# Project UN2 — Understand (Applied Research)

**Program element:** 0602384BP — Chemical and Biological Defense Program  
**Project:** UN2  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0400 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602384BP/UN2  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602384BP

## Summary

Project UN2 — Understand (Applied Research) requests $93.7M in FY2027, 45% of the $207.2M requested for program element 0602384BP, up 5.7% on FY2026. 21 R-2A activities decompose the request.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 93.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 88.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 93.7 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 91.5 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 87.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 85.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 85.9 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0602384BP; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project UN2 buys

The Understand Applied Research Project provides the Joint Force with the abilities to detect, identify, and characterize chemical and biological (CB) threat agents. This includes classification and/or identification of the threat and potentially the amount of CB hazards in all physical states. Efforts provide the ability to characterize the CB hazard to a commander and develop a clear understanding of the current and predicted CB situation; collect, query, and assimilate information from sensors, intelligence and medical communities, etc., in near real time to inform decisions; and provide actual and potential impacts of CB hazards. Thrust Areas included in this Project are: (1) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Battlespace Sensing, Alerting & Response (2) CBRN Decision Aids (3) CBRN Situational Awareness (4) Operational Diagnostics (5) Diagnostic Building Blocks (6) Emerging Threats (7) Diagnostic Building Blocks - Enhanced Biological Defense (8) Emerging Threats - Enhanced Biological Defense (9) Employment Characterization (10) Environmental Response (11) First Look (12) Host Response (13) Operational Biological Sensing (14) Emerging and Enhanced Biothreat Sensing (15) Unconventional Detection Modalities - Biological Detection (16) Operational Chemical Sensing - Chemical Detection (17) Modernized and Enhanced Chemical Sensing - Chemical Detection (18) Unconventional Detection Modalities - Chemical Detection (19) Technical Surprise (20) Technical Surprise - Enhanced Biological Defense (21) Technical Surprise - Threat Agent Science Data and Optimization (TASDO)

## Activities (R-2A) — 21

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12) Host Response | 10.0 | 12.8 | 18.2 | +42% | [a11](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602384BP/UN2/a11) |
| 11) First Look | 9.3 | 8.8 | 9.9 | +13% | — |
| 3) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Situational Awareness | 18.5 | 14.6 | 8.6 | −41% | — |
| 15) Unconventional Detection Modalities - Biological Detection | 2.6 | 2.4 | 7.4 | +213% | — |
| 9) Employment Characterization | 4.8 | 4.6 | 6.3 | +36% | — |
| 10) Environmental Response | 4.8 | 5.6 | 6.1 | +10% | — |
| 21) Technical Surprise - Threat Agent Science Data and Optimization (TASDO) | — | 2.2 | 6.0 | +173% | — |
| 13) Operational Biological Sensing | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.7 | +65% | — |
| 19) Technical Surprise | 3.3 | 2.6 | 4.5 | +75% | — |
| 5) Diagnostic Building Blocks | 1.8 | 2.4 | 4.0 | +66% | — |
| 20) Technical Surprise - Enhanced Biological Defense | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +0% | — |
| 6) Emerging Threats | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.4 | +60% | — |
| 18) Unconventional Detection Modalities - Chemical Detection | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.0 | −10% | — |
| 14) Emerging and Enhanced Biothreat Sensing | 6.2 | 9.0 | 2.0 | −77% | — |
| 16) Operational Chemical Sensing - Chemical Detection | 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.9 | −26% | — |
| 2) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Decision Aids | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.8 | −14% | — |
| 17) Modernized and Enhanced Chemical Sensing - Chemical Detection | 3.3 | 3.4 | 1.8 | −48% | — |
| 4) Operational Diagnostics | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.6 | +195% | — |
| 1) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Battlespace Sensing, Alerting, and Response | 5.9 | 3.8 | 1.4 | −61% | — |
| 7) Diagnostic Building Blocks - Enhanced Biological Defense | 2.3 | 0.8 | — | −100% | — |
| 8) Emerging Threats - Enhanced Biological Defense | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | −100% | — |

> 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.

