What project 1503 buys
The Directed Energy & Kinetic Systems activity develops technologies to advance Naval applications of both directed energy (DE) and kinetic weapons. The main focus of DE weapons is to develop technologies that enable laser and high-power microwave (HPM) weapon systems, within Navy and Marine Corps size, weight, and power (SWAP) constraints, to strike enemy targets and to defend naval platforms and land bases from threats. Additionally, the DE activity develops technologies that enable defense against adversary DE systems. The main focus of kinetic weapons is to develop technologies that address the Navy and Marine Corps fires requirements for extended range; increased precision; decreased weapons fly-out times; greater destructive power and novel effects; autonomy, swarming, and human-machine teaming; mission planning and decision making; reduced production costs, and increased inventory and availability.
Project 1503 funding, 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. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 33.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 31.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 24.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 24.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 25.3 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 25.7 |
6 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 1 of them describes FY2027 work in enough detail to have its own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
- Continue feasibility studies and possible development of terminal defense fire control architectures that support low cost and easy integration onto ships and into expeditionary forces for terminal defense suitable for multiple engagement weapons. - Continue investigation into advanced propulsion techniques for high speed weapons; main…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work Complete the Applied Research for the MATes INP by: - Completing autonomy, perception, and command and control (C2) concepts for MATES conducting complex multi-domain operations in proximity to each other along a spectrum of missions. - Completing demonstration of multiple autonomy architectures across multiple domains conducting re-optimizing behaviors based on changing mission parameters and perception data. - Completing experiments to validate command and control with different levels of human oversight and trust. - Completing experiments to sequentially "phase" C2 of massed Super Swarm agents from close-in, dense, tightly controlled areas with continuous network coverage out to the…
FY2026 to FY2027 change The funding decrease from FY 2026 to FY 2027 is due to planned execution of the remaining BA2 activities in the final year of Applied Research for the MATes INP Activity in this Project.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue all activities from FY25 to include those focused on: - Autonomy, perception, and command and control (C2) concepts for Manned and Autonomous Teams (MATES) conducting complex multi-domain operations in proximity to each other along a spectrum of missions. Missions range from fully autonomous to highly supervised requiring an agile optimization as real-world factors change. - Autonomy, perception, and command and control (C2) concepts for MATES conducting complex multi-domain operations in proximity to each other along a spectrum of missions. - Demonstration of multiple autonomy architectures across multiple domains conducting re-optimizing behaviors based on changing mission…
FY2027 planned work - Continue advancement of High Power Microwave (HPM) tunable source technology to adapt to evolving threats via electronic attack methods. - Continue maturing and integrating technologies related to distributed arrays of HPM sources, enabled by improved phase control solid state modulators. - Continue investigating pulsed laser source development, utility and integration studies, propagation and lethality assessments for Naval applications. Developing technologies to fill the S&T gaps to enable the fielding of high energy laser weapons to defeat cruise missiles. - Continue investigation and development of novel laser source and thermal/cooling technology, standardized beam control…
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase between FY26 and FY27 is due to greater investment in technologies related to improving Directed Energy system componentry and subsystems (in terms of size, weight, power usage, cost, power output, and efficiency). There is also increased investment in technology that forms an early baseline to enable investigation into structural and combat system integration options on host platforms.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue: - Advancement of HPM tunable source technology to adapt to evolving threats via electronic attack methods. - Development of enabling technologies for accelerated DE weapon engagements in ship based terminal defense, including advanced tracking solutions, automated engagement algorithms and novel battle damage assessment methods. - Mature and integrate technologies related to distributed arrays of HPM sources, enabled by improved phase control solid state modulators. - Investigate short pulsed laser source development, utility and integration studies, propagation and lethality assessments for Naval applications. Complete: - Development of compact High Power Microwave (HPM) antenna…
FY2027 planned work Complete Applied Research for the Precision Fire Control INP by: - Completing a fire control architecture that delivers high precision and update rate guidance solution to enable cruise missile defense with multiple low-cost interceptors (missiles and gun projectiles). - Completing the Modeling and simulation (M&S) tools and technical data package.
FY2026 to FY2027 change The decrease in funding from FY 2026 to FY 2027 in the Precision Fire Control (PFC) INP is due to completion in FY 2027 of all PFC applied research efforts
FY2026 plans — current year Continue - Integration of multi-function data link (MFDL) 2 fire control element. - Procurement of 5 Hypervelocity Projectiles (HVP) and 20 Low-Cost Terminal Defense Missiles (LCTDM) flight test units and test targets. - Interceptor guidance testing with HVP and LCTDM. - Combat systems integration studies. Complete - Combat systems integration studies. - Design and prototyping of Precision Fire-Control (PFC) Increment 2 fire control elements.
FY2026 to FY2027 change The decrease in funding from FY 2026 to FY 2027 is due to the realignment and consolidation of all expeditionary funding under PE 0602750N to the new Expeditionary Campaigns project number 1510 within this PE. Planned programs will continue under new Expeditionary Campaigns project number and have been updated to align to current expeditionary and marine corps priorities.
FY2026 plans — current year Complete: - Research in the area of increased range and lethality for small form factor weapon systems in support of EABO. (Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) and Combating Terrorism) - Develop flexible, intermediate force capability to defend against small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm attacks as well as civilian vehicles in congested urban environments for protection of relatively small, dispersed advanced expeditionary bases in the littorals operating within the operational engagement envelop of a potential adversary. (Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) and Combating Terrorism) - Develop generalized technique for synchronizing compact, mobile amplifier-HPM nodes to form a…
FY2026 to FY2027 change The decrease in funding from FY 2026 to FY 2027 is due to the realignment and consolidation of all expeditionary funding under PE 0602750N to the new Expeditionary Campaigns project number 1510 within this PE. Planned programs will continue under new Expeditionary Campaigns project number and have been updated to align to current expeditionary and marine corps priorities.
FY2026 plans — current year Complete: - Research to improve warfighter effectiveness in command, control, computers and communication, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the area of electromagnetic spectrum analysis and signature management. (Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) and Combating Terrorism) - Research effort to provide a counter-swarm solution using a swarm of networked low-cost kinetic interceptors. (Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) and Combating Terrorism)