What the FY2027 request buys
Verbatim from the R-2A exhibit for project AX3 of PE 0604115A. This is the budget justification's own description of work that has not happened yet — the one thing no other level of the budget carries.
This effort will support four critical initiatives in EW and C-UAS: 1. Multi-Mode Direct Fire Systems to Counter sUAS Threats: Will focus on the continued maturation, integration, and operational testing of a prototype system that integrates the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) with a MK19 grenade launcher and a '3-in-1' 40mm airburst munition. These activities will advance the development of scalable, affordable targeting capabilities to address the growing threat of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). By closing this critical capability gap, the Army will enhance its ability to protect maneuver forces and ensure mission success in contested environments. 2. Integrated Counter-sUAS Systems for Maneuver and Soldier Echelons: Will focus on the integration, maturation, and operational demonstration of advanced counter-sUAS systems designed to enhance capabilities for maneuver formations and dismounted forces. These systems will incorporate innovative component technologies and lessons learned from previous exercises to ensure adaptability and effectiveness in addressing emerging threats. By advancing these integrated solutions, the Army will reduce risk and strengthen operational capabilities in contested environments, supporting key priorities in critical areas of responsibility. 3. Low-Cost Electronic Warfare Systems for Attritable and Expendable Payloads: Will prototype the integration of a family of low-cost EW systems leveraging commercial hardware, algorithms, and techniques. Further, the funding supports relevant testing and range time to demonstrate operational utility of the family of prototype solutions. These systems will reduce payload costs while ensuring adaptability to rapidly evolving operational environments. This capability is critical for enabling multiple combatant command operations. 4. C-C5ISRT prototypes for Evolving Threats: Will accelerate the prototype integration and maturation of advanced c-C5ISRT capabilities supporting multiple combatant commands. These systems will pace the evolving threats across strategic to tactical echelons and is critical for enabling operations.
FY 2027 funding increase to enable the integration and maturation of prototypes, experimentation, and operational demonstration of cutting-edge capabilities that directly enhance the Army's ability to operate effectively in high-threat environments. The requested funding will support the four critical initiatives described in the FY27 base plans.
FY2026: the year under way
Prior-year accomplishments and current-year plans from the same exhibit. Context for the FY2027 plan, not a series — an activity partitions its project exactly in the request year, but can under-cover it in earlier years.
Evaluated key components, architectures and systems for EW scaling from small form factor applications for platform based applications. Commonality (such as hardware, algorithms, and techniques) across the family of systems were analyzed and developed that provides the ability to adapt to rapidly evolving operational environments. Conducted a preliminary design review, integrated a proximity sensor and power into a munition fuze. Performed software and hardware updates to fire control devices, conducted fuze and fire control benchtop and ballistic engineering tests.
Three years, and no five-year plan
An R-2A activity publishes the prior year, the current year and the budget year. The FYDP outyears exist at project and program-element level and are deliberately absent here rather than inferred. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 22.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 61.1 |
This activity is 19% of project AX3's FY2027 request and 19% of PE 0604115A's. In the request year the activities under a project sum to it exactly; in the current year they under-cover it in about 9% of cases, so an activity's delta can legitimately exceed its parent's and the two must not be compared row to row.
28 activities in project AX3
Every R-2A line of this project, largest FY2027 request first. Linked where the activity has enough of its own narrative to carry a page; the rest are shown in full on the program-element page.