### 12) Host Response

- Maintain and expand core host response characterization capabilities, predictive/in silico tools, and technologies for CB agent characterization, both computer-based as well as in living tissues – emphasizing the use of organ-on-a-chip technologies when possible. - Continue empirical studies addressing host response gaps for…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602384BP/UN2/a11

### 11) First Look

**FY2027 planned work.** - Maintain and expand robust defensive capabilities and innovative empirical tools to enable faster characterization of current, emerging, and novel biological threats. - Finalize hazard assessment on enabling technologies including gene editing and synthetic biology tools. - Continue assessment of advanced methods for threat agent characterization of chemical agent mixtures and threat agents.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funds increase to protect critical enduring CB defense operational threat characterization capabilities related to addressing quickly emerging CB threats and unknown agents to enable deterrence, response, CB consequence management, and rapid operational decision making.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to develop and refine innovative laboratory tools and approaches to enable rapid characterization of emerging or novel biological threats (to include highly infectious and novel organisms), including understanding enabling technologies’ impact to gene modification/expression and the ability to assess toxin activity. - Continue to develop, adapt, and refine advanced methods for threat agent characterization of chemical agents, mixtures and threats. - Continue to develop methodologies to provide rapid artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) based vetting and assessment of emerging threats. - Continue to build summary reference information sheets on current and emerging chemical threats to inform stakeholder and partner community. - Continue to integrate emerging technologies that are anticipated to have the potential implications for the threat space into our evaluation pipeline.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Augmented robust defensive capabilities and innovative empirical tools that enabled faster characterization of current, emerging, or novel biological threats (to include highly infectious and novel organisms), including understanding enabling technologies' impact to gene modification/expression. - Augmented robust defensive capabilities that enabled faster characterization of toxin threats. - Developed advanced methods for threat agent characterization of chemical agent mixtures and threat agents. - Developed methodologies to enhanced in silico tools to assess CB emerging threats. - Evaluated technological advancements anticipated to have potential implications for previously discounted threats (i.e. “Second Look”).

### 3) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Situational Awareness

**FY2027 planned work.** - Begin integration of digital twins, robotics, and human-machine interfaces for remote collaboration between geographically separated operators and remote monitoring, control, and maintenance of sensing assets. - Enhance Virtual Reality (VR)-based synthetic environments by incorporating sensor digital twin capabilities that fully mimic sensor functionality and allow users to interact with fully functional sensor capabilities within the synthetic training environment. - Further utilize advances in eXtended Reality (XR), VR and Augmented Reality (AR) to provide customizable views of CB threats and their operational impact. - Continue to develop the next generation of hazard modeling technologies through improvement of complex terrain transport and dispersion modeling of CB agents. - Begin to explore machine learning (ML) as a method for improving speed, without sacrificing fidelity of complex models for tactical use and support for real-time operations. - Continue to develop and integrate various human physiological based models into a digital human concept that will allow for in silico analysis of various aspects of CB defense.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another funding line. Decrease due to funding shift from Project UN2/Understand (Applied Research) CBRN Situational Awareness to Project UN3/Understand (Advanced Technology Development) CBRN Situational Awareness thrust area to accelerate science and technology efforts for transitions.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Expand and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms for disease prediction and forecasting and hazard prediction and modeling on platforms available at all echelons of operations. - Continue integration of chemical and biological (CB) situational awareness capabilities into Heads up Displays (HUDs) and enhance them based on user feedback. - Continue to enhance hazard modeling and assessment capabilities to ensure new CB hazards can be characterized and their effects on mission success are mitigated. - Expand and improve Virtual Reality (VR)-based synthetic environments through incorporation of more robust hazard modeling capabilities, health effects models, and expand the ability to accommodate numerous users in the environment at a single time. - Explore how to leverage advances in AI and ML to further develop modeling capabilities that predict human response to CB agent exposure, characterizing additional biomarkers that are expressed in the body prior to onset of symptoms and susceptibility. - Continue to develop the next generation of hazard modeling technologies to improve run time, accuracy, visualization, automation, and course of action analysis, further increasing CB situational awareness and mitigating the effects of CB hazards on mission success. - Begin to explore how to develop and integrate various human physiological based models into a digital human concept that will allow for in silico analysis of various aspects of CB defense.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Enhanced machine learning (ML) algorithms for disease prediction and forecasting on various platforms (e.g., mobile/handheld, web-based, standalone). - Continued to enhance and expand chemical and biological (CB) situational awareness capabilities for integration into Heads up Display (HUD) technologies. - Expanded emerging threat hazard models and assessment capabilities, leveraging experimental data to ensure the Total Force is able to characterize new CB hazards and mitigate their effects on mission success. - Enhanced and improve virtual reality (VR)-based synthetic environments through improved terrain transport and dispersion and infectious disease modeling to provide a CB-specific training and mission readiness capability. - Continued to leverage ML and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop modeling capabilities focused on the human response (e.g., biomarkers) to CB agent exposure, with a focus on characterizing predictive biomarkers that are expressed in the body prior to onset of symptoms and warfighter susceptibility. - Began to explore next generation hazard modeling technologies (e.g., quicker run times, improved accuracy, dynamic visualization, course of action analysis) to increase CB situational awareness and further mitigate the effects of CB hazards on mission success.

