# Longshot

**R-2A activity** of project ACX-01 — ADVANCED COMPLEX SYSTEMS  
**Program element:** 0603468E — Advanced Complex Systems  
**Component:** Defense-Wide · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01

## Summary

This activity requests $151.5M in FY2027, 30% of project ACX-01, up 188% 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.** - Continue flight demonstrations validating vehicle release from a host aircraft. - Continue flight demonstrations validating vehicle performance, stability and control through all phases of flight. - Conduct analysis and flight testing to expand flight envelope. - Continue analysis and development of integrated mission systems to mature operationalized capabilities. - Conduct alternate payload integration analysis based on Service-desired concepts of employment. - Initiate alternate aircraft integration studies to include internal and external bomber weapons station integration and safe and acceptable separation computational fluids dynamics analysis. - Continue alternate launch options analysis and risk reduction testing to include palletized and ground launch options. - Conduct propulsion integration studies to explore alternate engine options and engine operability analysis. - Determine manufacturing approaches and design updates required for vehicle production at scale to inform Operational System design and production planning. - Continue maturation of Operational System design based on lessons learned from the Demonstration System, mission systems testing, and manufacturing analysis.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The FY 2027 increase reflects the shift from platform integration and initial demonstrations to flight test operations and follow-on development.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Conduct weapon integration and ground testing. - Complete fabrication and integration of flight test vehicles. - Complete airworthiness certification and host aircraft integration. - Conduct flight testing of the vehicle on a host aircraft. - Conduct flight demonstrations validating vehicle release from a host aircraft. - Conduct flight demonstrations validating air vehicle performance, stability and control through all phases of flight.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 52.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 151.5 |

> 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 ACX-01

- [Advanced Complex Systems Studies and Concepts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a11) — FY2027 62.3
- [SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) X-Plane Demonstration Project](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a2) — FY2027 62.1
- [Scaled Hypersonics Studies and Concepts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a10) — FY2027 56.0
- [Otter](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a3) — FY2027 47.7
- Valley Forge — FY2027 37.1
- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) Reinforcements (AIR)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a4) — FY2027 32.2
- More Opportunities with HAWC (MoHAWC) — FY2027 20.0
- [Process Intensified Energetics (PIE)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a7) — FY2027 13.0
- Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO) — FY2027 8.9
- Rubble to Rockets (R2) — FY2027 7.5
- Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) — FY2027 1.7
- DARPA Lift Challenge — FY2027 —
- Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603468E project ACX-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.*