# Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology — Program Element 0602145A

**Program element:** 0602145A  
**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/0602145A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding falls 58% to a $70.5M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 7.1% (to $75.5M); the Senate added 20% (to $84.5M); House appropriators added 153% (to $178.8M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 128.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 169.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 70.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 71.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 84.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 89.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 90.6 |

> 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 | 70.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 75.5 | +5.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 84.5 | +14.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 178.8 | +108.3 |

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

## Projects (7)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BG6 | Advanced Concepts for Active Defense Technology | 29.9 | 29.0 | 38.1 | +31% |
| BF9 | Sensors for Autonomous Operations and Surv Tech | 24.7 | 23.2 | 23.0 | −1% |
| BK5 | Adv Direct In-Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Tech | 11.2 | 8.5 | 8.4 | −2% |
| BF8 | Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Tech | 14.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | +1% |
| BP5 | Ground Vehicle Technology (CA) | 36.0 | 97.8 | — | −100% |
| BJ2 | Tactical and Navigation Lasers Sensors Technology | 5.8 | 5.5 | — | −100% |
| BI2 | Sensor Protection Technology | 5.7 | 4.2 | — | −100% |

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

### Project BG6 — Advanced Concepts for Active Defense Technology

This project funds research for advanced materials and mechanisms to defeat the most common and most dangerous threats that are expected to be encountered by our ground forces in the near, mid and far term. Work conducted in this project will result in concepts for Adaptive and Cooperative Protection of ground combat vehicles. Additionally, research will focus on subcomponent/component models to predict performance of early concepts and the means to evaluate effectiveness on ground platforms. The project will balance developments of active threat defeat measures with the necessary advanced passive and active components to provide solutions which will help meet the requirements of current and next generation ground tactical and combat vehicles. This project is coordinated with and transitions to PE 0603462A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology) and builds upon weapon target interaction research in PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) and PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics). Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center (C5ISR), Data and Analysis Center (DAC), and Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Threat Armor Technologies | 6.7 | 6.1 | 9.0 |
| Adaptive and Cooperative Protection | 6.1 | 5.1 | 6.0 |
| Emerging Overmatch Technologies | 2.4 | — | — |
| Survivability/Lethality/Vulnerability Analysis Tools and Methodology | 5.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| Collaborative Defense | 9.2 | — | — |
| Directed Energy for Terminal Effects | — | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Advanced Vehicle Survivability (AVS) Research | — | 7.1 | 6.4 |
| Vehicle Intelligent Survivability (VIS) Research | — | 4.6 | — |
| Terminal Effects Mechanisms | — | — | 11.1 |

> 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 BF9 — Sensors for Autonomous Operations and Surv Tech

This project designs and develops modular and adaptive sensor components, novel embedded processing approaches, innovative threat cueing solutions and novel multi-function sensor payloads integrated with novel signal image processing techniques to provide improved manned and unmanned ground vehicle situational understanding in all environments. This project will also investigate and develop techniques to detect maneuver obstacles, to include explosive hazards, tank ditches, and concrete blockades. This research is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603462A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology), PE 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology), PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), PE 0602148A (Future Vertical Lift Technology) and PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology). Work in this project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Sensors with Embedded Processing | 16.3 | 15.5 | — |
| Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Threat Overmatch | 8.4 | 4.2 | — |
| Advanced Technologies for Countermine in Complex Environments | — | 3.5 | — |
| Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Situational Awareness, Maneuver, and Threat Overmatch | — | — | 23.0 |

> 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 BK5 — Adv Direct In-Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Tech

This project matures and conducts experiments on component technologies for large caliber direct fire light-weight armament systems that will exceed the current capability of 120mm direct fire and be optimized for future operational environment with cross-domain engagement capability. This project also researches large caliber direct fire munitions to project overwhelming lethality while ensuring maneuver forces remains mobile and sustainable during close-combat engagements at extended ranges. Research in this project is related to and fully integrated with the efforts funded in Program Element (PE) 0603462A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology) / Project BK6 (Advanced Technology Direct In Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Advanced Technology). Research in this project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC) and Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Lethality Armament System- Large Caliber (ALAS-LC) | 2.8 | — | — |
| Decisive Lethality | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.1 |
| Enhanced Cross Platform - Medium Caliber (ECP-MC) | — | — | 1.3 |

