# Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Testing — Program Element 0603851M

**Program element:** 0603851M  
**Component:** U.S. Navy  
**Appropriation:** 1319 — RDT&E, Navy  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603851M

## Summary

U.S. Navy funding ramps 44% to a $14.2M request in FY2027. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full. MCSC leads the industry work, though an unusually large share flows to government labs and warfare centers.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 29.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 9.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 14.2 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 11.4 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 10.5 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 10.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 10.3 |

> 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 | 14.2 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 14.2 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 14.2 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 14.2 | +0.0 |

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

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2319 | Non-Lethal Weapons | 29.4 | 9.8 | 14.2 | +44% |

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

### Project 2319 — Non-Lethal Weapons

This project delivers a crucial spectrum of 'intermediate force' options, giving commanders the flexibility to act decisively in situations where simple presence is insufficient and lethal force is unwarranted.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** MCSC (6.2, 44%), Uniformed Services (1.5, 10%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter-Personnel Advanced Component Development and Prototypes | 9.1 | 1.4 | 9.3 |
| Counter-Materiel Advanced Component Development and Prototypes | 10.2 | 6.9 | 3.7 |
| Joint and Allied Exercise, Experimentation, Demonstration, and Assessment | 10.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 |

> 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 | 54% | 7.7 |
| Government labs & warfare centers | 46% | 6.4 |

**Top named industry performers:** MCSC ($6.2M, 44%), Uniformed Services ($1.5M, 10%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

In recognition of a critical operational need for expanded response options, the FY 1996 National Defense Authorization Act established a Defense Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Program. This strategic mandate vested the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) with the centralized responsibility to serve as the program's Executive Agent (EA). This program directly supports the National Defense Strategy (NDS) by developing non-lethal capabilities that give the Joint Force options in legally or politically constrained scenarios.

The Joint Non-Lethal Weapons (JNLW) project provides commanders the power to dominate the escalation ladder, delivering intermediate force capabilities that bridge the gap between simple presence and lethal engagement in defense of our national interests. This programs strategy is to pursue the fielding of NLW systems through modifying commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products for near term capabilities and the development of new technology. This program delivers a balanced portfolio of capabilities, advancing currently fielded NLW systems through a flexible, Lead-Service-driven acquisition process while simultaneously pursuing next-generation advantages through investment in state-of-the-art technology, experimentation, and advanced simulation.

## Related program elements

- [0602651M — JT Non-Lethal Wpns Applied Res](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602651M) (Navy)
- [0603651M — JT Non-Lethal Wpns Tech Dev](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603651M) (Navy)
- [0605716A — Army Evaluation Center](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605716A) (Army)
- [0401318F — CV-22 Rdt&e POST Production](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401318F) (Air Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0603851M (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0603851M")`.

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