# DE Prototyping — Program Element 0604032F

**Program element:** 0604032F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604032F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $0.0M in FY2027.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 1.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 640200 | DE Prototyping | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — |

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

### Project 640200 — DE Prototyping

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Architecture and Integration Directorate Directed Energy Prototyping Program develops, acquires and evaluates prototype high energy laser, high power microwave and/or other electromagnetic radiation or particle beam technologies as a future integral component of Air Force missions. The Directed Energy Prototyping Program bridges the gap between lab based technology demonstration under a controlled environment, and demonstration of a system in realistic environments with the intent of establishing successful acquisition, and operation or operational capability implementation. This prototyping effort enables the ability to integrate the directed energy prototype systems with other operational systems required for the mission (e.g. radar, command and control, etc.), conduct test and evaluation activities, and mature emerging directed energy technology systems based on prototyping activities to enable rapid fielding to the warfighter. The Directed Energy Prototyping Program allows acquisition program managers (capability developers) and warfighters (capability recipients and end users) to prototype, integrate, evaluate, and demonstrate candidate weapon technologies and assess them in an operational environment with the intent of iteratively maturing directed energy technologies to a production representative design. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program's funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In Prior Year 2023, 1.046M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in CY 2024 1.023M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directed Energy Capabilities | 1.3 | 0.0 | — |

> 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

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Architecture and Integration Directorate Directed Energy Prototyping Program develops, acquires and evaluates prototype high energy laser, high power microwave and/or other electromagnetic radiation or particle beam technologies as a future integral component of Air Force missions. The Directed Energy Prototyping Program bridges the gap between lab based technology demonstration under a controlled environment, and demonstration of a system in realistic environments with the intent of establishing successful acquisition, and operation or operational capability implementation.

During FY 2020, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Architecture and Integration Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio conducted a source selection evaluating eight (8) ground-based Counter unmanned Aerial Systems for prototype development. In Fourth Quarter FY 2020, three (3) vendors were selected for award using Other Transaction Authority based on a best value determination with Technical being the most important factor. During FY 2021, these three (3) prototypes were selected based on operational capability/suitability assessment supporting the Airbase defense mission. In FY 2022, a high energy laser system was transferred into the program from AFRL/RS 0604858F.

## Related program elements

- [0603331D8Z — Future Generation Wireless Technologies](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603331D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0207522F — Tech Maturation & Risk Reduct](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207522F) (Air Force)
- [0604010F — Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604010F) (Air Force)
- [0603915C — Ballistic Missile Defense Targets](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603915C) (Defense-Wide)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604032F (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604032F")`.

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