### 15) Unconventional Detection Modalities - Biological Detection

**FY2027 planned work.** - Test and integrate advanced materials with multiple physical and chemical properties into biological sensors to expand performance and inform sensor design and function. - Evaluate quantum properties to enable ultrafast, highly-sensitive detection and identification of biological threats with high-fidelity data collection and processing.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Increase due to movement of funds from Emerging and Enhanced Biothreat Sensing thrust area to support development of tactical level sensors for biological threats.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to develop sensors that integrate advances in data science to address challenges in sample collection and detection of biological agents. Improve the speed, accuracy, and portability of tests under development. - Initiate multi-functional sensor development to enable dual usage for chemical/biological threats. - Complete toxin detection projects.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Began efforts to develop novel and innovative technologies to detect and identify toxins. Efforts will explore technologies beyond those based on traditional methods. - Continued to develop sensors that integrate advances in data science to address challenges in sample collection and detection of biological agents. The hope is to improve the speed, accuracy, and portability of tests under development.

### 9) Employment Characterization

**FY2027 planned work.** - Maintain and expand employment core characterization capabilities at varying scales including laboratory chamber, and field trials to understand feasibility for adversarial use. - Finalize hazard assessments of nanoencapsulation techniques and their impact on chemical and biological (CB) threat agent capabilities. Continue additional studies to include micro-encapsulation and advanced materials to assess risk and countermeasure development. - Continue collaborations with Interagency and International Partners to leverage unified efforts to combat adversarial emerging threats. - Continue to leverage data from Employment Characterization efforts to improve artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) models and predictive simulation tools across the CBDP Enterprise to close information gaps and support model development.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funds increase to protect critical CB defense operational threat characterization capabilities related to employment of CB agents to enable deterrence, response, CB consequence management, and rapid operational decision making.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue studying employment methods & technologies at varying scale to include laboratory chamber, and field trials to understand feasibility for adversarial use. - Continue toxin dissemination characterization and anti-material efficacy characterization studies. - Continue review of encapsulation techniques and their impact on our understanding of chemical and biological (CB) threat agent risk profiles. - Continue to conduct hazard evaluations and transition data to the CBDP Enterprise to close gaps identified from Employment Characterization efforts and maintain defensive advantage. - Continue collaborations with Interagency and International Partners to leverage unified efforts to combat adversarial emerging threats. - Continue to leverage data from Employment Characterization efforts to improve artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) models and predictive simulation tools and transition data across the CBDP Enterprise to close information gaps and support model development.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Assessed state of the art knowledge on agent employment (laboratory and outdoors) to identify gaps and threat agent science opportunities. - Completed structured studies with different scale employment methods to assess the feasibility for use with CB emerging threat agents. - Finalized Toxin Dissemination Studies and continued Anti-Material Efficacy Characterization studies. - Evaluated the effect of encapsulation and advanced materials on CB defense. - Advanced understanding of adversaries’ capabilities in agent employment identifying gaps and informing further research needs. Investments involved development of capabilities and studies in highly controlled laboratory (indoor) tests and outdoor releases of simulants for hazard modeling. - Adapted employment studies to understand their utility for adversarial emerging threat agents, dissemination technologies, and the application of technologies (e.g. coating) that might alter the survivability, persistence, or detectability of the agents. New areas of study included toxic compounds and biologicals designed to degrade structural materials.

