# Technology Maturation Initiatives — Program Element 0604115C

**Program element:** 0604115C  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0400 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604115C

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding ramps 1094% to a $59.7M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 42% (to $84.7M); the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators cut 13% (to $51.7M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 2.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 5.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 59.7 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 71.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 76.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 82.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 92.9 |

> 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 | 59.7 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 84.7 | +25.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 59.7 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 51.7 | −8.0 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD98 | Directed Energy Demonstrator Development | 2.5 | 5.0 | 59.7 | +1094% |

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

### Project MD98 — Directed Energy Demonstrator Development

The Directed Energy Demonstrator Development (DEDD) project reduces technology risk and matures critical directed energy technologies to support the Missile Defense System. This project directly aligns with the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering efforts and provides the foundational data, components, and advancement required for connected non-kinetic weapon systems. The DEDD project is comprised of two focused efforts. - Non-Kinetic - Electronic Protection The non-kinetic effort is focused on demonstrating an accelerated directed energy kill chain suitable for ground, air, and space applications, directly supporting the Missile Defense Agency. The objective is to mature and integrate the technologies required to acquire, track, and defeat advanced missile threats in all phases-of-flight from all military domains. Analytical products and digital environments will enable rapid Concept of Operations (CONOPS) evolutions and Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) maturation in Wargames, Exercise, and other demonstration events. This project will mature next-generation components that enable lethal power levels within a package suitable for eventual weapon system integration. This work includes: - Kill Chain Demonstration and Lethality: This focuses on maturing the functional elements of the kill chain. It includes developing and testing high-performance tracking lasers, detectors, and algorithms to handover to kinetic and non-kinetic systems. As needed, this effort will execute lethality demonstrations using high-power, non-kinetic weapons. - Enabling SWaP: To ensure the kill chain components can be integrated onto Service platforms. This includes maturing ruggedized, lightweight subsystems (e.g beam directors, thermal management, and power systems) capable of handling the demands of a SWaP constrained environment. Success in this area is a prerequisite for demonstrating utility in new service platforms. The Electronic Protection effort addresses the critical need to ensure that Missile Defense System (MDS) assets, particularly advanced radars, can maintain performance and survivability in a modern electronic environment. This project will test and demonstrate advanced electronic protection techniques for MDS radars.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directed Energy Demonstrator Development | 2.5 | 5.0 | 59.7 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other / unspecified | 100% | 59.7 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Technology Maturation Initiatives (TMI) demonstrates the utility of non-kinetics for missile defense applications. This initiative advances non-kinetic science and technology for missile defense by investing in the following critical areas: - Directed energy kill chain acceleration - Increases MDA investment in Directed Energy Demonstrators and Critical Components required for kill chain closure. Projects include next-generation advancements in thermal management, electrical storage, power generation, optical sources, and effects assessments. - Electronic protection - Provides for testing and demonstration of advanced electronic protection with Missile Defense System radars.

The MDA will employ a flexible and adaptive range of FAR/Non-FAR-based contracting strategies to maximize benefits, leveraging industry partnerships, competitive procurements, Broad Agency Announcements, Small Business Innovative Research programs, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, University Affiliated Research Centers, and collaborations with Other Government Agencies. This approach will draw on Agency and Partner subject matter expertise to inform acquisition decisions, enabling rapid response to changing needs, adaptation to evolving requirements, and capitalization on emerging opportunities.

## Related program elements

- [0603180C — Advanced Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603180C) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604555D8Z — Operational Energy Prototyping](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604555D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604004F — Advanced Engine Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604004F) (Air Force)
- [1203155SF — Ground Moving Target Indicator](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203155SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604115C (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604115C")`.

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