is performed by the Soldier Center (SC) and Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dismounted Soldier Survivability Materials | 4.3 | 4.8 | 12.2 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project AY6 — Soldier Squad Small Arms Armaments Technology

This project investigates individual and crew-served weapon designs and technologies that enhance the fighting capabilities and survivability of the dismounted Warfighter in support of all of the Services. In addition, it conceives and advances weapon concepts based on innovative ballistic and advanced incapacitation technologies that will enhance the defeat of hard and soft infantry targets at extended ranges based upon the Joint Service Small Arms Technology Development Strategy (JSATDS). The project will continue to support technology needs from all Services to include the Next Generation Family of Weapons. In addition, this project will develop the technology/weapons concepts that will upgrade medium and heavy support weapons at echelons. Finally, this project will perform research directed toward non-kinetic modalities to incapacitate combatants. Work in this project supports key Army needs and leverages the technical research of several Program Elements (PEs) to include PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics), PE 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology), and PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology). Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC) and Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier/Squad Lethality Technology | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.5 |
| Small Arms Enabling Technologies | 6.4 | — | — |
| 120mm Mortar Modernization | — | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Joint Small Arms Research (JSAR) | — | — | 7.3 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project AZ5 — Soldier Protection Technology - Vulnerability

This project investigates and develops Soldier protection methodologies, which includes the materials, methods, and models that enable design and integration of emerging material technologies into lightweight, flexible and modular Soldier equipment to protect against the range of existing and emerging battlefield threats for head, torso, and extremity protection. Specific research thrusts include the development of materials and mechanisms to enhance ballistic protection; computational models and associated laboratory experiments to provide a fundamental understanding of material properties and failure mechanisms, as well as correlation to ballistic/blast/blunt impact performance of Soldier personal protective equipment (PPE) and improved fibers, composite, and ceramic materials. Specific technologies support experimental helmets that reduce impact and blast loading to the head, Soldier torso protection systems to increase protection from ballistic and blunt impacts, and novel fibers and fabrics that provide additional survivability mechanisms. Work in this project supports key Army needs and is fully coordinated with several PEs to include PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology) and 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology); and leverages the technical research of several PEs to include PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics) and 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology). Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier Protection Technologies | 3.6 | 3.9 | — |
| Soldier-Borne Advanced Protection Materials | 2.4 | 1.5 | — |
| Novel Camouflage and Concealment Materials | 2.5 | 2.9 | — |
| Minimizing Exposures from Blast Overpressure | — | — | 6.1 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project BP9 — Soldier Lethality Technologies (CA)

This project is for congressional increases that support applied research in support of Soldier Lethality, where the Soldier and Squad are treated as an integrated combat platform.

### Project BC7 — Training Technology (Other than STE)

This project funds research into technologies and their applications that can inform and/or enhance the Army's live, virtual, and constructive training systems. This project conducts research in immersive virtual, mixed, and augmented reality (AR) environments that stimulate human senses (e.g., sight, sound, and touch) and also conducts laboratory experiments to understand how users interface with the technology in order to improve the realism of simulation environments and therefore create enhanced immersion and more effective training systems. Models and simulations are designed are developed to allow realistic, fair fight engagements across all training environments and training devices, to include the cyberspace domain. Included in the investigations of this project are also medical training systems (e.g., part-task trainers and physiological modeling). Work in this project supports key Army needs and complements efforts in Program Element (PE) 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project BC8 (Training Advanced Technology (Other than STE)). Work in this project is performed by the Soldier Center (SC) and the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) University Affiliated Research Center (UARC).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Training Technology | 3.2 | 2.3 | — |
| Warfighting M/S Concepts and Design (ICT) | 5.2 | 5.6 | — |
| Digital Terrain for Live Training | 6.4 | 1.2 | — |
| Simulation Management Technologies | 6.3 | 3.3 | — |
| Multi-Domain Environments for Training | 7.4 | 4.7 | — |
| Processing Technologies for Live Training | — | 1.8 | — |
| Synthetic Cyberspace Effects for Training | — | 1.9 | — |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project AZ2 — Body Armor & Integrated Headborne Technology

This project investigates and develops materials for Soldier-borne protective equipment, such as body armor and combat helmets, to increase protection from ballistic, blast, and blunt impact threats. This project also investigates and executes systematic studies to design and develop materials, devices, systems and methods that enable the identification of protective solutions against ballistic, blast and directed energy threats. Included are investigations of emerging technologies, novel materials, and test methods and integration of personal armor, combat helmets, hearing protection, eyewear, and other personal protective equipment items. Work in this project is performed by Soldier Center (SC).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Armor & Integrated Headborne Technology | 5.6 | 4.7 | — |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project BE3 — Joint Service Combat Feeding Technology

