Project CV1
$13.3MFY2027 request ▲ 29%Control & Autonomy for Tactical Superiority Adv
FY2025 actual$1.2M
FY2026 enacted$10.3M
FY2027 request$13.3M
FY2027 Request
$23.5M
▼ 54% vs FY2026
House mark
$20.5M
▼ $3.0M vs request
FY2026 Enacted
$51.3M
In law
Roll-up of 6 projects. Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it.
For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. Army is requesting $23.5M for Air Platform Advanced Technology under RDT&E program element 0603043A, down 54% from FY2026. In the FY2027 defense authorization, House moved to cut it to $20.5M.
Funding trajectory
Funding profile, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP) House mark
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 16.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 51.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 23.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 49.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 45.7 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 42.1 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 38.4 |
Where it sits
Acquisition lifecycle
This program is funded in RDT&E Budget Activity 3 — Advanced Technology Development.
Complete
Research
BA 1–2
Current
Advanced Technology
BA 3
Later
Prototyping
BA 4
Later
Development & Fielding
BA 5–7
Inside the program element
6 projects roll up into PE 0603043A
Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it. Program elements and projects carry the full five-year plan; activities stop at the budget year. This PE moves -54% overall, which can hide much larger swings below.
Project DK2
$10.2MFY2027 request ▲ 4%Air Vehicle Improvement & Adv Tech (AVIATe)
FY2025 actual$1.0M
FY2026 enacted$9.8M
FY2027 request$10.2M
Project CL4
—FY2027 request ▼ 100%Air Platform Enabling University Adv Development
FY2025 actual$1.4M
FY2026 enacted$10.0M
FY2027 request—
Project CX1
—FY2027 request ▼ 100%Advanced Rotors Advanced Tech
FY2025 actual$2.6M
FY2026 enacted$7.5M
FY2027 request—
Project DC3
—FY2027 request ▼ 100%HPC For Army Aviation Concepts
FY2025 actual$5.5M
FY2026 enacted$7.2M
FY2027 request—
Project CV2
—FY2027 request ▼ 100%Structures Platform Int Resilience & Efficiency
FY2025 actual$5.0M
FY2026 enacted$6.5M
FY2027 request—
Congressional action
The request is contested
Committee marks on the FY2027 request. Adds and cuts are reconciled in conference before they become law.
RequestPresident's Budget
$23.5M
House NDAA (HASC)HASC
$20.5M −$3.0M · −13%
Senate NDAA (SASC)SASC
$23.5M full · +$0
House Approps (HAC-D)HAC_D
$51.5M +$28.0M · +119%
▲ $31.0M chamber gap — unresolved as of 2026-07-27. These are FY2027 authorization marks (NDAA); appropriations and the conference agreement may differ.
Program detail
Mission & acquisition strategy
This PE undertakes advanced technology efforts that support and enable the overall Army Aviation portfolio in general, and the Army's modernization priority for Future Vertical Lift (FVL). Vital and enduring research into advanced technologies is conducted pertinent to the air portfolio that supports mid-to-long term requirements in contested operational environments and technologies that have broad application to FVL modernization, as well as overall Army and specific DoW aviation needs.
Project CV1, DK2, CL4, CX1, DC3, CV2 — Control & Autonomy for Tactical Superiority Adv
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Ask this program element
Answers are generated from the figures on this page — the FY2027 justification exhibits and the marks tracked above — and nothing else is consulted. Confirm any figure against the cited exhibit before you use it externally.
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Questions this page can answer
How does the FY2027 request compare with FY2026, and what does the five-year plan show?What did House do to this request, and what is still unresolved?Which project inside PE 0603043A is growing fastest, and which is shrinking?In plain terms, what is this program element for and how is it being acquired?
This page carries the budget justification and the NDAA marks — nothing else. For what a contractor has actually been obligated, the ledger is at hitchintel.com/vendors; for live solicitations, hitchintel.com/opportunities. Both are member surfaces.
