What the FY2027 request buys
Verbatim from the R-2A exhibit for project 623066 of PE 0602203F. This is the budget justification's own description of work that has not happened yet — the one thing no other level of the budget carries.
Continue evaluation and integration of ramburner rotating detonation engine (RDE) technology. Activities include: -Completion of characterization testing of volume-efficient RDE diffuser concepts -Release of preliminary versions of rapid design RDE computational fluid dynamics codes -Design, fabrication, and testing of novel RDE configurations to explore potential performance improvements -Demonstration of mission relevant integrated RDE design in a direct connect test Continue fan tip generator configuration in future platforms. Activities include: -Experimental characterization of 2nd generation fan tip generator Complete studies in reducing the overall time required for engine development and design cycle a more responsive design times. Activities include: -Completing Concept Design & Military Utility Analysis (MUA) of new advanced propulsion concept -Completing assessment of Digital Engineering Level maturity for internal design process -Assessing digital engineering methods identified in the detailed research plan to shorten the conceptual engine design and vehicle integration time. -Delivery and review of rapid MBSE developed conceptual design models and their generated data Commence and complete design study of variable fan and compressor blades for viability assessment in enabling convertible engines. Activities include: -Variable fan and compressor blades design study. Commence compressor testing for high speed weapons development. Activities include: -Compressor testing
FY 2027 compared to FY 2026 increased by $3.523 million due to the acceleration of technology development for advanced, air-breathing rotating detonation engines in tactical form factors for long-range, responsive, affordable weapons.
FY2026: the year under way
Prior-year accomplishments and current-year plans from the same exhibit. Context for the FY2027 plan, not a series — an activity partitions its project exactly in the request year, but can under-cover it in earlier years.
Continue evaluation and integration of ramburners rotating detonation engine (RDE) technology - Fabricate and test RDE with a subsonic inlet diffuser to assess inlet distortion on integrated performance; - Design, fabricate and test RDE instrumented for quantification of the vibrational environment; - Demonstrate of staged fuel/air RDE injector at scale and relevant conditions; and - Design, fabricate and test of actuated nozzle assembly coupled to scale RDE operated in a water-cooled thermal management arrangement. Continue studies in reducing the overall time required for engine development and design cycle a more responsive design times - Review relevant digital engineering methods identified in the detailed research plan - Conceptual design modifications to commercial off the shelf engines for military application. Complete evaluation of advanced augmentors. Complete studies for exploration of advanced propulsion technologies. - Studies enable initial cycle study on convertible engine. Complete studies in hypersonic combined cycles. Complete analysis of Air Breathing Propulsion Technologies. - Operational benefits and military utility Commence fan tip generator configuration in future platforms. - Experimental characterization of disruptive propulsion. Commence and complete Detailed Design Review of external bearing turbine engines for disruptive propulsion for future platforms. Commence and complete rig testing to advance development of flight ready high-speed engine components.
Three years, and no five-year plan
An R-2A activity publishes the prior year, the current year and the budget year. The FYDP outyears exist at project and program-element level and are deliberately absent here rather than inferred. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 18.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 29.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 33.3 |
This activity is 40% of project 623066's FY2027 request and 8.4% of PE 0602203F's. In the request year the activities under a project sum to it exactly; in the current year they under-cover it in about 9% of cases, so an activity's delta can legitimately exceed its parent's and the two must not be compared row to row.
10 activities in project 623066
Every R-2A line of this project, largest FY2027 request first. Linked where the activity has enough of its own narrative to carry a page; the rest are shown in full on the project page.