Project A41
$11.0MFY2027 request ▼ 8%Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$12.0M
FY2027 request$11.0M
FY2027 Request
$22.9M
▲ 24% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$18.4M
No FY2025 funding
FY2025 Actual
$0.0M
Prior year
Roll-up of 3 projects. Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it.
For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. Army is requesting $22.9M for Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Applied Research under RDT&E program element 0602345A, up 24% over FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Funding profile, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 18.4 |
| FY2027 | Request | 22.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 15.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 16.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 15.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 15.7 |
Where it sits
Acquisition lifecycle
This program is funded in RDT&E Budget Activity 2 — Applied Research.
Current
Research
BA 1–2
Later
Advanced Technology
BA 3
Later
Prototyping
BA 4
Later
Development & Fielding
BA 5–7
Inside the program element
3 projects roll up into PE 0602345A
Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it. Program elements and projects carry the full five-year plan; activities stop at the budget year. This PE moves 24% overall, which can hide much larger swings below.
Project A43
$9.9MFY2027 request ▲ 262%Aviation Teaming Autonomy Concepts & Technologies
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$2.7M
FY2027 request$9.9M
Project A42
$2.0MFY2027 request ▼ 46%Air Launched Effects Technology
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$3.7M
FY2027 request$2.0M
Congressional action
Congressional marks
Committee marks on the FY2027 request. Adds and cuts are reconciled in conference before they become law.
RequestPresident's Budget
$22.9M
House NDAA (HASC)HASC
$22.9M full · +$0
Senate NDAA (SASC)SASC
$22.9M full · +$0
House Approps (HAC-D)HAC_D
$22.9M full · +$0
unresolved as of 2026-07-27. These are FY2027 authorization marks (NDAA); appropriations and the conference agreement may differ.
Program detail
Mission & acquisition strategy
This PE conducts uncrewed air vehicle and mission system component design, fabrication, and evaluation to enable unmanned aerial system modernization. Emphasis is on developing aviation platform and mission system technologies to enhance uncrewed air vehicle combat and combat support operations for attack, reconnaissance, air assault, survivability, logistics, and command and control missions. The PE will fund civilian salaries for in-house researchers/scientists and program managers.
Project A41, A43, A42 — Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech
Ask Hitch
Ask this program element
Answers are generated from the figures on this page — the FY2027 justification exhibits and the marks tracked above — and nothing else is consulted. Confirm any figure against the cited exhibit before you use it externally.
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Questions this page can answer
How does the FY2027 request compare with FY2026, and what does the five-year plan show?What did the FY2027 NDAA committees do to this request?Which project inside PE 0602345A is growing fastest, and which is shrinking?In plain terms, what is this program element for and how is it being acquired?
This page carries the budget justification and the NDAA marks — nothing else. For what a contractor has actually been obligated, the ledger is at hitchintel.com/vendors; for live solicitations, hitchintel.com/opportunities. Both are member surfaces.
Provenance
Cite this page
Sources
FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification · Exhibits R-2 / R-3 · PE 0602345A (President's Budget PB2027) — and FY2027 NDAA committee marks, as tracked 2026-07-27.
Suggested citation
HitchAI, "Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Applied Research (PE 0602345A)," federal budget intelligence, PB2027 vintage. hitchintel.com/programs/0602345A
Machine access
Markdown twin
/programs/0602345A.md · MCP mcp.hitchintel.com → budget_get_program_element, budget_get_cong_marksFY2027 Request
$11.0M
▼ 8.4% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$12.0M
In law
Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech — one RDT&E project inside PE 0602345A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project A41 — Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech — requests $11.0M in FY2027, 48% of the $22.9M requested for program element 0602345A. Year over year it falls 8.4% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project A41 funding, FY2026–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 12.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 11.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 10.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 10.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 10.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 10.3 |
Inside the project
3 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
Advanced Teaming Concepts▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$6.1M
FY2027 request—
Will further develop and enhance technologies that enable UAS team-of-teams ecosystem operations in contested, complex urban / fringe and littoral environments with degraded networks, including intra and extra team communications management, tactical navigation, and comprehensive learning-based mission planning with dynamic risk-informed…
Enhanced Optics for Long Range Targeting▼ 3%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$5.9M
FY2027 request$5.7M
Will conduct experiments with injection moldable EOIR designs and low-cost novel polymer materials to reduce component costs and leverage novel optical materials for attritable solutions on low SWaP UAS platforms; begin validating enhanced manned-unmanned team execution through application of novel sensing techniques; determine payload…
Tactical Aviation Operations Learning (TAO-L) ConceptsNEW
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request$5.3M
Will explore the development of AI/ML technologies that enable Unmanned Aerial Systems/Launched Effects (UAS/LE) team-of-teams ecosystem operations in contested environments, provide real-time changes in tactics to adapt to dynamic operating environments, and enable rapid fleet-wide upgrades post-flight for continued?operational…
Project detail
What project A41 buys
This project investigates and develops subsystem and component level technologies that enable advanced teaming behaviors for mixed platform formations in combined arms operations. Primary component technologies to develop are in the areas of resilient autonomy algorithms, team-based communications and situational awareness management, decision aiding for weapons systems engagement, autonomous terrain and collision avoidance, and human autonomy interface design. Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC), and the Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
FY2027 Request
$9.9M
▲ 262% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$2.7M
In law
Aviation Teaming Autonomy Concepts & Technologies — one RDT&E project inside PE 0602345A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project A43 — Aviation Teaming Autonomy Concepts & Technologies — requests $9.9M in FY2027, 43% of the $22.9M requested for program element 0602345A. Year over year it grows 262% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project A43 funding, FY2026–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 2.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 9.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 2.9 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 2.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 2.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 3.0 |
Inside the project
4 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them.
Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Technologies▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$1.3M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects realignment to Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Behavior for Precise Complex Effects within this project.
FY2026 plans — current year Will investigate incorporating multiple agents, payloads, and environmental effects into high-fidelity simulation environment to support autonomy and teaming development; explore simulation developed data set to support Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based high-fidelity models for advanced teaming.
Intelligent Aerial Teaming Behaviors for Precise Complex Effects▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$1.4M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects realignment to Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Behavior for Precise Complex Effects within this project.
FY2026 plans — current year Will design and develop experiments focused on reconfigurable teams of autonomous assets performing various targeting tasks; create and assess multi-agent coordinated behaviors towards stimulation and strike scenarios with heterogeneous assets capable of long-range precision navigation.
Synchronized Heterogeneous Integration for Enhanced Lethality and Dominance (SHIELD)NEW
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request$7.1M
FY2027 planned work Will experiment, assess, and update atmospheric littoral notional scenarios, deploying a heterogeneous mix of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and payloads that are capable of disrupting adversary C-C5ISRT capabilities; update notional scenario, platforms, payload and adversarial behaviors in the simulation environment to include attritable-low-cost platforms; design high level human-machine control architectures to enable increased platform-to-soldier ratio; develop capabilities to visualize tactical effects and coordinate with higher echelon assets, networks and next generation Command and Control architectures; develop risk assessment tools that communicate mission uncertainties and monitor…
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase supports additional research in the areas of human-machine control architectures to enable increased platform-to-soldier ratio, risk assessment tools that communicate mission uncertainties and monitor mission progress and effectiveness, and visualization capabilities for tactical effects that coordinate with higher echelon assets, networks, and next generation Command and Control architectures.
Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Behavior for Precise Complex EffectsNEW
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request$2.8M
FY2027 planned work Will investigate physics-based and machine learning methods for platform design, mission analysis, flight control, and acoustics; develop artificial intelligence (AI)-based models for team composition and control, and shared understanding of team member locations in local and global contexts using simulation outputs; investigate methods for distributing sense and effect capabilities for improved survivability and endurance across a heterogeneous team of UAS.
FY2026 to FY2027 change This is not a new start effort. FY 2027 funding increase reflects the consolidation of other ongoing efforts within this project from Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Technologies and Intelligent Aerial Teaming Behaviors for Precise Complex Effects.
Project detail
What project A43 buys
This project establishes agile research in multi-level simulations, physics-based models, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) algorithms and methods to inform and advance capabilities for heterogeneous advanced teaming concepts to support operations in complex and peer contested environments. This project focuses on advancing innovations to enable concepts and technology for deep sensing and effects, complex mobility and maneuver for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) (and small UAS), and adaptive behaviors to optimize formation performance. This project focuses on agile and adaptable reconfiguration of teams of multiple autonomous assets for strategic maneuvering, targeting, striking, and long-range precision navigation efforts in adversarial environments. Work in this project is fully coordinated with PE 0602345A (Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Applied Research) / Project A41 (Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech). Work in this project is performed by Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
FY2027 Request
$2.0M
▼ 46% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$3.7M
In law
Air Launched Effects Technology — one RDT&E project inside PE 0602345A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project A42 — Air Launched Effects Technology — requests $2.0M in FY2027, 8.7% of the $22.9M requested for program element 0602345A. Year over year it falls 46% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project A42 funding, FY2026–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 3.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 2.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 2.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 2.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 2.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 2.4 |
Inside the project
1 accomplishment / planned program
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them.
Versatile Launched Effects (VLE) Concepts▼ 46%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$3.7M
FY2027 request$2.0M
FY2027 planned work Will develop and conduct analysis of modular air vehicle concepts, including mission systems and payload interfaces, that enable air and ground launched effects operations in long-range littoral environments.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects a delay in work planned to build brass board instantiation to test Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) payload interfaces. In FY27, this effort is realigned from Program Element (PE) 0602148A (Future Verticle Lift Technology / Project AK9 (Tactical Aviation Operations Learning (TAO-L) Concepts).
FY2026 plans — current year Will develop and conduct analysis of modular air vehicle concepts, including mission systems and payload interfaces, that enable air and ground launched effects operations in long-range littoral and urban-fringe missions.
Project detail
What project A42 buys
This project utilizes improved analytic modeling to investigate the effects that potential unmanned system capabilities could have on air vehicle design considerations and operational concepts. This project improves government capability to design and assess novel Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) concepts. This project also develops and investigates the ability to launch a UAS from a manned or unmanned future vertical lift aircraft at tactical altitudes and to control the same after launch from nearby Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft, as well as development of the associated payloads (recon, battle damage assessment, targeting, comms, decoy). This project will assess the enabled capabilities and determine their relevance to current Army Aviation engagement and survivability portfolios. Work in this project is fully coordinated with Program Element ),PE 0603345A (Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Advanced Technology Development) / A45 / Air Launched Effects Advanced Technology. Work in this project is performed by Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC).