# Unmanned Maneuver Demonstration.

**R-2A activity** of project BF4 — Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech  
**Program element:** 0603462A — Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology  
**Component:** U.S. Army · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603462A/BF4/a5  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603462A/BF4

## Summary

This activity requests $23.2M in FY2027, 100% of project BF4, up 5.0% 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.** Will advance the Army's un-crewed systems capabilities through a coordinated effort focused on architecture, security, resilience, and integration, prioritizing the rapid adoption of ready-now commercial technologies. Expand the foundational un-crewed architecture and interoperability standards - leveraging open standards, modular systems, and standardized control interfaces - to enable seamless integration across formations and reduce vendor lock-in. Investigate and identify commercially available robotic platforms and components ready for immediate Army use as well as assist in maturing high-potential but under-developed technology. Enhance resilience against counterattacks by developing novel counter capabilities for detection, disruption, and mitigation, while also evaluating existing commercial solutions for defensive applications. Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive safety and cybersecurity standards, including rigorous testing protocols, secure software architectures, and vulnerability assessments, with a focus on adapting existing industry best practices. Accelerate the integration of advanced un-crewed systems into existing and emerging Army architectures, providing expert system-in-the-loop support to industry partners and conducting Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments aligned with the Army's priorities, specifically targeting commercially available technologies with demonstrated potential. Key deliverables include a validated architecture reference model, a prototype counter measure system, a draft safety certification framework, a cybersecurity threat model, and comprehensive integration reports detailing the assessment and adaptation of commercial technologies. Success will be measured by increased system interoperability during Soldier experimentation, demonstrated improvements in system survivability against simulated threats, completion of Level of Rigor (LOR) 1 safety-critical component development, a demonstrated reduction in cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and improved operational efficacy - as measured by reductions in task completion time and increased mission success rates - alongside a reduction in risk to personnel during field exercises.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding increase reflects the consolidation of other ongoing efforts within this project from Platform Electronic Control and Soldier-Robotic Interface Integration. Funding increase reflects additional efforts to maximize collaboration with industry to mature and militarize commercial technology and foster a robust domestic industrial base.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Will exploit industry autonomous systems for robotic ground maneuver formations in a variety of terrains within existing Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance (ISR) mission sets; integrate relevant payloads to optimize performance during operationally relevant use cases to enable higher speed autonomous movement and maneuver; validate the operation of cyber secured autonomy and demonstrate secure software update capability; optimize and validate industry concepts through Engineering Evaluation Testing (EET) to ensure these concepts provide value to the warfighter.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 22.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 23.2 |

> 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 BF4

- Platform Electronic Control — FY2027 —
- Unmanned Maneuver — FY2027 —
- Soldier-Robotic Interface Integration — FY2027 —
- Small UGV as Deployable Sensor — FY2027 —
- Human - Machine Integrated Formations (H-MIF) — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603462A project BF4 (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.*