# Missile Propulsion Integration and Demonstration

**R-2A activity** of project 634920 — Aerospace Systems Integration & Demonstration  
**Program element:** 0603211F — Aerospace Technology Dev/Demo  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920/a6  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920

> **NEW START.** $25.8M requested in FY2027 with no prior-year and no current-year funding.

## Summary

This activity requests $25.8M in FY2027, 9.9% of project 634920 — a new start with no prior-year and no current-year money. 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 and testing of solid rocket motors relevant to defense needs for rapid and agile manufacturing, propulsion capability, high performance tactical demonstrations, and for use in missiles and rockets. - Activities include scale up toward flight-weight tests of tactical motors developed through additive manufacturing methods. Continue design and development of modeling and simulation tools that more fully describe the physical processes that occur during manufacture and/or operation of solid rocket motors, and that reduce predictive uncertainty in design and analysis - Activities include finalizing codes and technology development to iteratively inform and optimize rocket motor design Complete development of advanced manufacturing processes for solid rocket motors including inert components, energetic components, fabrication systems and automated assembly operations. - Activities include verification and validation of local solid rocket motor manufacturing pilot capability Commence research and development of Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines (RDREs) for tactical propulsion missions supporting reusable, attritable, and/or missile applications. Activities include: - Award contracts for heavy-weight RDRE engine design, development, and characterization to support future down-select of vendors to design flight-weight engines - Investigation and evaluation of Rocket Based Combined Cycle propulsion systems utilizing RDRE technology Commence development and demonstration of advanced fabrication techniques and rapid model-based prototyping processes for rocket motors for integration into remote or automated manufacturing systems. - Activities include development of integrated system of advanced fabrication and testing techniques for small-footprint fabrication facilities

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding increased by $25.780 million due to the transfer of the Missile Propulsion Integration and Demonstration effort and associated funding within this Program Element from Project 0603211F / 634093 Missile Rocket Propulsion Integ & Demo to Project 634920 / Aerospace Systems Integration & Demonstration. This includes an increase From FY2026 to FY2027 of $20.118 million due to increased cost of propellant manufacturing materials. Additionally, integration of advanced technology and fabrication into rapid, model-based prototyping for rocket motors.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** In FY 2025 and FY 2026, the Missile Propulsion Integration and Demonstration effort and funding were reported in Program Element 0603211F / Aerospace Technology Dev/Demo /Project 634093 / Missile Rocket Propulsion Integ & Demo. FY 2025 funding was $8.504 million and FY 2026 funding is $5.662 million.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 25.8 |

> 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 634920

- [High-Speed Propulsion Integration and Demonstration](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920/a3) — FY2027 94.4
- [High-Speed Systems Integration and Demonstration](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920/a2) — FY2027 80.1
- [Air Breathing Propulsion Integration and Demonstration](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920/a1) — FY2027 30.0
- [Autonomous Systems Control Integration and Demonstration](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920/a4) — FY2027 12.1
- [Power &Thermal Systems Integration and Demonstration](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603211F/634920/a5) — FY2027 10.3
- Aerospace Vehicle Integration and Demonstration — FY2027 7.5

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603211F project 634920 (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.*