What project AL1 buys
This project matures, demonstrates and drafts frameworks for autonomous teaming behaviors, autonomous decision making, targeting and visualization concepts in complex environments for Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and Future Unmanned Aircraft System (FUAS) platform formations in combined arms operations. Work in this project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602148A (Future Vertical Lift Technology) / Project AK9 (Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech). Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) and Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
Project AL1 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.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 34.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 25.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 7.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 7.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 9.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 9.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 9.7 |
4 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
FY2027 planned work Will demonstrate component Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) and head tracker technology linked to degraded visual environment sensors in militarily relevant environments. Will begin validation of performance against requirements associated with MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and UH-60M Black Hawk modernization via novel sensor and display digital engineering methodologies.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase reflects planned in-flight demonstration.
FY2026 plans — current year Will mature a test bed platform to support integration and demonstration of heads-up display, degraded visual environment sensors and other component devices; begin Aviation Qualification and Airworthiness Release (AWR) process of Heads-Up Eyes-Out components and test bed to enable optimized component interoperability and maturation.
FY2025 accomplishments Will improve threat warning performance through continued multi spectral sensing data collections; demonstrate multispectral sensor in urban environments; optimize and ruggedize flight sensor; demonstrate interim capabilities of a multi-function sensor compared to current fleet baseline.
FY2026 to FY2027 change In FY 2027 this effort is realigned to Program Element (PE) 0603345A (Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Advanced Technology Development) / Project A45 (Air Launched Effects Advanced Technology).
FY2026 plans — current year Will initiate integrating a mix of AI and non-AI component technologies into an autonomy software suite utilizing the established Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) architecture to enable UAS team-of-teams ecosystem operations in contested, complex urban / fringe and littoral environments with degraded networks; mature and test, through persistent experimentation using modeling and simulation and limited small-scale flight testing, autonomy and teaming technologies that build in behavior resilience to dynamically adjust to component failures and enhance contingency management for extended duration operations with no human intervention required.
FY2025 accomplishments Will demonstrate autonomous team-of-teams synchronized operations across domains to facilitate an integrated air defense system (IADS) breach capability in contested conditions; initiate extension of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) architecture to address unique challenges associated with operations in complex urban / fringe and littoral environments, and begin evaluating open systems attributes through integration of mixed AI and non-AI technologies, including highly-autonomous coordinated team mission behaviors, navigation and mission execution at low altitude in featureless and cluttered terrain, and sophisticated behaviors for employment of targeted electronic attack using teams of…
FY2026 to FY2027 change In FY 2027 this effort is realigned to Program Element (PE) 0603345A (Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Advanced Technology Development) / Project A45 (Air Launched Effects Advanced Technology).
FY2026 plans — current year Will validate appropriate payload volume and weight constraints versus stabilization and range performance for SWaP-C constrained unmanned aerial system (UAS) and launched effects platforms; mature scalable, novel optics and optical bench components to optimize performance while reducing SWaP-C; validate design trades utilizing operational concepts and flight profiles with modeling and simulation; conduct laboratory and flight demonstrations of component optical bench hardware to validate improved performance as compared to legacy off-the-shelf UAS payloads.