# Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN)

**R-2A activity** of project DS7 — High Performance Computing Modernization Program  
**Program element:** 0603461A — High Performance Computing Modernization Program  
**Component:** U.S. Army · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603461A/DS7/a1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603461A

## Summary

This activity requests $46.2M in FY2027, 21% of project DS7, down 9.3% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2025–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** The Defense Research and Engineering Network will build on its foundation as DoW's premier secure, high-performance network, delivering the advanced connectivity and resilience required to meet evolving research, development, test, and evaluation demands. The Defense Research and Engineering Network will further mature its networking capabilities, enabling seamless, large-scale computational workflows that integrate high-end computing, live test assets, and operational prototypes. This will allow DoW teams to accelerate the development, testing, and refinement of next-generation warfighting technologies, ensuring rapid transition from concept to capability across critical mission areas. To stay ahead of emerging threats, the Defense Research and Engineering Network will expand its global footprint in key regions - including the Pacific and Europe - providing agile, reliable connectivity that supports real-time experimentation and joint operations in contested environments. Additionally, the Defense Research and Engineering Network will continue to strengthen its cutting-edge cyber defenses, ensuring the secure exchange and protection of sensitive DoW and industry intellectual property as researchers and engineers push the boundaries of innovation. By evolving in lockstep with operational needs, the Defense Research and Engineering Network will remain the cornerstone of DoW's digital modernization, enabling the collaborative, secure, and high-speed environment required to maintain technological overmatch.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decrease reflects reduced maturation of network connectivity for testing and next generation systems.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** The Defense Research and Engineering Network delivers transformative advancements to empower the most critical DoW research, development, test, and evaluation missions. By maturing secure, high-performance networking across multiple classification levels, Defense Research and Engineering Network enables seamless, large-scale computational workflows that integrate high-end computing, real-world test devices, and live operational participants. This accelerates the development and validation of next-generation DoW capabilities, reducing time-to-fielding for warfighting technologies and ensuring decisive advantages in an evolving threat landscape. To support dynamic global operations, Defense Research and Engineering Network expands its reach into key theaters - including the Pacific and Europe - providing reliable, low-latency connectivity that enables real-time collaboration and experimentation across geographically dispersed teams. Additionally, Defense Research and Engineering Network strengthens its advanced cybersecurity defenses, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of DoW intellectual property and sensitive research, development, test, and evaluation data as researchers and engineers push the boundaries of innovation. These efforts solidify the role of the Defense Research and Engineering Network as the trusted digital backbone for DoW modernization, enabling the collaborative, agile, and secure environment needed to outpace adversaries and maintain technological supremacy.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Matured and demonstrated secure, advanced networking across a full range of classifications to provide over 1600 Gigabits per second of aggregate bandwidth to more than 230 CONUS and 18 OCONUS sites to implement computational workflows that employ various combinations of high-end computing resources, research assets, test center devices, weapon/platform prototypes, and live participants to mature and demonstrate capabilities for important DoD research, test, and engineering priorities. Continue to expand DREN installation in the Pacific and other regions of interest to meet test requirements in response to emerging threats. Continue to mature and enhance the secure protection of DREN from external and internal threats to effectively protect the intellectual property of the DoD and its contract entities engaged in research, test, and engineering missions.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 54.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 51.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 46.2 |

> 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 DS7

- [Department of War Supercomputing Resource Centers](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603461A/DS7/a0) — FY2027 125.0
- [Software Applications](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603461A/DS7/a2) — FY2027 43.9

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603461A project DS7 (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.*