# Project 0000 — Common Picture Applied Research

**Program element:** 0602235N — Common Picture Applied Research  
**Project:** 0000  
**Component:** U.S. Navy  
**Appropriation:** 1319 — RDT&E, Navy  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602235N/0000  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602235N

## Summary

Project 0000 — Common Picture Applied Research requests $40.4M in FY2027, 100% of the $40.4M requested for program element 0602235N, down 27% on FY2026. 3 R-2A activities decompose the request.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 50.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 55.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 40.4 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 45.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 48.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 47.6 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 48.1 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0602235N; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 0000 buys

Activities and efforts in this program examine concepts and technologies that enable the transformation to network centric warfare. Network centric capabilities rely on information to connect assets and provide timely and accurate understanding of the environment. The mission area requirements for rapid, accurate decision-making; dynamic, efficient, mission-focused communications and networks; and pervasive and persistent sensing drive network centric Science and Technology S&T investments. The activities described in this Program Element (PE) address future Navy and Marine Corps capabilities needed to maintain maritime superiority and ensure national security. They are based on input from stakeholders including the Naval enterprises, the combatant commands, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and Headquarters Marine Corps and are designed to exploit breakthroughs in science and technology in order to deliver maximum warfighting benefit to our sailors and marines. These efforts are aligned with shared priorities throughout the whole of RDT&E in order to quickly advance new capabilities from discovery to deployment across the warfighting domains.

## Activities (R-2A) — 3

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Information Sciences for Decision Making | 38.5 | 40.6 | 29.6 | −27% | [a1](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602235N/0000/a1) |
| Communication and Networks | 5.7 | 7.0 | 7.5 | +6% | — |
| Tactical Space Exploitation | 6.0 | 7.6 | 3.3 | −56% | — |

> 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.

### Applied Information Sciences for Decision Making

Quantum Information Sciences: - Continue research into efficient protocols to implement quantum information processing with atoms and photons. - Continue research into quantum approaches to solve hard decision problems with naval relevance that may outperform classical techniques. - Continue research on robust devices compatible with…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602235N/0000/a1

### Communication and Networks

**FY2027 planned work.** Communication and Networks: - Continue research on communications with low probability of detection. - Continue research on novel path computation algorithms and autonomous distributed network control. - Continue research on transmission security enhancements to 5G for tactical operations. - Continue research on using current traffic data to predict future, near-term behavior. - Continue efforts in Networks and Communications Technology. The overall goal of this effort is devoted to the application of information theory, network and transport layer theory, and applied foundational science in wireless, networked communications, as well as the reference implementation and design of Naval waveforms, heterogeneous communications networks, tactical data links, tactical edge networks, and backhaul communications systems. These efforts include applied science in the technology areas of information system design, protocol engineering, routing, architectures, waveforms, software defined communications systems, tactical data links low probability intercept/detect networks, information operations, C5ISRT/Counter C5ISRT (with focus on Command, Control, Communications, Targeting) and reliable networked communications systems, all of which may be operating in contested and denied environments. These efforts include implementation of applied science in spectrum sharing, spectrum agile communications, dynamic spectrum access radios and networks, as well as heterogeneous networked communications for autonomous vehicles and systems that by the completion of their project work, could be demonstrated in the field or at sea with the Fleet. - Complete research into underwater blue-green optical communications technologies. - Complete research on electrically small antennas at lower frequencies. - Complete research on interference reduction and cancellation. - Initiate research on multiple-band capability for a metasurface aperture. - Initiate research on low-cost radios for constrained platforms. - Initiate research on cognitive algorithms for clustering. - Initiate research on learning algorithms for link prediction.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** There is no significant funding change from FY 2026 to FY 2027.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Communication and Networks: - Continue research on communications with low probability of detection. - Continue research on novel path computation algorithms and autonomous distributed network control. - Continue research on transmission security enhancements to 5G for tactical operations. - Continue research into underwater blue-green optical communications technologies. - Continue research on electrically small antennas at lower frequencies. - Continue research on interference reduction and cancellation. - Continue research on using current traffic data to predict future, near-term behavior. - Continue efforts in Networks and Communications Technology. The overall goal of this effort is devoted to the application of information theory, network and transport layer theory, and applied foundational science in wireless, networked communications, as well as the reference implementation and design of Naval waveforms, heterogeneous communications networks, tactical data links, tactical edge networks, and backhaul communications systems. These efforts include applied science in the technology areas of information system design, protocol engineering, routing, architectures, waveforms, software defined communications systems, tactical data links low probability intercept/detect networks, information operations, C5ISRT/Counter C5ISRT (with focus on Command, Control, Communications, Targeting) and reliable networked communications systems, all of which may be operating in contested and denied environments. These efforts include implementation of applied science in spectrum sharing, spectrum agile communications, dynamic spectrum access radios and networks, as well as heterogeneous networked communications for autonomous vehicles and systems that by the completion of their project work, could be demonstrated in the field or at sea with the Fleet. - Complete research addressing several known problems in signal processing theory related to synchronization and detection theory specifically for covert communications waveforms.

