# SAOC

**R-2A activity** of project 656507 — Survivable Airborne Operations Center  
**Program element:** 0604288F — Survivable Airborne Operations Center  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 5  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604288F/656507/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604288F

## Summary

This activity requests $2.22B in FY2027, 100% of project 656507, up 23% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue executing Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) design activities to include system engineering, trade studies, system/subsystem engineering analysis, preliminary design and critical design for the aircraft, mission system, training systems, and supporting systems - Continue Mission System EMD development, modernization, and delivery of required Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3), Command, Control, and Communications (C3), Cryptographic, Open Architecture / Open Mission Systems (OA/OMS), software, workstations, mission system infrastructure, and other mission system capabilities to ensure systems are sustainable and available to integrate into the EMD design and overall SAOC Weapon System - Continue executing EMD design activities to include system engineering and system/subsystem design reviews, manufacturing readiness and quality assurance as part of the Preliminary Design Review Process. - Continue to refine and implement the infrastructure, tools, and training necessary for the SAOC Integrated Digital Environment and program execution, enabling the SAOC Program Office to continue to execute and support the development and lifecycle sustainment of the SAOC Weapon System - Continue T&E execution activities including manning, procurement of test equipment, training, and facility modifications; continue early functional testing at the component and Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) levels; continue development of the T&E SIL - Continue executing Air Vehicle EMD design activities to include systems engineering, trade studies, system/subsystem engineering analysis, risk reduction, prototyping, integration, survivability mandates, test readiness, preliminary design, and initial critical design for the aircraft. Continue to execute Commercial Derivative Aircraft (CDA) Pre Ops Support activities to ensure green aircraft availability to support continued EMD characterization, modification, test, certification, and delivery objectives - Continue executing Training System EMD design activities to include training system development, training curriculum development, system/subsystem training analysis, preliminary design and initial critical design of the SAOC training system for operations and maintenance. Continue coordination activities with appropriate stakeholders to support SAOC fielding and bed-down requirements. Continue coordination activities with appropriate stakeholders to support the design of SAOC facilities at the main operating base (MOB) - Continue Product Support Business Case Analysis (PS-BCA) to support Product Support strategies to achieve SAOC capabilities and affordability - Continue follow on Supply Chain Risk Management Analysis and Illumination

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding increased due to the expansion of system engineering and design activities, ramp-up of Test and Evaluation (T&E) preparation activities including manning, procurement of test equipment, training, and facility modifications

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue executing Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) design activities to include system engineering, trade studies, system/subsystem engineering analysis and preliminary design for the aircraft, mission system, training systems, and supporting systems - Continue supporting development, modernization, and delivery of required Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3), Command, Control, and Communications (C3), Cryptographic, OA/OMS, and other mission system capabilities to ensure systems are sustainable and available to integrate into the EMD design and overall SAOC Weapon System (to include FAB-T CPT) - Continue to refine and implement the infrastructure, tools, and training necessary for the SAOC Integrated Digital Environment and program execution, enabling the SAOC Program Office to continue to execute and support the development and lifecycle sustainment of the SAOC Weapon System - Continue Test and Evaluation (T&E) execution planning and preparation activities including manning, procurement of test equipment, training, and facility modifications; continue early functional testing at the component and Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) levels; continue development of the T&E System Integration Laboratory (SIL) - Reach and maintain program office manning required to support the SAOC system development - Continue coordination activities with appropriate stakeholders to ensure that SAOC requirements are properly accounted for, and integrated, within facilities currently under development - Continue Product Support Business Case Analysis (PS-BCA) to support Product Support strategies to achieve SAOC capabilities and affordability - Continue follow on Supply Chain Risk Management Analysis and Illumination

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 1,801.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 2,218.9 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0604288F project 656507 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

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