# High Speed Propulsion Technology Development

**R-2A activity** of project 622405 — High Speed Systems Technology  
**Program element:** 0602203F — Aerospace Systems Technologies  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405/a2  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405

## Summary

This activity requests $90.9M in FY2027, 58% of project 622405, up 436% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** 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 complexity, and minimizing operational costs. Continue development of flame stabilization devices, instrumentation, endothermic fuels, and flight test engine components. Activities include: -Enhancing combustion system performance through evaluation of combustor operation, development of high-fidelity diagnostic tools, and optimization of fuel choices to balance performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Continue development of design and analysis techniques and tools as well as experimental approaches. Activities include: -Wind tunnel testing with accurate thrust measurements for validation and developing analytical models that improve prediction and lower testing expenses to enhance aerodynamic performance and affordability. Continue critical technology maturation for high speed and hypersonic propulsion systems with primary emphasis on affordable, durable, survivable platforms/systems. Activities include: -Validate advanced modeling, simulation and analysis (MS&A) techniques leading to improved predictive accuracy and reduced development costs; -Assess engine operability and performance across wider Mach number regimes for higher efficiency and stability; and -Enhance propulsive-system durability and power-thermal-management capability to support reliable, affordable high-speed operation. Continue advanced material, structural interaction, and aerodynamic propulsion integration evaluations. Activities include: -Conducting environmental and structural stress tests of advanced materials to improve thermal-management efficiency and support reusable, cost-effective repeatable and manufacturable structures; -Refining boundary-layer and transition modeling to enhance external-heating aerodynamic performance; -Advancing fluid-thermal-structural interaction modeling to boost durability and reduce lifecycle costs; and -Performing high-fidelity store-separation analyses that improve safety, predictability, and overall system efficiency. In FY 2027, the funding and technical activities from High-Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development were realigned to High-Speed Propulsion Technology Development effort within this Project. Continue development of multi-disciplinary design and analysis techniques and tools with emphasis on the digital engineering environment for high-speed propulsion system design. Activities include: -Executing detailed trade-off studies and high-fidelity digital modeling to assess how vehicle geometry, trajectory, and mission performance influence high-speed propulsion system efficiency, operability, affordability, and reusability. Continue investigation of advanced propulsion technologies to extend system range through improvement of system lift/drag ratio and maintain robust stability and control at all flight conditions. Activities include: -Ground testing of advanced control-surface concepts to validate analytical models and assess the impact of thermal deformation on high-speed vehicle controllability, contributing to the development of durable, affordable, and reusable designs. Continue investigation of computational and ground based experimental approaches to improve air induction systems over a wide range of flight conditions. Activities include: -Developing and testing variable-geometry inlet concepts to improve propulsion efficiency and high-speed performance; and -Performing wind-tunnel experiments and thermo-structural testing to validate durability, affordability, and potential reusable system designs.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding increased compared to FY 2026 by $73.970 million due to the transfer of the High-Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development effort and associated funding within this Project; and increased emphasis on propulsion wind tunnel tests to enable affordable, exquisite, and reusable hypersonic capabilities at pace required to meet National Hypersonic strategy.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue development and demonstration of advanced, high-speed engine components; -Activities include combustor design development and evaluation, inlet/isolator evaluation, nozzle evaluation and thermal management. Continue development of low internal drag flame stabilization devices, instrumentation, endothermic fuels, and flight test engine components; -Activities include combustor operability evaluation, combustion diagnostics development, and fuel evaluations. Continue development of design and analysis techniques and tools as well as experimental approaches; -Activities include wind tunnel testing, thrust measurements, and analytical model development. Continue critical technology maturation for high speed and hypersonic propulsion systems with primary emphasis on durable, survivable platforms/systems; -Activities include validated modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) techniques, engine operability and performance over expanded flight Mach number ranges, propulsive system durability, and thermal management. Commence propulsion studies and design efforts required for the development and demonstration of an engine flight test that expands the flight environment of current high-speed propulsion systems; -Activities include active engine controls component development and demonstration. Commence work previously planned in High-Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development effort for advanced material, structural interaction, and aerodynamic evaluations. -Activities include advanced material testing for thermal management, boundary layer / transition modeling for external heating aero, fluid-thermal-structural interaction modeling and evaluation, and store separation modeling and analyses.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 17.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 90.9 |

> 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 622405

- [High-Speed Systems Technology Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602203F/622405/a0) — FY2027 66.1
- High Speed Vehicle Aeromechanics Technology Development — FY2027 0.0

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602203F project 622405 (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.*