# Vanguard Pathfinder - Integrated Combat Effects

**R-2A activity** of project 630320 — Air Force Vanguards  
**Program element:** 0603032F — Air Force Vanguards  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a13  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F

## Summary

This activity requests $42.6M in FY2027, 15% of project 630320, up 2031% 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.** - Continue development of integrated solutions for multi-mode sensing and cueing for various platforms to include High Value Airborne Assets (HVAA). - Continue identification of current sensors and evaluate their efficacy for HVAA protect missions. - Continue integration of sensing into sense-making for cueing the effector. - Commence modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) to leverage advanced digital manufacturing, government reference architectures, model-based quality, and specifications and standards to enable surge manufacturing of weapon systems by the defense and commercial industrial base. - Commence development and demonstration of Manufacturing as a Service for Battlefield-responsive advanced manufacturing. - Commence establishment of a surge-capable, adaptive, replicable, and franchisable, networked factory playbook to win any fight through industrial base dominance. - Commence modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) and capability developmental planning activities for multi-mode sensing, cueing, and effector integration for point defense of both fixed and expeditionary assets. - Commence and complete market research, modeling, simulation, and analysis for effects of small unmanned systems swarms in contested environments. - Commence advanced concept development for small unmanned systems swarms in contested environments. - Commence assessment of mature payload technologies to support new point-to-point delivery mission applications for contested logistics. - Commence modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) to support concept refinement, military utility, and survivability. - Commence research and development to determine viability for new rocket cargo mission applications, including payload survivability in flight delivery environments, payload interfaces and integration with reentry systems, and payload delivery concept of operations. - Commence assessment of advanced reentry system technologies for increased point-to-point delivery tactical responsiveness, resilience, and affordability. Specific areas to assess include increased on-orbit reentry system duration and delivery to multiple domains (air, land, and/or sea). - Commence research and development to determine viability of advanced reentry system technologies, including technical solutions for on-orbit.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding increased compared to FY 2026 by $40.626 million due to the emergence of DoW and DAF's immediate priorities. These priorities are being addressed by commencing concept development, research, and analysis activities for small unmanned system swarms; surge weapon system manufacturing enabling rapid and flexible production capability; point defense integrated multi-mode sensing, cueing, and effector capabilities; and point to point payload development advancing tactical responsiveness, resilience, and affordability. The rapid development of these activities will result in the creation of multiple new Vanguard Prospects leading to demonstrations and transitions to programs of record.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Commence development of integrated solutions for multi-mode sensing and cueing for various platforms to include High Value Airborne Assets (HVAA). (In FY 2026 PB this was reported under the WARTECH effort.) - Commence identification of current sensors and evaluate their efficacy for HVAA protect missions. (In FY 2026 PB this was reported under the WARTECH effort.) - Commence integration of sensing into sense-making for cueing the effector. (In FY 2026 PB this was reported under the WARTECH effort.)

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 2.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 42.6 |

> 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 630320

- [Vanguard Prospect - Ephemeral Paragon (E-Gon)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a5) — FY2027 45.9
- [Vanguard Prospect - CRONUS](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a4) — FY2027 38.0
- [Vanguard Prospect - EO/IR Sensing Demonstration](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a10) — FY2027 36.5
- [Vanguard Prospect - Payload Delivery System](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a9) — FY2027 32.9
- [Vanguard Prospect - Scabbard Rage](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a8) — FY2027 30.7
- [Vanguard Prospect - APEX GEAR](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a7) — FY2027 27.0
- [Vanguard Pathfinder - Integrated Electronic Warfare](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a11) — FY2027 13.1
- [Vanguard Pathfinder - Integrated Networks](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a12) — FY2027 11.2
- WARTECH — FY2027 4.0
- Vanguard Prospect - Resolute Sentry — FY2027 0.0
- Vanguard Prospect - Area Effects Demonstration — FY2027 0.0
- Vanguard Prospect - Fight Tonight — FY2027 0.0
- Vanguard Prospect - Swift Hammer — FY2027 0.0

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603032F project 630320 (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.*