### Tactical Space Exploitation

**FY2027 planned work.** Space Research and Spacecraft Technology: - Continue efforts into Hypersonic Technologies. Hypersonic technologies are a key enabler for future Naval capabilities. Early applied research on many aspects of this field are expected to have significant impact on future DON capabilities. These include, but are not limited to propulsion, thermal management, materials, airframe design, and in-flight communication. This is an expansion and redefining of efforts aimed at the development of robust and reliable hypersonic air breathing platforms. - Continue efforts into Space Environment Awareness and Exploitation. Many Naval capabilities are enabled by or can be disrupted or degraded by the space environment. Research thus is focused on satellite communication, geopositioning, Over the Horizon RADAR, High Frequency (HF) Over the Horizon communication and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). Early applied research in sensing, specifying, and forecasting of the space environment is a key enabler for future Naval capabilities in areas including anomaly attribution, domain awareness, operations planning, and tactical decision aids. This is an expansion of previous efforts. Those include efforts for the development and demonstration of new measurement and data assimilation capabilities to predict phenomena that influence Over-the-Horizon Radar (OTHR) and communication, which will advance OTHR related capabilities and communication avenues. It also includes efforts that looked to take early-applied discovery Research and Development (R&D) to ensure Navy-Marine Corps access to critical space-associated capabilities on the ground, at sea, and in a contested space environment. - Continue efforts into Satellite Technologies. Innovative satellite technologies are a critical enabler for DON-relevant capabilities. The goals of these efforts include robust, responsive, low-cost, resilient space systems, comprehensive maritime domain and space domain awareness systems, protecting assets in all contested theaters, autonomous and robustly reconfigurable architectures and providing connectivity for highly dynamic, dispersed, and disadvantaged Naval users. In addition, novel space technologies have the potential to improve operations in GPS-denied environments using alternative Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT), on-board targeting and payload data edge processing.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The funding decrease from FY 2026 to FY 2027 reflects reduced investments in Tactical Space Exploitation Applied Research to meet higher priority Navy requirements.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Space Research and Spacecraft Technology: - Continue efforts into Hypersonic Technologies. Hypersonic technologies are a key enabler for future Naval capabilities. Early applied research on many aspects of this field are expected to have significant impact on future DON capabilities. These include, but are not limited to propulsion, thermal management, materials, airframe design, and in-flight communication. This is an expansion and redefining of efforts aimed at the development of robust and reliable hypersonic air breathing platforms. - Continue efforts into Space Environment Awareness and Exploitation. Many Naval capabilities are enabled by or can be disrupted or degraded by the space environment. Research thus is focused on satellite communication, geopositioning, Over the Horizon RADAR, High Frequency (HF) Over the Horizon communication and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). Early applied research in sensing, specifying, and forecasting of the space environment is a key enabler for future Naval capabilities in areas including anomaly attribution, domain awareness, operations planning, and tactical decision aids. This is an expansion of previous efforts. Those include efforts for the development and demonstration of new measurement and data assimilation capabilities to predict phenomena that influence Over-the-Horizon Radar (OTHR) and communication, which will advance OTHR related capabilities and communication avenues. It also includes efforts that looked to take early-applied discovery Research and Development (R&D) to ensure Navy-Marine Corps access to critical space-associated capabilities on the ground, at sea, and in a contested space environment. - Continue efforts into Satellite Technologies. Innovative satellite technologies are a critical enabler for DON-relevant capabilities. The goals of these efforts include robust, responsive, low-cost, resilient space systems, comprehensive maritime domain and space domain awareness systems, protecting assets in all contested theaters, autonomous and robustly reconfigurable architectures and providing connectivity for highly dynamic, dispersed, and disadvantaged Naval users. In addition, novel space technologies have the potential to improve operations in GPS-denied environments using alternative Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT), on-board targeting and payload data edge processing.

## 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/0602235N.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0602235N project 0000 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602235N")`.

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