# Project 622405 — High Speed Systems Technology

**Program element:** 0602203F — Aerospace Systems Technologies  
**Project:** 622405  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F

## Summary

Project 622405 — High Speed Systems Technology requests $157.0M in FY2027, 39% of the $397.8M requested for program element 0602203F, up 80% on FY2026. 3 R-2A activities decompose the request.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 41.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 87.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 157.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 133.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 145.3 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 139.1 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 139.2 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0602203F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 622405 buys

This project investigates, analyzes, and develops applied technologies that enable future multi-Mach, responsive high-speed/hypersonic weapons and platforms (vehicles) via modeling, simulation and analysis (MS&A), and ground and flight tests. The extreme conditions high-speed/hypersonic weapons and platforms are subjected to manifest as complex multi-disciplinary technical challenges, namely: structure/system durability, broad operability from Mach 0 to Mach 5+ (multi-Mach operability), vehicle-level integrated power and thermal management, and integration of mission systems. The development of technical solutions to these multi-disciplinary challenges at the subsystem level, and the subsequent integration of them at the system level, is critical to reduce the risk and time required to transition technologies into operational systems. Digital material management, and validation via ground test capability are utilized to develop and deliver an integrated digital environment (IDE) to assess technology, evaluate its impacts, and make capability-focused investment decisions. Aerospace Systems Technologies, received a Congressional add for FY2026 $2.500 million for Hypersonic high-speed aerodynamics research. Upon Congressional spend plan approval, an Internal Reprogramming (IR) will be processed aligning the funding to PE0601102F for proper execution.

## Activities (R-2A) — 3

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Speed Propulsion Technology Development | 0.0 | 17.0 | 90.9 | +436% | [a2](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405/a2) |
| High-Speed Systems Technology Development | 23.9 | 22.4 | 66.1 | +194% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405/a0) |
| High Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development | 17.3 | 15.4 | 0.0 | −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.

### High Speed Propulsion Technology Development

Continue development and demonstration of advanced, high-speed engine components. Activities include: -Advancing efficient combustor designs, evaluating inlet/isolator and nozzle performance and integration, and developing power-thermal-management solutions that enhance system durability leading to reduced design and manufacturing…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405/a2

### High-Speed Systems Technology Development

Continue critical technology maturation for increased service life of high speed/ hypersonic systems with secondary emphasis on longer range flight and heavier payloads. Activities include: -Assessments for service life and durability of metallic and hybrid vehicle structures, including joint compliance and fatigue life. -Design…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405/a0

### High Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development

**FY2027 planned work.** In FY 2027, the funding and technical activities from this effort were realigned to High-Speed Systems Technology Development and High-Speed Propulsion Technology Development effort within this Project.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding decreased compared to FY 2026 by $15.352 million due to the transfer of the High-Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development effort within this Project to enable acceleration of integrated system and propulsion capabilities and capture realistic representation of integrated aeromechanical work.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue to mature critical technologies for high speed/hypersonic flight with primary emphasis on durable, survivable systems and secondary emphasis on longer range and heavier payloads; -Activities include studies of low-speed performance, configuration trades, and data collection on high-speed platforms operating outside of cruise conditions. Continue development of multi-disciplinary design and analysis techniques and tools with emphasis on the digital engineering environment; -Activities include vehicle geometry, trajectory and performance evaluations. Continue development of high-speed system concepts that provide revolutionary capabilities through configuration research; -Activities include military utility assessments through mission effectiveness, campaign analyses, and wargames. Continue efforts to characterize high-speed aeromechanics (fluid-structure interaction) phenomena and develop and validate fundamental high-speed component technologies; -Activities include development of optical flow diagnostic techniques and computational and ground test of fluid structure interactions on relevant geometries. Continue investigation of advanced aeromechanic technologies to extend system range through improvement of system lift/drag ratio and maintain robust stability and control at all flight conditions; -Activities include analytical studies and ground tests to determine important parameters affecting control surfaces, and effects of thermal deformation on controllability. Continue investigation of computational and ground based experimental approaches to improve air induction systems over a wide range of flight conditions; -Activities include variable geometry inlet technologies, wind tunnel testing and thermo-structural testing. Continue critical technology maturation for high speed/ hypersonic systems with primary emphasis on durable, survivable platforms/systems, including validated modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) techniques, mission system integration, operability and performance over expanded mission requirements, vehicle durability, and vehicle-level thermal management; -Activities include validation of service life predictions for multi-Mach vehicles, identification of critical design features, and development of state-of-the-art digital engineering datasets and models. Continue critical vehicle aeromechanics and integration technology maturation for high speed/ hypersonic systems with primary emphasis on durable, survivable platforms/systems, including validated MS&A techniques, mission system integration, operability and performance over expanded mission requirements, vehicle durability, and vehicle-level thermal management; -Activities include identification of critical design features for global response, and development of state-of-the-art digital engineering datasets and models. Complete investigation of aeromechanic technologies to evaluate uncertainty, improve instrumentation accuracy and safe multi-body physics; -Activities include systems integration, and aero, thermal, structural and acoustics. Commence research on technologies required to close the kill chain using weapons released from a high-speed platform; -Activities include research to address tech gaps including aperture performance in a high-speed thermal environment, platform/weapon sensor operation, cavities sealing, weapon control post-dispense, optimal weapon attributes and dispense methods

## 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/0602203F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0602203F project 622405 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602203F")`.

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