# Nuclear Matters, System Development & Demonstration — Program Element 0604161D8Z

**Program element:** 0604161D8Z  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0400 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604161D8Z

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding ramps 17% to a $14.9M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 13.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 12.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 14.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 14.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 14.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 14.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 15.0 |

> 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 | 14.9 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 14.9 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 14.9 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 14.9 | +0.0 |

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

## Projects (2)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 042 | National Technical Nuclear Forensics | 7.9 | 8.0 | 9.1 | +14% |
| 163 | Nuclear and Conventional Physical Security | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.8 | +21% |

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

### Project 042 — National Technical Nuclear Forensics

Per National Security Presidential Memorandum 35, the Department of War (DoW) leads the United States Government (USG) post-detonation National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) capability and directs the U.S. to maintain and advance NTNF capabilities leading to the attribution of the source of an actual or attempted nuclear attack in all environments. Per the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, greater investment in NTNF tools is required to ensure they remain responsive to the threat. Per DoDD S-2060.04, OUSW(A&S) is the DoW office responsible for DoW’s NTNF capabilities. Per the FY 2022 – FY 2026 Nuclear Forensics Analysis System Plan, accelerated timelines are required for the NTNF capability to collect, analyze, and evaluate both air and ground post-nuclear detonation samples. This Program Element is the only DoW Research, Development, Test and Evaluation program focused on System Development & Demonstration for NTNF capabilities. Collecting, analyzing, and evaluating post-detonation prompt signals and nuclear debris is critical to ensure the USG can identify the source of nuclear material and holding those involved or supporting an attack accountable is critical to our national defense and security. Swift and accurate forensic and attribution capabilities are vital to supporting the President and Secretary of Defense in developing an appropriate, and timely, national response to a nuclear event and to prevent future attacks. An effective NTNF capability ensures potential adversaries, or those who support them, know that they will be held accountable if they use proxies or other non-traditional delivery (e.g., false-flag operations) of nuclear weapons against the U.S., U.S. interests, or allies. Both internal and independent studies indicate that continued improvement to the USG's NTNF capabilities is needed to sustain a credible deterrent against an attempted or actual nuclear attack. Additionally, this program sustains perishable U.S. technical expertise at the operational DoW laboratories required to respond to a post-detonation NTNF event. The DoW's laboratory capability in this area is limited by capacity and technical expertise.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTNF Capability Development | 7.9 | 8.0 | 9.1 |

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

### Project 163 — Nuclear and Conventional Physical Security

The Physical Security Enterprise and Analysis Program (PSEAP) pursues the development of nuclear and conventional physical security materiel solutions in response to the stated needs and requirements of the Combatant Commands and Military Services. This program leverages commonalities in physical security requirements in order to closely balance and integrate the needs of users. The PSEAP is responsible for avoiding duplication of effort, ensuring systems integration, and promoting interoperability and sustainability. The materiel solutions either (a) lead to a Program of Record, (b) become technology insertions into existing programs; or (c) advance to being a certified Commercial/Government off-the-shelf product.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Security System Capability Development | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.8 |

> 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% | 14.9 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Nuclear Matters, System Development & Demonstration addresses the need to defend and deter against weapons of mass destruction threats and to safeguard personnel, prevent unauthorized access to equipment, installations, material, and documents, and to safeguard the foregoing against espionage, sabotage, damage, and theft. This program oversees advanced engineering development and rapid fielding throughout the Department of War (DoW) for an integrated and systemic approach to develop material solutions. The Physical Security Enterprise and Analysis Program (PSEAP) avoids duplication of effort, ensures systems integration, and promotes interoperability and sustainability.

## Related program elements

- [0603161D8Z — Nuclear Matters, Advanced Component Development & Prototypes](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603161D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604501N — Advanced Above Water Sensors](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604501N) (Navy)
- [0605797D8Z — Maintaining Technology Advantage](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605797D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0606942N — Assessments & Evals Cyber Vulnerabilities](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0606942N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604161D8Z (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604161D8Z")`.

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