# Multiband Multifunction Radio Frequency Sensing

**R-2A activity** of project 627622 — Multispectral Sensing & Countermeasures Technology  
**Program element:** 0602204F — Aerospace Sensors  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602204F/627622/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602204F/627622

## Summary

This activity requests $19.6M in FY2027, 37% of project 627622, down 12% 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 deployment of passive sensing techniques for detecting, geolocating, and characterizing signals of interest onto advanced multifunction systems targeted to small and large platforms - Continue development of multifunction, wideband radio frequency sensor payloads using scalable, open system architectures and commercially available International Traffic in Arms Regulations products. - Continue scalable mode development for low cost, size, weight, and power multifunction arrays to support Autonomous Collaborative Platform mission payloads. - Complete advanced mode development for multi-beam and multi-function digital arrays, implementing more complex modes and advanced waveforms with applications for Advanced Early Warning radar. - Complete development of modes using standardized interfaces and utilizing hardware architectures representative of emerging Department of the Air Force systems. - Complete development of techniques for analysis of complex active electronically scanned arrays on large platforms. - Complete investigation of emerging receiver technology such as quantum enabled receivers. - Commence system design studies for scaling of large platform multifunction aperture (MFA) capabilities to cost, size, weight, and power constrained platforms. - Commence integrating advanced MFA modes, large-scale digital beamforming (DBF), and novel waveforms utilizing government reference architectures to enable third-party capability demonstrations and enhanced radar functionality

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 decreased compared to FY 2026 by $2.597 million due to a reduction in the development of multi-band and multi-beam forming technologies. This reduction is the result of a strategic realignment of the Department of the Air Force's Science and Technology (DAF S&T) portfolio, which aims to optimize core research areas and improve resource efficiency.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue advanced mode development for multi-beam and multi-function digital arrays, implementing more complex modes and advanced waveforms with applications for Advanced Early Warning radar. - Continue development of modes using standardized interfaces and utilizing hardware architectures representative of emerging Department of the Air Force systems. - Continue development of techniques for analysis of complex active electronically scanned arrays on large platforms. - Continue investigation of emerging receiver technology such as quantum enabled receivers. - Complete migration of mode implementation from custom interfaces to Department of War and Department of the Air Force standardized interfaces. - Complete integration of additively manufactured antennas and radar backend components to demonstrate low-cost, wide bandwidth, scalable, and conformal phased array antennas for uncrewed sensing platforms. - Complete analysis identifying performance bounds and requirements for low-cost radio frequency sensors in selected mission scenarios. - Commence deployment of passive sensing techniques for detecting, geolocating, and characterizing signals of interest onto advanced multifunction systems targeted to small and large platforms - Commence development of multifunction, wideband radio frequency sensor payloads using scalable, open system architectures and commercially available International Traffic in Arms Regulations products. - Commence scalable mode development for low cost, size, weight, and power multifunction arrays to support Autonomous Collaborative Platform mission payloads.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 14.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 22.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 19.6 |

> 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 627622

- [Distributed Radio Frequency Sensing](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602204F/627622/a2) — FY2027 16.7
- [Laser Radar Sensing in Contested Environments](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602204F/627622/a3) — FY2027 11.9
- Passive Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensing in Contested Environments — FY2027 4.3
- Passive Radio Frequency Sensing — FY2027 0.0

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602204F project 627622 (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.*