# Project BG6 — Advanced Concepts for Active Defense Technology

**Program element:** 0602145A — Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology  
**Project:** BG6  
**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/BG6  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602145A

## Summary

Project BG6 — Advanced Concepts for Active Defense Technology requests $38.1M in FY2027, 54% of the $70.5M requested for program element 0602145A, up 31% on FY2026. 9 R-2A activities decompose the request, 1 new this cycle.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 29.9 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 29.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 38.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 32.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 41.5 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 49.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 49.6 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0602145A; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project BG6 buys

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).

## Activities (R-2A) — 9

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal Effects Mechanisms | — | — | 11.1 | new | [a8](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602145A/BG6/a8) |
| Multi-Threat Armor Technologies | 6.7 | 6.1 | 9.0 | +48% | — |
| Advanced Vehicle Survivability (AVS) Research | — | 7.1 | 6.4 | −9% | — |
| Adaptive and Cooperative Protection | 6.1 | 5.1 | 6.0 | +17% | — |
| Survivability/Lethality/Vulnerability Analysis Tools and Methodology | 5.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | −3% | — |
| Directed Energy for Terminal Effects | — | 2.8 | 2.3 | −18% | — |
| Emerging Overmatch Technologies | 2.4 | — | — | — | — |
| Collaborative Defense | 9.2 | — | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Intelligent Survivability (VIS) Research | — | 4.6 | — | −100% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Terminal Effects Mechanisms — NEW START

Will investigate automated armor design methodology, machine learning tools, and computational methods for optimizing protection against a specific threat of interest against various armor technologies; expand Armor database and machine learning knowledge products; devise and refine theory for scaling behavior in thick metal plates…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602145A/BG6/a8

### Multi-Threat Armor Technologies

**FY2027 planned work.** Will assess improved armor designs for enhanced mounted survivability against multiple threat classes to include medium cal kinetic threats and Shaped Charged Jet (SCJ) threats; assess emerging threats and devise novel techniques to defeat them; develop armor designs using novel materials designed to protect from multi-hit on platforms and optimize crew survivability and protection of uncrewed platform critical components (batteries) to reduce fire and reduce size and weight; mature armor architecture and materials to optimize mass efficiency, multi-hit performance, and reduce weight; explore top attack protection concepts to protect against weaponized Unmanned Aerial Systems.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding increase reflects additional research in novel armor materials and designs to protect against multi-hit threats.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Will assess the ballistic effectiveness of improved armor designs for protection from emerging medium and large caliber KE threats; optimize protection of crew and uncrewed platform critical components to reduce fire and reduce size and weight; mature armor architecture and materials to optimize mass efficiency, multi-hit performance and reduce weight.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Develop vulnerability mapping of threats to emerging and proliferated chemical energy weapons; enhance armor protection mechanisms for medium caliber kinetic energy (KE) threats utilizing novel armor mechanisms including multi-threat and multi-hit armor mechanisms to improve vehicle protection technologies; develop and validate protection capability for future threats.

### Advanced Vehicle Survivability (AVS) Research

**FY2027 planned work.** Will build upon FY2026 effort to continue investigation of multiple novel survivability and protection technologies for protection against emerging threats; work with industry partners to conceptualize integration of novel technologies on ground vehicle platforms to assess feasibility; develop test methodology to evaluate performance of active technology to protect occupants; procure hardware and conduct baseline performance validation testing of the most promising technologies. Resulting test data and associated high-fidelity modeling and simulation will be used to inform down-selection of technology to advance into the development phase in FY2028.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decrease reflects decreased amount of candidate protection technologies being considered for down-selection

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Will investigate the integration potential of multiple novel survivability and protection technologies for protection against emerging threats. These technology concepts will be evaluated in advanced M&S to create high fidelity integrated component concepts. The best performing concepts will be fabricated for physical testing to validate technology performance. Will leverage internal M&S capability to determine path forward for protection system and enhancements.

### Adaptive and Cooperative Protection

**FY2027 planned work.** Will continue to mature novel adaptive protection mechanisms for mounted survivability and technologies to enhance protection from emerging rocket-propelled grenades, Anti-tank Guided Missiles, and Shape Charged Jet threats, while reducing size and weight requirements; mature advanced top attack adaptive protection technologies; design and develop components for next generation adaptive protection technologies; explore new sensing modalities for improved threat detection.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding increase reflects additional research in top attack adaptive protection technologies.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Will explore novel adaptive protection mechanisms and technologies to enhance protection from emerging rocket propelled grenade (RPG), Anti-Tank Guided Munitions (ATGM), and Shaped Charged Jet (SCJ) threats, while reducing size and weight requirements; assess the performance of advance top attack adaptive protection technologies; design and develop components for top attack adaptive protection technologies.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Enhance statistically based computational models for adaptive technologies to include hemispherical protection concepts; conduct experiments on advanced adaptive concepts to counter emerging threats; enhance numerical models to explore the kinematics of multiple adaptive protective technologies and establish optimal defeat range of incoming threats with increased protection.

