# Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Applied Research — Program Element 0602345A

**Program element:** 0602345A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602345A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding ramps 24% to a $22.9M request in FY2027 — the program's peak. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| 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 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 22.9 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 22.9 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 22.9 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 22.9 | +0.0 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (3)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A41 | Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech | — | 12.0 | 11.0 | −8% |
| A43 | Aviation Teaming Autonomy Concepts & Technologies | — | 2.7 | 9.9 | +262% |
| A42 | Air Launched Effects Technology | — | 3.7 | 2.0 | −46% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project A41 — Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech

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.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Teaming Concepts | — | 6.1 | — |
| Enhanced Optics for Long Range Targeting | — | 5.9 | 5.7 |
| Tactical Aviation Operations Learning (TAO-L) Concepts | — | — | 5.3 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project A43 — Aviation Teaming Autonomy Concepts & Technologies

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).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Technologies | — | 1.3 | — |
| Intelligent Aerial Teaming Behaviors for Precise Complex Effects | — | 1.4 | — |
| Synchronized Heterogeneous Integration for Enhanced Lethality and Dominance (SHIELD) | — | — | 7.1 |
| Intelligent Unmanned Aerial System Teaming Behavior for Precise Complex Effects | — | — | 2.8 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project A42 — Air Launched Effects Technology

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).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Versatile Launched Effects (VLE) Concepts | — | 3.7 | 2.0 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## 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.

## Related program elements

- [0603345A — Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Advanced Technology Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603345A) (Army)
- [0602148A — Future Verticle Lift Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602148A) (Army)
- [0602861N — Science & Tech Management - ONR Field Acts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602861N) (Navy)
- [0605898N — Management HQ - R&D](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605898N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0602345A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602345A")`.

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