Provenance
Cite this page
Sources
FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification · Exhibits R-2 / R-3 · PE 0603043A (President's Budget PB2027) — and FY2027 NDAA committee marks, as tracked 2026-07-27.
Suggested citation
HitchAI, "Air Platform Advanced Technology (PE 0603043A)," federal budget intelligence, PB2027 vintage. hitchintel.com/programs/0603043A
Machine access
Markdown twin
/programs/0603043A.md · MCP mcp.hitchintel.com → budget_get_program_element, budget_get_cong_marksFY2027 Request
$13.3M
▲ 29% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$10.3M
▲ 748% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$1.2M
Prior year
Control & Autonomy for Tactical Superiority Adv — one RDT&E project inside PE 0603043A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project CV1 — Control & Autonomy for Tactical Superiority Adv — requests $13.3M in FY2027, 57% of the $23.5M requested for program element 0603043A. Year over year it grows 29% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project CV1 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 1.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 10.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 13.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 17.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 14.5 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 14.8 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 15.0 |
Inside the project
3 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
Adaptive Tactical Autonomy and Control (ATAC) Technology Demonstration▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$1.2M
FY2026 enacted$3.6M
FY2027 request—
Will explore pilot-assist/autonomous functions for autorotation such as automatically lowering of collective and configuring the aircraft for best autorotation airspeed; integrate and demonstrate concepts for transition of control between pilot and autonomous system and back.
Autonomy for Combat Environment Sustainment (ACES) Demo▲ 45%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$6.6M
FY2027 request$9.6M
Will implement DARPA/Sikorsky Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) autonomy algorithms on Army's UH-60Mx flying laboratory.
Scalable Maneuver Autonomy and Control (SMAC) Tech DemoNEW
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request$3.6M
Will test AvMC's platform autonomy algorithms on Tactical Resupply Vehicle family of UAVs; generate training data set for vision-based navigation algorithm.
Project detail
What project CV1 buys
This project will deliver advanced flight controls, autonomy technologies, and new handling qualities criteria are implemented and tested in a realistic environment to demonstrate their functionality and increase their technology readiness level (TRL). This project also delivers demonstrated and matured flight controls and autonomy technologies at TRL 6 to transition partners. Work in this project complements PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Technology) / Project CU7 (Control & Autonomy for Tactical Superiority Tech). Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).
FY2027 Request
$10.2M
▲ 4.3% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$9.8M
▲ 913% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$1.0M
Prior year
Air Vehicle Improvement & Adv Tech (AVIATe) — one RDT&E project inside PE 0603043A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project DK2 — Air Vehicle Improvement & Adv Tech (AVIATe) — requests $10.2M in FY2027, 43% of the $23.5M requested for program element 0603043A. Year over year it grows 4.3% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project DK2 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 1.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 9.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 10.2 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 32.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 31.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 27.3 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 23.4 |
Inside the project
2 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
Hybrid-Electric Aviation Technology (HEAT) Demonstration▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$1.0M
FY2026 enacted$9.8M
FY2027 request—
Will begin scaled hybrid-electric system and integration laboratory efforts as a means to train, expand knowledge base, mitigate technical risk, calibrate models, and integrate and optimize hybrid-electric systems to inform and plan future transition efforts for the Army aviation fleet.
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request$10.2M
Will optimize lightweight lithium battery solutions for increased aviation system survivability by establishing a family of standardized batteries and/or cells to power advanced electronics; initiate integration of standardized connectors and interfaces into a common battery form factor; and assess interoperability of a standard battery…
Read the FY2027 plan →Project detail
What project DK2 buys
This project enhances Army aviation mission capability and addresses operational energy challenges. Includes the maturation, system integration, and demonstration of technologies including advanced engines, hybrid and electric systems, power and control allocation, propulsive power delivery, electric actuation, structures, and other technologies that enhance performance, efficiency or are critical to implementation up to the aircraft system level. Work in this project is fully coordinated with PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Technology) / Project DK1 (Air Vehicle Integrated & Alternative Tech (AVIATe)). Work within this effort is jointly performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) and the Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center (C5ISR Center).
FY2027 Request
$0.0M
▼ 100% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$10.0M
▲ 635% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$1.4M
Prior year
Air Platform Enabling University Adv Development — one RDT&E project inside PE 0603043A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project CL4 — Air Platform Enabling University Adv Development — requests — in FY2027, 0.0% of the $23.5M requested for program element 0603043A. Year over year it falls 100% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project CL4 funding, FY2025–FY2026
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 1.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 10.0 |
Inside the project
1 accomplishment / planned program
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
Vertical Lift Advanced Technologies
FY2025 actual$1.4M
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request—
Will mature and demonstrate the coordination of multiple land and air vehicles participating in an unmanned long-term reconnaissance operation using distributed command/control architecture despite communication delays and/or failures; mature and demonstrate rotorcraft emerging technologies through aeromechanics, advanced Vertical…
Project detail
What project CL4 buys
This project focuses on experimentation and demonstration of advanced technologies originating from extramural applied research in academia pertaining to navigation/routing, autonomous robotic vehicles, artificial intelligence and machine learning as applied to aerial mobility and maneuver, holistic survivability, teaming, integrated mission systems, air-launched effects, and other innovative air enabling applied research technologies, that will accelerate the Army modernization in next generation aerial vehicles. This project will mature and integrate advanced efforts to focus more on mid to far-term Army modernization priorities while also maintaining delivery of near-term technologies fundamental to the modernization priorities. This effort conducts and demonstrates advanced technology efforts arising from academic research in all areas of strategic importance to Army Aviation in artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI/ML), autonomous teaming systems, survivability, aeromechanics, advanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) design & concepts, flight dynamics, vibration & noise control, propulsion, human factor engineering and structures and materials, etc., by bringing competitively selected Universities with research and development teams into Technical Alliances. The project will continuously experiment with methods to identify, demonstrate and transition novel technology from entities that might not otherwise collaborate with the DoW, with the end goal of accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge applied research technology for the warfighter in the Army aviation portfolio. Work in this project complements PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), PE 0603119A (Ground Advanced Technology), PE 0602148A (Future Vertical Lift Technology) and PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Research). Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
FY2027 Request
$0.0M
▼ 100% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$7.5M
▲ 188% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$2.6M
Prior year
Advanced Rotors Advanced Tech — one RDT&E project inside PE 0603043A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project CX1 — Advanced Rotors Advanced Tech — requests — in FY2027, 0.0% of the $23.5M requested for program element 0603043A. Year over year it falls 100% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project CX1 funding, FY2025–FY2026
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 2.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 7.5 |
Inside the project
2 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them.
Lightweight Durable Rotor Technologies▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$2.6M
FY2026 enacted$2.0M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects the strategic reallocation of resources to support evolving priorities and objectives.
FY2026 plans — current year Will conduct design of durable rotor blade prototype.
FY2025 accomplishments Conduct durable rotor trade studies and start rotor system integration conceptual design.
Innovative Rotor Design Methodology▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$5.5M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects the strategic reallocation of resources to support evolving priorities and objectives.
FY2026 plans — current year Will conduct rotor blade structural testing.
Project detail
What project CX1 buys
This project investigates Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and other Army and DoW advanced drive train technologies that increase performance and double current drivetrain life cycles while improving their reliability and maintainability. Work in this project is fully coordinated with PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Technology) / Project CW3 (Advanced Rotors Applied Technology). Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).
FY2027 Request
$0.0M
▼ 100% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$7.2M
▲ 31% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$5.5M
Prior year
HPC For Army Aviation Concepts — one RDT&E project inside PE 0603043A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project DC3 — HPC For Army Aviation Concepts — requests — in FY2027, 0.0% of the $23.5M requested for program element 0603043A. Year over year it falls 100% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project DC3 funding, FY2025–FY2026
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 5.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 7.2 |
Inside the project
5 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them.