This project investigates and develops nutrient compositions and stabilization techniques to maximize the Warfighter's physical and cognitive performance on the battlefield, investigates technologies to enhance detection and identification capabilities of chemical and biological threats in foods, and develops innovative ration and field feeding technologies to reduce resupply requirements for the multi-domain battlefield. The Army serves as the Executive Agent for this DoW program, with oversight and coordination provided by the DoW Combat Feeding Research and Engineering Board. Work in this PE is related to and fully coordinated with PE 0602787A (Medical Technology) / Project MK4 (Warfighter Health Applied Research Technology) to develop technologies and concepts; Army Additive Manufacturing Community of Practice to enable customization, increase readiness, and improve sustainment due to fabrication of end-use items at point of need; Defense Threat Reduction Agency to maximize protection of rations from contamination; Defense Health Agency (DHA) to transition and develop materiel solutions in the microbiome technical areas; and the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Joint Program Committee-5, which seeks to develop effective nutritional countermeasures against stressors and to maximize health, performance, and well-being. Work in this project is performed by the Soldier Center (SC).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Service Combat Feeding Technology | 4.1 | 4.3 | — |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project BR9 — Personnel & Airdrop Safety Technology

This project investigates fibers, textiles, components, and materials focused on enhancing Soldier survivability from combat threats (flame and thermal, blast and ballistic, multispectral sensor, and laser threats) and environmental threats (e.g., cold, heat, wet, vector, antimicrobial, etc.) to increase operational effectiveness while decreasing the Soldier's physical and cognitive burden. The results from this project will transition knowledge, materials, subcomponents and methods to Advanced Technology Development efforts in support of enhancing Soldier Lethality by providing protective material solutions focused on the aspects of dismounted movement and maneuver operations of the Army. This project develops and applies validation methods that enable systematic studies of human systems integration principles and practices to protective equipment materials and designs to advance the understanding of trade-offs between protection, lethality, and mobility. Work in this project supports key Army needs and leverages/complements the technical research of several Program Elements (PEs) to include PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences), PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology) / Project AZ5 (Soldier Protection Technology - Vulnerability), and PE 0603118A Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology / Project BB3 (Dismounted Soldier Survivability Equip/Tech Integ). Work in this project is performed by the Soldier Center (SC) and Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel & Airdrop Safety Technology | 3.0 | 3.6 | — |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project BD6 — Soldier Sys Interfaces/Integration- Sensor Tech

This project investigates, designs, and validates advanced technologies and algorithms for enhancing dismounted Soldier deployed robotics and autonomous systems used to improve the Small Unit's situational awareness, survivability, and lethality. Technologies to be investigated may include: algorithms for dismounted robotic systems to enable autonomous navigation, automated object recognition, persistent surveillance, launch and recovery from vehicles, networked lethality, manned- unmanned teaming, and collaborative behaviors; and advanced user interfaces to optimize human-robotic interaction during dismounted operations. These advanced technologies will enable Squad and Platoon level autonomous reconnaissance using robotic systems to minimize the operator's dedicated control of the systems and reduce their cognitive burden, thus allowing Soldiers to be more lethal and survivable. Work in this project supports key Army needs and leverages the technical research of several Program Elements (PEs) / Projects to include PE 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Technology) / Project BD7 (Soldier Sys Interfaces/Integration-Sensor Tech) and Project BC9 (Advanced Soldier Sensors/Displays Advanced Technology for Dismounts). Work in this project is performed by the Soldier Center (SC).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier Situational Awareness Technologies | 0.3 | 0.3 | — |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This Program Element (PE) conducts fundamental research on Soldier Lethality technologies to develop an integrated Soldier and Squad architecture of equipment and systems that improve Soldier and Small Combat Unit survivability, sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness, and individual cognitive and physical readiness. To address the challenges of integrating multiple technologies and sub-systems, research conducted in this PE, significant Science and Technology applied research investments in all areas of Soldier Lethality focuses on how to improve the effectiveness of the technologies a Soldier utilizes and apply systems-level practices to mitigate constraints from size and weight of…

## Related program elements

- [0605053A — Ground Robotics](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605053A) (Army)
- [0603116A — Lethality Advanced Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603116A) (Army)
- [0602202F — Human Effectiveness Applied Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602202F) (Air Force)
- [0208288F — Space Superiority - Advanced Intelligence Systems](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0208288F) (Air Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0602143A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602143A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*