# Project 642001 — Next Gen Sensors Tech Maturation/Risk Reduction

**Program element:** 0604257F — Advanced Technology and Sensors  
**Project:** 642001  
**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/0604257F/642001  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604257F

## Summary

Project 642001 — Next Gen Sensors Tech Maturation/Risk Reduction requests $38.8M in FY2027, 100% of the $38.8M requested for program element 0604257F, up 30% on FY2026. 2 R-2A activities decompose the request.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 8.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 29.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 38.8 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 10.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 8.7 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 8.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 8.6 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0604257F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 642001 buys

The NGS-RR project is a platform-agile suite of sensor and software development and demonstration technologies designed to maximize flexibility and capability for an ever-changing scale of ISR missions. NGS-RR furthers maturation and risk reduction of select technologies initiated under I&TS and other low TRL maturation efforts culminating in operational prototype demonstrations. The power behind the NGS-RR project is an open architecture system design that enables rapid third-party software and line replaceable unit insertion/replacement. NGS-RR implements foundational sensor development technologies including the MEDUSA flight demonstration platform, and the AURORA software environment and repository. NGS-RR incorporates all of the metrics learned through the flight demonstrations into the Whole-system Analysis & Simulation Portal (WASP), a web-based digital engineering catalog and analysis tool launching on JWICS in FY26. In FY 2027, NGS-RR will continue flight testing maturing ATRs and fully integrated podded payloads, integration of maturation of NAVAIR algorithms, and other maritime automated target recognition algorithms and support collaborative teaming demonstrations. Demonstrations include, but are not limited to, capabilities developed with funding in the I&TS project, Airborne SIGINT Enterprise PE (0304260F), and Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (ARS) PE (0305296F). Additionally, Resolute Sentry transitioned from the AF Research Laboratory to NGS-RR for technical maturation and integration into the first operational platform in FY 2026. Resolute Sentry is an AI-driven, multi-platform, sense-making tool for predictive analytics and orchestration at the tactical edge. It provides real-time, high-quality detection, identification and tracking to close kill chains and predict adversary activity. The effort delivers a platform-agnostic, edge-hostable software solution to ingest and fuse multi-INT data across multiple platforms at the tactical edge. The data will then be used to generate actionable information on the highly contested environment for Blue Force commanders and national decision making. Resolute Sentry will execute in ATS from FY 2026 to FY 2027, then will transition to ARS PE (0305206F) in FY 2028.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Management Services.

## Activities (R-2A) — 2

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolute Sentry | 0.0 | 17.9 | 23.8 | +33% | [a1](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604257F/642001/a1) |
| Next Gen Sensors Tech Maturation/Risk Reduction | 8.1 | 12.0 | 15.0 | +25% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604257F/642001/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Resolute Sentry

- Will continue DevSecOps and Digital Engineering environment. - Will continue operating government software integration lab. - Will continue update software design materials and technical data package for transition partners. - Will develop and deliver Minimum Viable Capability Release (MVCR).

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604257F/642001/a1

### Next Gen Sensors Tech Maturation/Risk Reduction

- Will demonstrate inoperability with Sensing for Asset Protection using Integrated Electronic Network Technology (SAPIENT), a "FIVE EYES" and NATO sense-making standard. - Will complete a hybrid transition of Birdbox with AFRL. - Will demonstrate completed integration of initial NAVAIR ATRs into Birdbox. - Will demonstrate Collaborative…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604257F/642001/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604257F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0604257F project 642001 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604257F")`.

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