# Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Situational Awareness, Maneuver, and Threat Overmatch

**R-2A activity** of project BF9 — Sensors for Autonomous Operations and Surv Tech  
**Program element:** 0602145A — Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology  
**Component:** U.S. Army · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602145A/BF9/a3  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602145A/BF9

> **NEW START.** $23.0M requested in FY2027 with no prior-year and no current-year funding.

## Summary

This activity requests $23.0M in FY2027, 100% of project BF9 — a new start with no prior-year and no current-year money. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** 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 hardware for low-SWAP platforms such as Soldier-borne and small UAS (sUAS) platforms; investigate and validate adversarial and counter-aided target detection and recognition (AITDR) approaches in field environments; evaluate collaborative AITDR solutions for US Army tactical missions and participate in touchpoints to enhance AITDR with Soldier feedback; complete development and design verification testing of advanced readout-integrated circuit (ROIC) for uncooled thermal sensors with hardware-integrated capabilities, including snapshot and external triggers; begin development of improved pixel pitches for uncooled thermal sensors capable of continuous-bias operation, enabling distributed-aperture and motion applications; validate advanced, time-correlated algorithms for on-the-move operation using external processing hardware in a lab environment; determine efficacy of combining multi-sensor modality data with new algorithms to enhance automated threat recognition performance; mature and validate techniques using EO/IR and other modality sensor imagery from varying altitudes via unmanned aerial system platform to recognize maneuver obstacles and explosive threats in cluttered environments; investigate the combination of aerial- and ground-based threat nominations via teaming to enhance awareness and location of maneuver obstacles.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** This is not a new start. FY 2027 funding increase reflects the consolidation of other ongoing efforts within this project from Advanced Sensors with Embedded Processing, Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Threat Overmatch and Advanced Technologies for Countermine in Complex Environments. Funding increase reflects additional research to continue the maturation of sensor and electronic components and processing approaches. Additionally, funding is restructured from Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology / Project BJ2 (Tactical and Navigation Lasers Sensors Technology).

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2027 | Request | 23.0 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project BF9

- Advanced Sensors with Embedded Processing — FY2027 —
- Sensors, Electronics and Processing Approaches for Threat Overmatch — FY2027 —
- Advanced Technologies for Countermine in Complex Environments — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602145A project BF9 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

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