### 10) Environmental Response

**FY2027 planned work.** - Maintain and expand core environmental characterization capabilities covering the full spectrum of CB threats. - Continue assessing stability, persistence, and fate of additional CB threats in their environment on their own and when coupled to advanced materials. - Continue additional environmental characterization of CB threats, degradation products, and reaction by products to inform detection, diagnostics, and overall countermeasure development as well as enable operational decisions.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Minor change due to routine program adjustments.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue assessing the stability of Chemical Biological (CB) threats in the environment and their persistence when coupled to advanced materials. - Continue environmental characterization of CB threats, degradation products, and reaction byproducts to further inform detection, diagnostics, and overall countermeasure development. - Continue executing hazard assessments addressing risks associated with outdoor release of CB threats.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Maintained and expanded core environmental characterization capabilities covering the full spectrum of CB threats. Evaluated the stability of chemical, toxins, and viral threats in the environment. - Closed existing knowledge gaps associated with fate and persistence of CB threats while further developing additional capabilities to respond to new/emerging threats as they are developed by our adversaries. This includes processes for understanding degradation products and reaction byproducts for detection, diagnostics, and other applications.

### 21) Technical Surprise - Threat Agent Science Data and Optimization (TASDO)

**FY2027 planned work.** - Initiate the design and implementation of a System Integration framework to enhance characterization activities and stakeholder communication/engagements. - Test initial data architecture prototypes with centralized threat agent science products, consolidated legacy data, and standard/harmonized data packages. - Develop and augment artificial intelligence/machine learning tools that facilitate the use of threat agent science products and assist with metrics, priorities, and gap identification/tracing.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Increase due to starting the design, development and implementation of a System Integration framework and to develop artificial intelligence/machine learning capabilities within the framework.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Begin enhancements of characterization data/information integration by improving communication and engagements with stakeholders to ensure data deliverables and products align to their priorities and augment current threat agent science prioritizations based on feedback from end users. - Begin to develop a new information access structure that consolidates legacy data and standardizes formatting and harmonization of data. - Begin to provision data for review and curation for Chemical Biological Defense Program (CBDP) enterprise needs. Existing capabilities will be evaluated to adapt or adopt to CBDP needs at appropriate classification levels.

### 13) Operational Biological Sensing

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue development of a low burden field detection kit for biological toxins for use by the tactical level soldier. - Complete testing of an sensor for biological airborne particles that determines threat identity and concentration to aid decision making for donning and doffing individual protection. - Continue to develop low-burden, easy-to-use biological detection capabilities to inform decision making for individual protection and guide field confirmation testing.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Increase due to internal transition of low-burden, easy-to-use biological sequencing capabilities from Emerging and Enhanced Biothreat Sensing thrust area.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue development of autonomous collection and detection systems for novel and innovative sensing solutions for automated, rapid biological detection, assessments and analyses. - Continue to quantify risks due to infectious aerosol threats, including infectious disease outbreaks and threats beyond the list. - Continue to invest in innovative biological sensing technologies that can be integrated onto manned and unmanned platforms to provide warfighters with situational awareness without imposing an additional logistical burden. - Continue efforts to reduce false alarm rates and increase sensitivity and specificity. - Continue to develop low Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C) sensors to support tactical and dismounted site assessment missions and reduce the logistical burden on the Joint Force.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Began development of autonomous collection and detection systems for novel and innovative sensing solutions for automated, rapid biological detection, assessments and analyses. - Completed evaluation of preservation techniques that stabilize sample for storage and transport of samples to laboratory for analysis. - Continued to quantify risks due to endemic, emerging, and engineered aerosol threats. - Continued to invest in innovative biological sensing technologies that can be integrated onto manned and unmanned platforms to provide warfighters with situational awareness without imposing an additional logistical burden. - Continued efforts to reduce false alarm rates and increase sensitivity and specificity. - Continued to develop low Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C) sensors to support tactical and dismounted site assessment missions and reduce the logistical burden on the Joint Force.

### 19) Technical Surprise

**FY2027 planned work.** - Explore the automation of the current horizon scanning capabilities to identify technological advancements and their potential effects on CB defense. - Continue to evaluate and adopt state-of-the-art technologies and art-of-the-possible techniques that accelerate current characterization capabilities for emerging threats and to limit the proliferation of CB threats. - Continue to evaluate novel artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) enabled tools and functions that alter understanding of CB threat risk profiles. - Continue to leverage data to bolster predictive modelling and simulation capabilities that augment current threat agent science evaluation capabilities.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funds increase to protect critical CB defense operational threat characterization capabilities related to assessment of emerging disruptive technologies to enable deterrence, response, CB consequence management, and rapid operational decision making.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Augment current horizon scanning capabilities to identify gaps and opportunities to adopt technological advancements for CB defense. - Continue to evaluate artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) enabled tools and functions that alter our understanding of CB threat risk profiles. - Continue to leverage data from Technology Surprise efforts to bolster predictive modelling and simulation capabilities and inform common hazard and risk models and inform other threat agent science evaluation capabilities. - Continue to evaluate state-of-the-art technologies and art-of-the-possible techniques that accelerate our ability to characterize emerging threats and limit the proliferation of CB threats.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Assessed technological advancements impacting the chemical and biological threat space, including potential threats that are not specifically chemical or biological in nature but can affect chemical and biological defense capabilities. - Initiated hazard assessment on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), production/synthesis, dissemination, and synthetic biology. - Modernized the horizon scanning capability assessments to assess impact to the Enterprise S&T portfolio within the chemical and biological threat space.

