# Environmental Quality Technology - Dem/Val — Program Element 0603779A

**Program element:** 0603779A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603779A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding falls 46% to a $19.5M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), 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 26% (to $24.5M). Varies leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 22.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 36.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 19.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 20.5 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 20.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 21.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 21.3 |

> 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 | 19.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 19.5 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 19.5 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 24.5 | +5.0 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E21 | Environmental Quality Technology Dem/Val | 15.1 | 28.5 | 11.6 | −59% |
| 035 | National Defense Cntr For Enviro Excellence | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.9 | +2% |

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

### Project E21 — Environmental Quality Technology Dem/Val

This Project supports Advanced Component Development and Prototypes of innovative environmental quality technologies that modernize materials and processes required for current and future operational sustainment and warfighter training capabilities. The Project showcases technologies that increase life safety, reduce Soldier and worker human health risks, enhance readiness and enable mission capabilities of the current and future force with a focus on eliminating the high priority issues associated with hexavalent chromium, cadmium and airborne lead through material substitution. The Project expedites technology transition from the laboratory to operational use by demonstrating modern materials and processes to fulfill or surpass the performance requirements outlined in Material Specifications, Depot Maintenance Work Requirements, Technical Manuals, Drawings and other technical data. Forward-looking materials and processes demonstrated under this project support the Cross Functional Teams and the Army's top modernization priorities by addressing potential obsolescence of legacy materials and current and emerging impacts on human health and the environment. Modernized materials and processes have the additional benefit of addressing future regulatory compliance and cleanup requirements while simultaneously increasing performance and standardization across the Army, resulting in significantly reduced life cycle costs incurred by acquisition, industrial base and installation end users. Work in this Project is performed by the United States Transformation & Training Command (T2COM), U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** Varies (11.6, 100%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental quality technology demonstration and validation: Toxic Metal Reduction in Surface Finishing of Army Weapon Systems (DEVCOM) | 1.9 | — | — |
| Environmental quality technology demonstration and validation: Airborne Lead Reduction from Army Weapon Systems (DEVCOM) | 3.3 | — | — |
| Environmental quality technology demonstration and validation: Low Global Warming Potential (LGWP) Alternatives to Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) (DEVCOM) | 0.2 | — | — |
| Engineered Technologies for Risk Mitigation and Management of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOS/PFOA) on Army Installations (USACE) | 3.0 | 1.9 | 4.2 |
| VEQT Transition Program (OAA IE&E) | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Environmental quality technology demonstration and validation: Safer Alternatives for Readiness (SAFR) of Army Weapon Systems | — | — | 5.8 |

> 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 035 — National Defense Cntr For Enviro Excellence

The National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence (NDCEE) was established by Congress in 1990 with a directive to "serve as a national leadership organization to address high priority environmental problems for the Department of War (DoW), other government organizations, and the industrial community." In May 2008, the Program was re-designated from the National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence to the National Defense Center for Energy and Environment to ensure that the Center's mission recognizes and addresses the strategic interdependence of energy and environmental technology requirements within an overall sustainability framework in support of our installations, weapons systems and war fighters. This name change also directly supports the DoW's proactive implementation of Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy and Transportation Management." The NDCEE Program has evolved into a national resource for demonstrating, validating and transitioning innovative Environmental, Safety & Occupational Health and Energy (ESOHE) technologies. This Program is managed by the Army on behalf of the Assistant Secretary of War (Energy, Installations and Environment). The U.S. Army's broadly encompassing and growing mobile, personal and stationary technological requirements include: infrastructure, alternative and synthetic energy, training lands, emerging contaminates, transportation, systems integration, personnel well-being, and others. Further, to train as we fight, validated ESOHE technologies need to be available and implemented at Army installations. The NDCEE will continue to demonstrate, validate, and transfer these technologies supporting our integrated environment, energy, safety, occupational health and energy objectives to enable mission, readiness, innovation, lethality and modernization to ensure our Soldiers maintain a technological advantage over our adversaries.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** AEC (1.3, 17%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct demonstration/validation of environmentally acceptable technologies that enhance military readiness and reduce production, operating, and/or disposal costs. | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.6 |
| NDCEE Government program management during contract negotiations and during project formulation, execution, and technology transfer. | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| SBIR/STTR | 0.3 | — | — |

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

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 66% | 12.9 |
| Other / unspecified | 34% | 6.6 |

**Top named industry performers:** Varies ($11.6M, 59%), AEC ($1.3M, 6.8%).

> R-3 exhibit contract funding, not USAspending obligations.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

The National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence (NDCEE) was established by Congress in 1990 with a directive to "serve as a national leadership organization to address high priority environmental problems for the Department of War (DoW), other government organizations, and the industrial community." In May 2008, the Program was re-designated from the National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence to the National Defense Center for Energy and Environment to ensure that the Center's mission recognizes and addresses the strategic interdependence of energy and environmental technology requirements within an overall sustainability framework in support of our installations, weapons…

The NDCEE is a national asset focused on DoW applications that include technology transfer to appropriate DoW transition partners. The management strategy for the NDCEE ensures that all projects have a potential multi-service benefit and have a high potential for transition success. At the strategic level, the NDCEE Executive Advisory Board (EAB) is chaired by the DoW NDCEE Lead Agent on behalf of the Assistant Secretary of War for Sustainment and is representative of the services and DoW. The EAB and the Program Director are supported by the NDCEE Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to help ensure that NDCEE investments are maximized across DoW and the Services.

## Related program elements

- [0303150K — Global Command and Control System Software and Digital Technology Pilot Programs](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303150K) (Defense-Wide)
- [0303171K — Joint Planning and Execution Services (JPES)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303171K) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604129A — Advanced Power Applications](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604129A) (Army)
- [0605013A — Information Technology Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605013A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0603779A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0603779A")`.

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