# Archer

**R-2A activity** of project DAT-01 — ADVANCED SYSTEMS  
**Program element:** 0603467E — DARPA Advanced Technology Development  
**Component:** Defense-Wide · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01/a2  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01

## Summary

This activity requests $20.8M in FY2027, 5.1% of project DAT-01, down 13% 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.** - Evaluate long duration subscale component performance. - Execute performer-based incremental test plan to demonstrate approach viability. - Conduct graded component evaluations to demonstrate progress towards critical technical challenges. - Integrate viable components into full system. - Demonstrate system capability in controlled environment with traceability to reaching program metrics.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The FY 2027 decrease reflects the shift from subscale component-level testing to preparation for final system demonstration.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Evaluate current state-of-the-art technologies to identify the most promising for future development. - Conduct a study to categorize the viability of components to be incorporated with the capability. - Conduct system design based on initial evaluations and studies. - Perform subscale component-level testing. - Conduct performance testing in representative environments.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 24.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 20.8 |

> 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 DAT-01

- [Advanced Systems Studies and Concepts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01/a10) — FY2027 178.7
- [Advanced Propulsor, Experimental (APEX)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01/a0) — FY2027 73.4
- Midway — FY2027 39.6
- [Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative (EEI)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01/a1) — FY2027 25.0
- [Box Kick](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01/a9) — FY2027 20.0
- [Pulling Guard](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603467E/DAT-01/a3) — FY2027 19.9
- Deep Thoughts — FY2027 15.8
- Time-definite Capability Delivery — FY2027 8.0
- Resilient Supply-and-Demand Networks (RSDN) — FY2027 4.1
- FLexible networking Using Intelligent Dialecting (FLUID) — FY2027 2.0
- Goblin — FY2027 —
- No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) — FY2027 —
- Scorpionfish — FY2027 —
- Trenton — FY2027 —
- Willow — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603467E project DAT-01 (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.*