# Advanced Complex Systems — Program Element 0603468E

**Program element:** 0603468E  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0400 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 3 — Advanced Technology Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding ramps 105% to a $540.4M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators added 4.6% (to $565.4M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 263.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 540.4 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 787.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 848.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 845.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 840.8 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 540.4 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 540.4 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 540.4 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 565.4 | +25.0 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (2)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACX-01 | ADVANCED COMPLEX SYSTEMS | 0.0 | 243.9 | 500.1 | +105% |
| ACX-07 | ADVANCED COMPLEX SYSTEMS SUPPORT | 0.0 | 19.6 | 40.3 | +106% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project ACX-01 — ADVANCED COMPLEX SYSTEMS

The Advanced Complex Systems project is focused on exploiting high pay-off opportunities to provide revolutionary new system capabilities, as opposed to incremental or evolutionary advancements, in order to achieve undeterrable air and space presence at dramatically reduced costs. Rapid prototyping and experimentation of integrated system concepts, as well as enabling vehicle subsystems will be conducted. Programs will explore new architectural concepts that employ a mix of weapon technologies that achieve lethality through a combination of overwhelming performance and overwhelming numbers rather than through the use of singular and costly high value assets. Efforts conducted under this program element include examination and evaluation of emerging aerospace threats, technologies, concepts, use of autonomy to minimize risk, and applications for missiles, munitions, and vehicle systems. Prior to FY 2026, efforts in this Project were funded in PE 0603286E, Project AIR-01, and PE 0603287E, Project SPC-01.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge | — | 4.6 | 37.1 |
| Longshot | — | 52.7 | 151.5 |
| SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) X-Plane Demonstration Project | — | 47.5 | 62.1 |
| Otter | — | 35.8 | 47.7 |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) Reinforcements (AIR) | — | 51.6 | 32.2 |
| More Opportunities with HAWC (MoHAWC) | — | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) | — | 7.0 | 1.7 |
| Process Intensified Energetics (PIE) | — | — | 13.0 |
| Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO) | — | — | 8.9 |
| Rubble to Rockets (R2) | — | — | 7.5 |
| Scaled Hypersonics Studies and Concepts | — | — | 56.0 |
| Advanced Complex Systems Studies and Concepts | — | 0.1 | 62.3 |
| DARPA Lift Challenge | — | 13.4 | — |
| Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) | — | 6.3 | — |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project ACX-07 — ADVANCED COMPLEX SYSTEMS SUPPORT

The Advanced Complex Systems Support project contains management costs in support of DARPA functions and activities across the entire Advanced Complex Systems PE. These costs include: DARPA classified and unclassified network support and equipment; contractor support; classified program security; building security; commercial transition services that increase the likelihood that DARPA-funded technologies remain in the U.S. and provide new capabilities for national defense; DARPA outreach to universities and industry; external contracting, financial and support fees; Program Manager Intragovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Funding; Program Managers from other Government Agencies; and similar operating expenses. Agency support is allocated on a pro-rata basis across the Agency's BA1, BA2 and BA3 PEs and, therefore, fluctuates per PE by fiscal year based on the total Agency budget in that fiscal year. Prior to FY 2026, support requirements in this Project were funded in PE 0603286E, Project AIR-01, and PE 0603287E, Project SPC-01.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

The efforts described in this Program Element (PE) address the Advanced Technology Development associated with the Advanced Complex Systems Program that is focused on exploiting high pay-off opportunities to provide revolutionary new system capabilities, as opposed to incremental or evolutionary advancements, in order to achieve undeterrable air and space presence at dramatically reduced costs. Rapid prototyping and experimentation of integrated system concepts, as well as enabling vehicle subsystems will be conducted.

## Related program elements

- [0603662D8Z — Networked Communications Capability](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603662D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0603116A — Lethality Advanced Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603116A) (Army)
- [0604270A — Electronic Warfare Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604270A) (Army)
- [0603208N — Training System Aircraft](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603208N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0603468E (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0603468E")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*