### Survivability/Lethality/Vulnerability Analysis Tools and Methodology

**FY2027 planned work.** Will investigate and begin to develop and incorporate direct fire ballistic analysis capability for medium caliber munitions against moving Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) targets; begin to incorporate analysis of AI-enabled systems against future weapons systems; mature methodology for assessing capabilities of advanced adaptive, cooperative, active, reactive, passive, and roof protection. Continue to improve methodology for collaborative protection of multiple platforms in a formation and sensor assessment, as well as improve intercepted munition residual characterizations in support of combat platform and soldier protection.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decrease reflects elimination of investigating methodology to model the integration of ballistic weapons with Directed Energy, including Ultra-short pulse lasers (USPLs), to assess performance and vulnerability.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Will investigate and develop direct fire ballistic analysis capability for medium caliber munitions to protect from hovering UAS targets; investigate and integrate control structure with vulnerability analysis capability for unmanned ground vehicles, leading to the development of a multi-discipline analysis capability to address Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled system control failures; investigate methodology to assess Directed Energy, including lasers performance and vulnerability; continue to improve methodology for assessing capabilities of advanced active, reactive, passive, and roof armors; continue to improve methodology for collaborative protection of multiple vehicles in a formation and sensor assessment, as well as improve intercepted munition residual characterizations in support of combat platform and soldier protection.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Research human machine teaming methodology and develop vulnerability analysis capability with combined voice and data communication focusing on cognitive burden and network traffic impact over time; develop vulnerability analysis capability of Aided Target Recognition to small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) obscuration of target; develop direct fire analysis capability for advanced medium caliber munitions against moving vehicle targets; continue development of UAS target vulnerability to advanced medium caliber munitions and active protection technologies; improve methodology for assessing capabilities of advanced active, reactive, passive, and roof armors; improve methodology for collaborative protection of multiple vehicles in a formation and sensor assessment, as well as improve intercepted munition residual characterizations in support of next generation combat vehicle protection.

### Directed Energy for Terminal Effects

**FY2027 planned work.** Will mature advanced directed energy (DE) technologies to defeat non-line of sight guided munitions; assess and exercise directed energy Modeling and Simulations (M&S) tools to mature novel Terminal Effects Directed Energy technologies that can be employed in Army environments to defeat emerging non-conventional threats and counter adversary directed energy threats.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decrease reflects reduction in direction energy research to counter Unmanned Ground Vehicles.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Will investigate advanced directed energy (DE) technologies to design and develop capabilities at lower size, weight, and power requirements to disrupt and defeat emerging threats on the battlefield; investigate current DE Modeling and Simulations (M&S) tools and build robust DE M&S capability that can predict and inform Terminal Effects in Army environments.

### Emerging Overmatch Technologies

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Validate collaborative protection technologies against real threats in field experiments; document proof-of-concept for cooperative protection and collaborative lethality and evaluate preliminary performance based on a limited set of simulation runs; assess residual technology risk and document recommendations for transition partners.

### Collaborative Defense

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Continue investigation of collaborative countermeasure concepts through advanced modeling and simulation tools and system-level trade studies. Will down-select and mature the most-promising technology concept through computational analysis and physical experiments. Will develop system-level model for selected approach and develop hardware components. Will begin detailed design of countermeasure system architecture for Modular Active Protection Framework compliance.

### Vehicle Intelligent Survivability (VIS) Research

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decrease reflects transition of technology to Program Element (PE) 0603462A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology) / Project BG7 (Ground Systems Active Defense (GSAD) Advanced Tech).

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Investigate current and emerging technologies, data networks, and interfaces to identify opportunities to establish relationships between survivability and non-survivability (e.g. mobility, lethality, C5ISR) sub-systems to improve platform and formation survivability. Establish the foundational architecture and critical behaviors for a new Survivability system-of-systems; preparing for transition to Ground Systems Active Defense (GSAD) Advanced Tech.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602145A.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0602145A project BG6 (PB PB2027).
- **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.*