What project AF8 buys
This project directly supports Precision Fires capabilities by investigating the design and fabrication of components and subsystems critical to produce affordable extended range precision missiles as well as critical component technologies including advanced propulsion, seekers/sensors, fire control, datalink, guidance, navigation and controls, airframes, survivability techniques and technologies, and additional high payoff areas. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / AF1 (Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF) Technology) / AF3 (Extended Range Propulsion Tech) and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / AF2 (Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF) Advanced Tech); and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / BY2 (Advanced Hypersonic Technology) Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).
Project AF8 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 | 9.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 8.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 12.6 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 12.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 8.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 11.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 12.2 |
2 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. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
FY2027 planned work Will develop simulation capability for trajectory optimization and improved munition survivability; develop methods for inertial sensing and sensor fusion for improved navigation; develop lethality models for Army tactical and precision strike munitions; Investigate and develop novel high temperature and lower-cost materials for missile applications
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase is an economic adjustment.
FY2026 plans — current year Will conduct experiments to validate the use of advanced materials to increase the energy density of batteries; develop technologies to maintain munition accuracy in GPS denied environments; continue experiment to mature and validate advanced component propulsion technologies to extend range, improve survivability, and maintain form factor; mature component datalink technology for deep targeting in Anti-Access / Area Denial (A2/AD) environments; investigate advanced, reduced space and weight, seeker and warhead technologies to defeat future threats.
FY2025 accomplishments Will continue to research missile battery size, weight, power, and cost upgrades over existing off the shelf components; conduct experiment of a fully integrated software defined receiver for alternative navigation to allow operation in GPS degraded and denied environments; conduct experiments to mature and validate solid thermodynamic latent propulsion technology for potential to enable throttling of solid rocket propellants, enhancing system capabilities and survivability; continue investigations into high energy propellants utilizing novel ingredients and formulations; conduct proof of principle experiment for a reachback datalink to support employment of on-board missile sensors for…
FY2027 planned work Will develop and review concept and component technical requirements for advanced fires concepts; integrate novel survivability technologies and techniques into the modeling and simulation environment; refine identified leading methods and technology for optimized performance in current missile systems
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase reflects additional modeling and simulation research.
FY2026 plans — current year Will conduct feasibility studies of integrating advanced survivability concepts within Army missile architecture; investigate advanced technologies, and techniques for technology insertion in existing and future Army missile systems to include advanced materials, algorithms, and sensors to maximize survivability on the future battlefield; and perform survivability studies to quantify the improvements of each advanced concept to identify leading methods and technology for future implementation.