# EO/IR Sensor Technologies

**R-2A activity** of project 0000 — Electromagnetic Systems Applied Research  
**Program element:** 0602271N — Electromagnetic Systems Applied Research  
**Component:** U.S. Navy · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602271N/0000/a1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602271N/0000

## Summary

This activity requests $11.5M in FY2027, 15% of project 0000, up 72% 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.** EO/IR Sensor Technologies: - Continue efforts to develop and test optical architectures to demonstrate simultaneous wide Field of View (FOV) and high-resolution imaging for search, detection, classification, identification and targeting functions. - Continue research and development of novel Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-ISR applications with tailored optical beams for diffraction-free, atmospheric turbulence-immune propagation. - Continue to develop novel techniques for Electro-Optic/Infrared (EO/IR) countermeasures to detect, track and/or jam sensors. - Continue demonstration and testing of real-time combat Identification (ID) algorithms for detecting and tracking simultaneous targets from networked, high-resolution, wide field of view, and persistent surveillance systems. - Continue research into extreme low light imaging cameras built using low-cost silicon foundry services to enable cost effective and available all domain imaging. - Continue development of advanced coherent imaging systems and beam steering for software defined multi-use optical apertures as a way to improve multi-function systems. - Continue research into metasurface-based flat optics for improved infrared imaging performance. - Continue research in photonic techniques for readout, low loss interconnects and 1D/2D/3D coupling techniques, Input/Output (I/O) processing, computing. - Continue research in using novel passive and active polarization features and states to improve target resolution, sensitivity, and clutter mitigation. Electromagnetic Warfare: - Continue the development of Electro Optical/Infrared Technology. The purpose of this thrust is to expand the state-of-the-art in Electro Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISRT) and supporting technologies. The goal will be to develop innovative EO/IR sensing paradigms, components, and signal processing techniques to insure full EO/IR spectrum superiority. Capabilities are pursued in multispectral, hyperspectral, and hypertemporal EO/IR modalities as well as the fusion of these with other Electronics Intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) modalities to locate hidden/concealed targets and other hard-to-find objects. This effort is an expansion of previously discussed efforts to develop Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) technologies to improve imaging, target identification, threat detection, and engagement capabilities for the war fighter. - Continue the development of technology for new and enhanced naval capabilities based on the creation, transmission, modulation and detection of electromagnetic waves throughout the ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectral regions in Optical Technologies. Technologies developed will include concepts and devices for emitting light such as lasers and light emitting diodes; for transmission such as turbulence mitigation and multispectral optical materials; for modulation such as amplifiers and switches; for detection such as multi-spectral, hyper-spectral and tunable focal planes, single photon detectors, and event-based sensors. New signal processing techniques and the application of artificial intelligence will be developed to enable naval applications.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The funding increase from FY2026 to FY 2027 is due to an increased focus being directed in the area of EO/IR Sensor Technology vice other areas.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** EO/IR Sensor Technologies: - Continue efforts to develop and test optical architectures to demonstrate simultaneous wide Field of View (FOV) and high-resolution imaging for search, detection, classification, identification and targeting functions. - Continue research and development of novel Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-ISR applications with tailored optical beams for diffraction-free, atmospheric turbulence-immune propagation. - Continue to develop novel techniques for Electro-Optic/Infrared (EO/IR) countermeasures to detect, track and/or jam sensors. - Continue demonstration and testing of real-time combat Identification (ID) algorithms for detecting and tracking simultaneous targets from networked, high-resolution, wide field of view, and persistent surveillance systems. - Continue research into extreme low light imaging cameras built using low-cost silicon foundry services as a way to provide all domain imaging for some missions or platforms that can't afford infrared sensors. - Continue development of advanced coherent imaging systems and beam steering for software defined multi-use optical apertures as a way to improve multi-function systems. - Initiate research into metasurface-based flat optics for improved infrared imaging performance. - Initiate research in photonic techniques for readout, Input/Output (I/O) processing and computing. - Initiate research in using novel passive and active polarization features and states to improve target resolution, sensitivity, and clutter mitigation. Electromagnetic Warfare: - Continue the development of Electro Optical/Infrared Technology. The purpose of this thrust is to expand the state-of-the-art in Electro Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISRT) and supporting technologies. The goal will be to develop innovative EO/IR sensing paradigms, components, and signal processing techniques to insure full EO/IR spectrum superiority. Capabilities are pursued in multispectral, hyperspectral, and hypertemporal EO/IR modalities as well as the fusion of these with other Electronics Intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) modalities to locate hidden/concealed targets and other hard-to-find objects. This effort is an expansion of previously discussed efforts to develop Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) technologies to improve imaging, target identification, threat detection, and engagement capabilities for the war fighter. - Continue the development of technology for new and enhanced naval capabilities based on the creation, transmission, modulation and detection of electromagnetic waves throughout the ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectral regions in Optical Technologies. Technologies developed will include concepts and devices for emitting light such as lasers and light emitting diodes; for transmission such as turbulence mitigation and multispectral optical materials; for modulation such as amplifiers and switches; for detection such as multi-spectral, hyper-spectral and tunable focal planes, single photon detectors, and event-based sensors. New signal processing techniques and the application of artificial intelligence will be developed to enable naval applications.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 11.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 6.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 11.5 |

> 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 0000

- [Electronic Warfare Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602271N/0000/a0) — FY2027 33.5
- [Navigation Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602271N/0000/a2) — FY2027 11.0
- Surveillance Technology — FY2027 7.7
- Solid State Electronics — FY2027 5.1
- Naval Space Sensors and Effects — FY2027 4.0
- Signal Processing for Naval Applications — FY2027 1.8
- Vacuum Electronics Power Amplifiers — FY2027 0.0

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602271N project 0000 (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.*