### 5) Diagnostic Building Blocks

**FY2027 planned work.** - Transition assay packages directly to advanced development. - Continue enzymes and assay integration to create modernized on-demand molecular assays (for tests) that are less reliant on supply chain disruptions and enable rapid, field-forward utilization. - Continue development of diagnostics prototypes using quantum materials and methods to identify potentially faster and more accurate diagnostic methods. - Continue characterization and development of the organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology with incorporation of the human microbiome into the system. Changes in the microbial landscape in response to agent exposure can act as a new rapid diagnostic measure in addition to the identification of host biomarkers for diagnostic testing that are potentially more sensitive and specific than those currently fielded. - Initiate multidisciplinary approach to integrate microphysiological systems, clinical samples, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning tools for host biomarker discovery. This system will identify signatures for agnostic pathogen diagnostics and infection severity.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred from another funding line. Funding transfers from Project UN3/Understand Diagnostics thrust area. Enables implementation of the CBDP Enterprise Medical Strategy, which focuses on delivery of broad-spectrum diagnostics for exposure to CB agents.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - This effort will transition assay packages and not a prototype device. - Continue enzymes integration to create modernized on-demand molecular assays (for tests) that are less reliant on supply chain disruptions and enable rapid, field-forward utilization. - Complete transition to the Defense Biological Product Assurance Office of a portable, low to minimally invasive, rapid whole breath diagnostic platform that offers the warfighter little to no interruption to mission activities and provides the opportunity for earlier diagnosis/indication of infection or chemical exposure. - Initiate development of diagnostics prototypes using quantum materials and methods to identify potentially faster and more accurate diagnostic methods. - Continue characterization and development of the organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology with incorporation of the human microbiome into the system. Changes in the microbial landscape in response to agent exposure can act as a new rapid diagnostic measure in addition to the identification of host biomarkers for diagnostic testing that are potentially more sensitive and specific than those currently fielded.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Completed development of diagnostics prototypes using synthetic materials to potentially speed up the development of diagnostics methods. - Integrated enzymes to create modernized on-demand molecular assays (for tests) that are less reliant on supply chain disruptions and enable rapid, field-forward utilization. - Completed investments in breath-based diagnostics by expanding collection of data to establish a baseline of normal, healthy exhaled breath profiles. - Continued development of a portable, low to minimally invasive, rapid whole breath diagnostic platform that offers the warfighter little to no interruption to mission activities and provides the opportunity for earlier diagnosis/indication of infection or chemical exposure.

### 20) Technical Surprise - Enhanced Biological Defense

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue assessing and adopting robust methods agnostic protocols and tools to characterize emerging pathogens by incorporating synthetic biology advancements. - Continue the development of robust characterization processes and core characterization capabilities to rapidly and safely address emerging pathogens. - Continue identifying and tracing threat agent science knowledge gaps to inform characterization processes and to test empirical protocols and timelines informing CBDP capability development and countermeasures.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue the development and validation of robust methods agnostic protocols and tools to characterize emerging pathogens by adopting synthetic biology advancements. - Continue the development of robust characterization processes to rapidly and safely address emerging pathogens. - Continue threat agent science knowledge gap analysis to inform characterization processes and to test empirical protocols and timelines to inform CBDP capability development and countermeasures.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Developed robust threat agnostic laboratory methods and tools to accelerate emerging biothreat characterization. - Augmented core biothreat characterization capabilities and continued the development of a robust characterization process capable of safely addressing emerging pathogens.