> 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 BF8 — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Tech

This project develops and characterizes artificial intelligence and machine learning software and algorithms to team with soldiers in support of fully autonomous maneuver of the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) and other autonomous systems, both physical and non-embodied. Efforts develop capabilities for NGCV and other autonomous agents that increase autonomy, unburdening the soldier operator, with a high degree of survivability and lethality in a highly contested environment. This work also investigates power distribution and conversion technologies to provide compact, efficient, and high-power capabilities for electrical and electro- mechanical loads supporting both mobile and stationary unmanned platforms. Research enables combat vehicles to rapidly learn, adapt, and reason faster than the adversary; accomplish missions in contested, austere and congested environments, characterized by lack of structure, adversarial actions, and minimal a priori knowledge; and provide force reduction through self-learning vehicles that can operate in complex militarily relevant environments. This project also matures emerging research leading to potential technology development in areas of strategic importance to the Army by bringing competitively selected Universities with research teams into Technical Alliances.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scalable, Adaptive, and Resilient Autonomous Systems | 4.3 | — | — |
| Context-Based Information Dynamics | 1.3 | — | — |
| Heterogeneous Computing and Computational Sciences | 1.3 | — | — |
| Machine Learning with Constrained Resources | 4.8 | — | — |
| Intelligence for High Operational Tempo Maneuver | 1.9 | — | — |
| Operational Assessment of Artificial Intelligence Developmental Systems | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 |

> 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 BP5 — Ground Vehicle Technology (CA)

Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Ground Vehicle Technology.

### Project BJ2 — Tactical and Navigation Lasers Sensors Technology

This project designs and develops novel laser sensor technologies which provide improved maneuver, lethality, and survivability capabilities via manned and autonomous navigation, adversary sensor threat detection, and target detection and designation in all environments. It will deliver novel laser technologies which will provide low size, weight, and power (SWaP) laser sources and receivers for optical augmentation detection systems; and compact Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) sources for situational awareness and air and ground vehicle operations and navigation in all environments. This project is a critical enabler for autonomous operations in environments where other imaging technologies are not sufficient. This project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603462A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology), PE 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology), PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), and PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology). Work in this project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tactical and Navigation Lasers Sensors Technology | 5.8 | 5.5 | — |

> 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 BI2 — Sensor Protection Technology

This project investigates, designs, and develops techniques for masking friendly force capabilities and intentions. The project pursues technologies to reduce the susceptibility of sensor systems to detection and targeting by threat forces, as well as to inform the development of next generation signature reduction schemas. This project also designs, investigates, fabricates, evaluates and characterizes advanced sensor protection technologies, components, and concepts that will enable the future soldier to see and operate through a laser directed energy weapon attack. Both active and passive protection technologies will be investigated to protect Army sensors that operate in the visible, short-wave infrared, mid-wave infrared, and long-wave infrared spectra from battlefield laser threats. Areas of research include passive optical limiters such as nonlinear organic dyes, semiconductors, and meta-materials, as well as fast active switches and tunable filters. Technologies investigated include novel optics designs combined with signal processing, spectral filtering, and threat sensing algorithms. Work in this project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603462A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology), PE 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology), PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), and PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology) Work in this project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Protection Technology | 5.7 | 4.2 | — |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This PE is directly aligned to the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) Army Modernization Priority. This PE researches, designs, and evaluates combat vehicle technologies that enable the Army to have a smarter, faster, more lethal, more precise, more protected, and more adaptable force. The focus is on building upon the foundational vehicle architectures to support the Next Generation of Combat Vehicles, to include autonomy architecture, power architecture, vehicle electronic architecture, physical architecture, lethality architecture and vehicle protection architecture.

## Related program elements

- [0603462A — Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603462A) (Army)
- [0602275A — Electronic Warfare Applied Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602275A) (Army)
- [0604280N — JT Tactical RADIO System (JTRS)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604280N) (Navy)
- [0304785N — ISR & INFO Operations](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304785N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0602145A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602145A")`.

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