# Vanguard Prospect - APEX GEAR

**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/a7  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F

## Summary

This activity requests $27.0M in FY2027, 9.6% of project 630320, up 18% 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 data interoperability and experimentation activities with Air Operations Center weapons system software. - Continue development of software to enable human oversight and modification of system generated air battle plans. - Continue development of software for measuring adversary response against an air battle plan. - Continue participation in military exercises to validate and measure benefits of automation over current manual human planning. - Continue development of automated data transfer into Air Operations Center weapons system to accelerate planning, addressing critical Department of the Air Force process and technology gaps. - Continue data interoperability and experimentation activities with emerging theater air planning system of systems within the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. - Commence maturation and hardening of software for accreditation Program Executive Office (PEO) Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (C3BM) hosting platforms for transition at end of FY2027. - Commence development of computer-based training and support documentation for system administration for transition to PEO C3BM at end of FY2027.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding increased compared to FY 2026 by $4.053 million due to maturation and hardening of software and preparing the software for transition to PEO C3BM.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue data interoperability and experimentation activities with Air Operations Center weapons system software. - Continue development of software to enable human oversight and modification of system generated air battle plans. - Continue development of software for measuring adversary response against an air battle plan. - Continue participation in military exercises to validate and measure benefits of automation over current manual human planning. - Commence development of automated data transfer into Air Operations Center weapons system to accelerate planning, addressing critical Department of the Air Force process and technology gaps. - Commence data interoperability and experimentation activities with emerging theater air planning system of systems within the DAF BATTLE NETWORK.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 7.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 22.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 27.0 |

> 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 Pathfinder - Integrated Combat Effects](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603032F/630320/a13) — FY2027 42.6
- [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 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.*