### 6) Emerging Threats

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue to identify novel, field-forward deployable platforms capable of identifying broad classes of biological agents in complex samples (i.e., blood, saliva, ocular fluids), resulting in a broad spectrum capability in the hands of the warfighter.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred from another funding line. Funding transfers from Project UN3/Understand Diagnostics thrust area. Enables implementation of the CBDP Enterprise Medical Strategy, which focuses on delivery of broad-spectrum diagnostics for exposure to CB agents.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to identify novel, field-forward deployable platforms capable of identifying broad classes of biological agents in complex samples (i.e., blood, breath), resulting in a broad spectrum capability in the hands of the warfighter.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued to identify novel, field-forward deployable platforms capable of identifying broad classes of biological agents in complex samples (i.e., blood, saliva, ocular fluids)), resulting in a broad spectrum capability in the hands of the warfighter.

### 18) Unconventional Detection Modalities - Chemical Detection

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue development of novel chemical threat sensors that exploit quantum properties. - Characterize advanced materials with multiple physical and chemical properties to optimize sensor performance and inform sensor design and function. - Continue to reduce sensor size, weight and power requirements by incorporating micro/nanotechnology, novel materials, and advanced manufacturing methods.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another thrust area. Decrease due to shifting of funds to Project UN3/Understand (Advanced Technology Development) Operational Chemical Sensing thrust area to support prototype demonstrations.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to develop database-independent (library-less) detection capabilities for identifying novel and emerging chemical threats by fusing data from multiple detection modalities. - Continue to develop novel approaches and materials (e.g. coatings) and new sensor approaches for the detection, quantification and/or identification of liquid, solid, gas, vapor, and aerosol chemical threats. - Initiate development of photonics-based sensor based on microtoroid technology to develop ultrasensitive, low size, weight, and power capabilities for multi-phase chemical detection

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued to develop database-independent (library-less) detection capabilities for identifying novel and emerging chemical threats by fusing data from multiple detection modalities. - Continued to develop novel approaches and materials (e.g. coatings) and new sensor approaches for the detection, quantification and/or identification of liquid, solid, gas, vapor, and aerosol chemical threats.

### 14) Emerging and Enhanced Biothreat Sensing

**FY2027 planned work.** - Complete development of a biological threat identification system that rapidly identifies threats in 15 minutes. - Continue development of autonomous sampling systems for field forward biological threat identification. - Continue development of novel detection algorithms through streamlined laboratory workflows (e.g., data generation, collection, analysis).

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another thrust area. Funding transferred to Operational Biological Sensing and Unconventional Detection Modalities thrust areas to support testing and optimization of biological sequencing prototypes for rapid biological threat identification.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue development of novel detection algorithms through streamlined laboratory workflows (e.g. data generation, collection, analysis) that generate complex biological datasets and exploit advances in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML). - Continue development of novel detection solutions for novel or genetic engineered threats. - Continue development of additional Assays on Demand (AoD) solutions for biological detection. - Focus efforts to develop protein sequencing technologies to detect and identify toxins.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Developed novel detection algorithms through streamlined laboratory workflows (e.g. data generation, collection, analysis) that generate complex biological datasets and exploit advances in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML). - Developed novel detection solutions that differentiate between natural or genetically engineered biological threats. - Continued automation of sampling for a biological sequencing system for field confirmation of biological threats to support rapid decision making on the battlefield.

### 16) Operational Chemical Sensing - Chemical Detection

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue to develop microsensors for long-range chemical detection that maximize early warning for rapid decision making. - Continue to develop chemical sensing technologies for equipment decontamination assurance for rapid reduction of protective posture. - Continue to develop and integrate novel color-changing sensors for visual indication of the full spectrum of chemical threats.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another funding line. Decrease due to advancement of projects from Applied Research (Budget Activity (BA) 2) to Advanced Technology Development (BA3).

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to develop database-independent (library-less) detection capabilities for identifying novel and emerging chemical threats by fusing data from multiple detection modalities utilizing artificial intelligence and machine-learning. - Continue to make technological improvements to reduce size, weight, and power requirements for sensors to enhance early warning of vapor, aerosol, solid, and liquid chemical hazards to include miniaturized optical spectrometers and microelectronic sensors.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Began investment in novel standoff detection technology concepts to provide non-contact chemical sensors that further distance the warfighter from the threat. - Continued to make technological improvements to low size, weight, power, and cost microsensors to enhance early warning of vapor, aerosol, solid, and liquid chemical hazards.

