# High Energy Laser Advanced Development — Program Element 0603924D8Z

**Program element:** 0603924D8Z  
**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/0603924D8Z

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding ramps 67% to a $201.1M request in FY2027 — the program's peak. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 2.5% (to $206.1M); the Senate added 2.5% (to $206.1M); House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 109.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 120.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 201.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 187.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 174.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 164.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 159.7 |

> 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 | 201.1 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 206.1 | +5.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 206.1 | +5.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 201.1 | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 924 | High Energy Laser Advanced Development | 109.5 | 120.8 | 201.1 | +67% |

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

### Project 924 — High Energy Laser Advanced Development

This program is part of an overall Department of War strategy in Joint directed energy advanced technology development. Efforts within this program will focus on scaling the capability of directed energy weapon systems to reach operationally effective levels applicable to broad mission areas across the Department of War. Additionally, efforts will pursue improvements in common directed energy system components to enable scalable architectures and increased lethality. These efforts complement, and will be closely coordinated with, other Department efforts directed at specific Service and Agency missions. This program builds upon other investments in directed energy advanced technology development by the Services and Agencies to eliminate duplication. In support, efforts in this project have been coordinated with the Department of War Directed Energy and Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology Community of Interest. This effort is executed via the Directed Energy Technology Maturation program within the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (JDETO). The Directed Energy Technology Maturation program enables High Energy Laser and High Power Microwave Technology maturation thru (1) Directed Energy system prototype and scaling initiatives (2) advanced technology development in high energy lasers and high power microwaves that support prototype-level integration, (3) proof of concept tech demonstrations in a laboratory or field environment with Joint-international participation, (4) advanced prototypes in support of demonstrating mission-driven lethality and survivability and (5) test and evaluation in a relevant field environment with Joint-international participation.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directed Energy Advanced Technology Development | 109.5 | — | — |
| Directed Energy Technology Maturation | — | 120.8 | 201.1 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This program is executed via Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE) Science and Technology and in alignment with the Department of War Directed Energy Roadmap, as well as other strategic guidance. The goal of this program is to support the Department’s initiatives in directed energy to build a sustainable and long-term advantage. This program funds advanced technology development in directed energy aimed at transitioning technology solutions for broadly defined military missions. These efforts include demonstrated performance pay-offs, increased capabilities, increased supportability, and increased affordability.

## Related program elements

- [0604924D8Z — High Energy Laser Advanced Component Development & Prototype](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604924D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0602890D8Z — High Energy Laser Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602890D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0601104A — University and Industry Research Centers](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601104A) (Army)
- [0603382N — Advanced Combat Systems Tech](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603382N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0603924D8Z (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0603924D8Z")`.

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