What project BF9 buys
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.
Project BF9 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 | 24.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 23.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 23.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 27.4 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 32.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 29.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 30.5 |
4 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.
Will determine optimal optical modulator technologies with high-bandwidth data transmission and high stability at cryogenic temperatures for integration with digital read-out integrated circuit (ROIC); validate laser sources coupled with photonic integrated circuits; continue performance assessments and maturation of embedded processing…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects realignment to Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Situational Awareness, Maneuver, and Threat Overmatch within this project to continue the maturation of advanced processing capabilities.
FY2026 plans — current year Will investigate optical modulator technologies for integration with digital readout integrated circuits (ROICs) that are capable of high-bandwidth data transmission and high stability at cryogenic temperature operation. Will investigate laser sources to couple with photonic integrated circuits that show high temperature stability and enable high data transfer rates. Will investigate size, weight, and power (SWAP)-optimized Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA)-compliant hardware implementations of neuromorphic and other advanced artificial intelligence processing devices. Will investigate emerging components that reduce platform SWAP and enhance mission effectiveness of Army platforms…
FY2025 accomplishments Will develop dual-band, high dynamic range digital readout integrate circuits (DROICs) with enhanced sensitivity at smaller semiconductor foundry processing nodes that contain standardized control and output formats for all-digital sensor system solutions; continue to develop full resolution cooled DROICs for integration with avalanche photodiode (APD) detectors at smaller pixel pitches (size), capable of enhanced sensitivity at faster frame rates to enable covert target geo-location capabilities. Will validate preliminary design and mature a detailed design of at-sensor processing hardware components to improve performance and size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) of image processing for…
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects realignment to Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Situational Awareness, Maneuver, and Threat Overmatch within this project to continue the maturation of advanced processing capabilities.
FY2026 plans — current year Will validate the use of multiple sensor modalities together with new algorithms to improve automated threat recognition. Will mature and validate techniques using additional data from multispectral cameras on an unmanned aerial system to recognize maneuver threats in highly cluttered environments, expanding the recognition capability currently demonstrated in low vegetation environments.
FY2025 accomplishments Will conduct experiments using multiple sensor modalities to support the development and training of algorithms to improve automated threat detection. Will investigate and develop new processing approaches and methods using location and position data from multi-spectral and high definition polarized EO/IR sensor components to improve target detection and location accuracy from an unmanned aerial system (UAS). Will develop new image formation and processing techniques to improve target detection performance using radar antennas mounted on a small UAS.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects realignment to Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Situational Awareness, Maneuver, and Threat Overmatch within this project to continue the maturation of advanced processing capabilities.
FY2026 plans — current year Will investigate automated pattern recognition, and spatial association techniques to detect obstacles utilizing existing imagery of realistic, complex environments. Will collect geospatial imagery to determine effectiveness of detection techniques. Will investigate methods to insert techniques into a multi-domain common operating picture.