### 2) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Decision Aids

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue to develop decision aids to inform the Total Force on all aspects of chemical and biological (CB) defense to include Resource Allocation, Decontamination, Casualty Care, Restoration Operations, and Asset Management. - Further enhance all decision aids to connect, share, and learn from other decision aids to increase automation and reduce cognitive burden on end-users. - Begin to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable decision making that is faster than possible by a human for success in a cyber-dominated battlespace.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another funding line. Decrease due to funding shift from Project UN2/Understand (Applied Research) CBRN Decision Aids to Project UN3/Understand (Advanced Technology Development) CBRN Decision Aids thrust area to accelerate science and technology efforts for transitions.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Expand the functionality and automation of available warning and reporting decision aids for chemical and biological (CB) defense, through the inclusion of operational impacts to better inform course of action (COA) analysis across all echelons of operation. - Expand the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance and automate decision aids. - Continue to exploit advances in Augmented Reality (AR) based technologies and incorporate CB decision aids and enhance situational awareness. - Continue to enhance tools that support interoperability, integration, and automation of decision aids to minimize the need for manual user inputs.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued development of warning and reporting decision aids for tactical users leveraging the compute resources resident on End User Devices (EUDs). - Continued development of Augmented Reality (AR) based technologies to incorporate Chemical and Biological (CB) threat situational awareness in EUDs. - Enhanced tools that support the interoperability, integration, and automation of decision aids to further reduce the need for manual user inputs.

### 17) Modernized and Enhanced Chemical Sensing - Chemical Detection

**FY2027 planned work.** - Begin development of sensors for low level detection and identification of contamination on surfaces, vehicles, and equipment for decontamination verification. - Continue development of environmental sampling capabilities for the warfighter to rapidly and effectively collect chemical solid, liquid, and vapor samples for further analysis and confirmation.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another funding line. Decrease due to shifting of funds to from Applied Research (Budget Activity (BA) 2) to Advanced Technology Development (BA3) to support prototype demonstrations.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue to develop technologies to advance detection of surface and ground chemical contamination while on-the-move for maneuver support operations. - Continue to identify and develop optical detection technology candidates for improved equipment and vehicle decontamination verification. - Continue development of low size, weight, and power colorimetric detection technologies for the iterative modernization of the currently fielded chemical detection kits. - Initiate improvements of current detection technologies for chemical hazards in complex and obscurant-heavy environments to provide early warning of chemical threats and offer robust performance in the future.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Developed technologies to advance detection of surface and ground chemical contamination while on-the-move for maneuver support operations. - Identified and develop optical detection technology candidates for improved equipment and vehicle decontamination verification. - Continued to invest in early developments of low burden, tactical-level detection technologies to modernize currently fielded chemical detection kits.

### 4) Operational Diagnostics

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue developing integrated capabilities that address portable ultra-low detection of emerging and novel chemical threats to the advanced development Program of Record (POR) for Next Generation Diagnostics System Increment 2 Chemical Diagnostics (NGDS 2 CHEMDX) device and complete development of tests for Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs), resulting in more informed treatment decisions. - Continue expanding portable ultra-low detection sensors for NGDS 2 CHEMDX device to include emerging and novel chemical threats. - Complete development of diagnostics using novel, minimally invasive testing methods, including breath and the ocular (eye) system to identify biomarkers associated with CB threats and pre-symptomatic diagnostics. - Continue development of host biomarker indicators of contagiousness that can be detected using portable diagnostics platforms.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred from another funding line. Funding transfers from Project UN3/Understand Diagnostics thrust area. Enables implementation of the CBDP Enterprise Medical Strategy, which focuses on delivery of broad-spectrum diagnostics for exposure to CB agents.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue the development of integrated capabilities that address portable ultra-low detection of emerging and novel chemical threats to the advanced development Program of Record (POR) for Next Generation Diagnostics System Increment 2 Chemical Diagnostics (NGDS 2 CHEMDX) device and continue development of tests for Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs), resulting in more informed treatment decisions. - Expand portable ultra-low detection sensors for NGDS 2 CHEMDX device to include emerging and novel chemical threats. - Continue development of diagnostics using novel, minimally invasive testing methods, including breath and the ocular (eye) system to identify biomarkers associated with CB threats and pre-symptomatic and contagious indicators that can be detected using portable diagnostics platforms. - Complete development of wearable medical technologies to investigate customizable hardware and algorithms that detect warfighters autonomic‐response to biological warfare agents, both natural and unnatural.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued the development of integrated capabilities that address portable ultra-low detection of emerging and novel chemical threats to the advanced development Program of Record (POR) for Next Generation Diagnostic System Increment 2 Chemical Diagnostic (NGDS 2 CHEMDX) device and continue development of tests for Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs), resulting in more informed treatment decisions. - Continued development of diagnostics using novel, minimally invasive testing methods, including breath and the ocular (eye) system to identify biomarkers associated with CB threats and pre-symptomatic and contagious indicators that can be detected using portable diagnostics platforms. - Completed development of Wearable technologies to investigate customizable hardware and algorithms that detect warfighters autonomic‐ response to biological warfare agents, both natural and unnatural.

