# Reentry Vehicle Applications Program

**R-2A activity** of project 641022 — ICBM Reentry Vehicle Applications  
**Program element:** 0603851F — Intercontinental Ballistic Missile - Dem/Val  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 4  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603851F/641022/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603851F/641022

## Summary

This activity requests $22.2M in FY2027, 100% of project 641022, down 69% 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.** •Finalize Experimental Flight Test (EFT2), utilizing Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launches as a platform to evaluate experimental payloads. This flight test aims to facilitate the maturation of key technologies by subjecting them to realistic flight conditions and gathering performance data in a representative environment. The data collected during the flight will be instrumental in refining future payload designs, validating performance models, and ultimately advancing the technological readiness level of these experimental systems. •Continue joint DoW/DoE test flight assembly (CORVUS) and development of telemetric equipment collecting/transmitting various component performance test data throughout launch, flight, and reentry

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Decrease of funding due to funding tech adjustments for higher priorities in Command and Control Applications Program (C2AP)

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** •Continue research and engineering utilizing critical physics-space modeling and simulation to enable red and blue teams to determine outcomes of scenarios. (Future Operating Concept) •Begin Terminal Tracking and Scoring. The advanced tracking and scoring system revolutionizes flight testing by precisely monitoring the final descent trajectory of reentry vehicles using cutting-edge laser technology. Designed specifically for terminal phase tracking, this system significantly enhances the capabilities of older, legacy laser tracking systems. It achieves this through the incorporation of several key advancements, including the acquisition and utilization of extremely precise Time-Space-Position Information (TSPI). •Finalize IRIS study to evaluate AI and characterization. •Continue to gain a better understanding of how APL's novel manufacturing, high temperature materials, and testing capabilities can assist the knowledge base and future applications of Thermal Protection Systems. •Continue adversarial AI capability analysis. (CM Highrider) •Continue Experimental Flight Test (EFT2), utilizing Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launches as a platform to evaluate experimental payloads. This flight test aims to facilitate the maturation of key technologies by subjecting them to realistic flight conditions and gathering performance data in a representative environment. The data collected during the flight will be instrumental in refining future payload designs, validating performance models, and ultimately advancing the technological readiness level of these experimental systems. •Continue future system demonstrator effort with the specific aim of creating advanced telemetric equipment designed to perform two critical functions: first, to collect comprehensive data from various components within the system being tested; and second, to transmit this collected data in real-time to receiving stations for analysis and evaluation. The data gathered will be crucial for validating design assumptions, refining system models, and ultimately ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of the system. •Continue research & development, and prototyping of advanced re-entry systems technologies in accordance with Inertial Navigation Technology Maturation, Sensor Fusion for Reentry Systems Technology Maturation, Advanced Fuzing Technology Maturation, Advanced Aeroshell Material Technology Maturation and Reentry Systems Test, Evaluation and Experimentation for potential insertion into the Path Length Module. •Continue to Bolster our ability to mature and deploy new ICBM technologies through demonstration and validation •Respond to evolving warfighter priorities and emerging requirements in support of developing ICBM weapon system capability.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 71.9 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 72.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 22.2 |

> 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.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603851F project 641022 (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.*