Advanced Computational Technologies for Army Aviation
FY2025 actual$3.0M
FY2026 enacted—
FY2027 request—
FY2025 accomplishments Demonstrated and provided modeling and simulation capabilities for optimization of candidate future vertical lift platforms and upgrades.
Machine-Assisted Design and Evaluation▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$2.5M
FY2026 enacted$2.5M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY 2027 funding decrease reflects termination of effort.
FY2026 plans — current year Will demonstrate machine learning techniques that reduce rotorcraft simulation time. Will provide machine guided capability to aid in design exploration.
FY2025 accomplishments Developed physics informed machine learning to reduce simulation turnaround for rotorcraft. Explored machine-guided tradespace generation and exploration for machine assisted design.
Advanced Computational Environments▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$1.8M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY 2027 funding decrease reflects termination of effort.
FY2026 plans — current year Will develop a web-delivered application to host capabilities for performing parameter sweeps using high-fidelity rotorcraft simulations on HPC resources.
Data Curation & Analysis Resource (DCAR)▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$0.9M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY 2027 funding decrease reflects termination of effort.
FY2026 plans — current year Develop a modular capability suite for streamlining, standardizing, and vetting the production of analysis-ready data and validated analytic models to support fleet-wide analysis and decision-making.
Advanced Simulation for Army Aviation (ASAA)▼ 100%
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$2.0M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY 2027 funding decrease reflects termination of effort.
FY2026 plans — current year Will develop a multi-disciplinary analysis of rotorcraft components through the integration of advanced aviation simulation and HPC-enabled coupled-physics modeling.
Project detail
What project DC3 buys
This project matures and demonstrates the use of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics for Future Vertical Lift (FVL) platforms through the utilization of DoW High- Performance Computing (HPC) and software tools for cutting-edge modeling and simulation, as well as adding software capabilities for workflow automation and design space exploration. Efforts in this Project are also applicable to the family of FVL and Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) platforms. Work in this project complements PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Research). Work in this project is performed by the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center Information Technology Laboratory.
FY2027 Request
$0.0M
▼ 100% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$6.5M
▲ 31% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$5.0M
Prior year
Structures Platform Int Resilience & Efficiency — one RDT&E project inside PE 0603043A. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project CV2 — Structures Platform Int Resilience & Efficiency — requests — in FY2027, 0.0% of the $23.5M requested for program element 0603043A. Year over year it falls 100% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project CV2 funding, FY2025–FY2026
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 5.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 6.5 |
Inside the project
1 accomplishment / planned program
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them.
Adaptive Resilient Engineered Structures (ARES)▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$5.0M
FY2026 enacted$6.5M
FY2027 request—
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease reflects the strategic reallocation of resources to support evolving priorities and objectives.
FY2026 plans — current year Will demonstrate integration of lightweight, high-performance, affordable, air platform structures technologies analyzed against relevant environments. Technologies for improving structural durability, damage tolerance, weight efficiency, operational availability and repair will be demonstrated. The demonstrations will include physical articles and analysis of structural components, as well as selective testing to support technology insertion.
FY2025 accomplishments Will mature, through building block testing, advanced structures technologies, quantifying their contribution to improved efficiency, performance, survivability, and sustainment (reliability and availability); leverage building block test results to integrate technologies and begin fabrication for demonstration exploiting the synergy of technologies including weight-saving, fatigue-tolerant, affordable, multifunctional, and damage-tolerant configurations for primary and secondary structure.
Project detail
What project CV2 buys
This project will ensure a continuous stream of transition-ready critical structures advanced technologies for improvement of performance (via weight efficiency and multifunctionality for parasitic weight avoidance) and resilience (survivability, sustainment, and operational availability). Work in this project is fully coordinated with Program element (PE) 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Technology) / Project CU8 (Structures Tech for Enduring Efficient Resilience). Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).