### 1) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Battlespace Sensing, Alerting, and Response

**FY2027 planned work.** - Complete enhancements of predictive algorithms and analytical tools utilizing AI and machine learning (ML) approaches to further decrease response time to emerging threats and provide earlier warning of exposures to genetically engineered pathogens. - Expand the development of sensor digital twins to additional sensor modalities to allow for remote operation, maintenance, and use of CB sensors. - Expand sensor data fusion analytical capabilities for additional sensor modalities to allow for rapid molecular structure determination.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another funding line. Decrease due to funding shift from Project UN2/Understand (Applied Research) CBRN Battlespace Sensing, Alerting and Response to Project UN3/Understand (Advanced Technology Development) CBRN Battlespace Sensing, Alerting and Response to accelerate science and technology efforts for transitions.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Expand wearable device-based non-invasive algorithm enhancements for pre-symptomatic indication of chemical or biological (CB) exposure, time to recover, and exposure severity and data collection efforts. - Enhance predictive algorithms and analytical tools utilizing new AI and machine learning (ML) approaches to further decrease response time to emerging threats and provide earlier warning of exposures to genetically engineered pathogens. - Expand work with multi-organ chip systems to characterize the effects of CB threat agents on the whole human system and begin initial development of a wholistic digital human representation.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued wearable device-based non-invasive algorithm enhancements for pre-symptomatic indication of chemical or biological (CB) exposure. - Continued to develop predictive algorithms and analytic tools utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques to allow for rapid response to emerging threats and early warning of exposure to genetically engineered pathogens. - Continued work with multi-organ chip system to characterize the effects of CB threat agents on different parts of the human body (e.g., lung, brain, and skin), which will improve the accuracy and effectiveness of wearable-based early warning algorithms by helping us better understand how CB threats impact with the human body (biomarkers). - Continued to refine sensor data analytic methods for improving sensitivity, specificity, and the limitations of detection for CB environmental sensors, to include improving detector false alarm rates by leveraging random forest and deep learning methods. - Began development of data fusion analytical capabilities to provide rapid molecular structure determination and library-less detection.

### 7) Diagnostic Building Blocks - Enhanced Biological Defense

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project funding transferred to another thrust area. Further development of diagnostics prototypes using breath or skin biomarkers will be done under the Project UN3/Understand Operational Diagnostics thrust area.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Complete collection & analysis of minimally invasive methodologies for rapid threat diagnostics to enable future identification of markers from threat-specific signatures.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued collection & analysis of minimally invasive methodologies for rapid threat diagnostics to enable future identification of markers from threat-specific signatures.

### 8) Emerging Threats - Enhanced Biological Defense

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Program/project is entering completion and all activities will be closed.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Complete development of a comprehensive diagnostics platform that can be administered before or during medical transport that integrates human biomarkers, physiological data, and machine learning to predict disease severity before life-threatening symptoms develop. - Complete agnostic biomimetic sensing techniques to combat emerging and unknown threats from diverse origins (e.g. toxins), and test in both clinical and aerosol sample matrices to include environmental background; transition to Defense Biological Product Assurance Office.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** - Continued development of a comprehensive diagnostics platform that can be administered before or during medical transport that integrates human biomarkers, physiological data, and machine learning to predict disease severity before life-threatening symptoms develop. - Continued the development of agnostic biomimetic sensing techniques to combat emerging and unknown threats from diverse origins (e.g. toxins), and test in both clinical and aerosol sample matrices to include environmental background.

## 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/0602384BP.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0602384BP project UN2 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602384BP")`.

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