What the FY2027 request buys
Verbatim from the R-2A exhibit for project 911 of PE 0604294D8Z. 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.
• Fabrication, test, and evaluation of radiation hardened devices and GaN materials. • Demonstrate device performance for transition. • Qualification of radiation hardened foundry processes.
The decrease of $78.840 million between FY 2026 and FY 2027 is due to priority realignment for DoW critical technologies.
FY2025–FY2026: what came before
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.
• Development of radiation hardened by design (RHBD) techniques in state-of-the-art (SOTA) technologies with validated radiation aware process design kits (PDKs) and radiation hardened cell libraries. • Transition developed radiation hardened technologies into space and strategic programs. • Characterize, develop, and demonstrate space and strategic radiation hard microelectronics technology in support of DoW programs. • Develop State-of-the-art RF GaN materials and devices. Develop co-packaged optical chiplets and multi-chip packages offering high-bandwidth data transfer capabilities. Develop high-voltage Power SiC electronics and high-temperature peripherals for unique DoW applications. • Rapid prototyping of tactical transceivers and processing systems leveraging GaN, for applications in communications, electronic warfare, and radar.
Planned activities are as follows: • Continue to mature multiple MRL-7 state-of-the-art RF GaN foundries offering open access to millimeter wave device design and advanced interconnect services. • Continue to mature MRL-6 multiple co-packaged optical chiplets and multi-chip packages offering high-bandwidth data transfer capabilities. • Continue to mature manufacturing readiness level (MRL)-6 advanced semiconductor material production and baseline for insertion into multiple millimeter wave foundries. • Continue workforce development program for radio frequency (RF), power, and photonics. • Continue development of next generation RF Gallium Nitride (GaN) power technologies to increase RF power efficiency and dramatically improve thermal efficiency and management, decreasing the power load on DoD platforms. • Continue development of next generation RF GaN prototypes with improved performance at an affordable cost for drop in Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) in existing systems potentially without major architectural and structural redesign. Leverage commercial developments in next generation RF GaN power technologies to adapt for DoD applications. • Continue development of radiation hardened by design (RHBD) techniques in state-of-the-art (SOTA) technologies with validated radiation aware process design kits (PDKs) and radiation hardened cell libraries • Transition developed radiation hardened technologies into space and strategic programs. Initiate effort to transition emerging memory architectures for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, benefiting existing Programs of Record and emerging DoD electronics systems. • Develop emerging memory architectures for future DoD edge applications for AI, with more severe power constraints as AI models grow in size and the need for rapid response means always-on is required. • Continued characterization, development, and demonstration of space and strategic radiation hard microelectronics technology in support of DoD modernization efforts. These radiation hardened investments fund projects in the following rad hard technology areas: radiation hardened by process (RHBP) RHBD to support space and strategic application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) requirements, standalone radiation hardened components for cross-service common parts needs, as well as lab modernization in support independent validation and verification of rad hard technology.
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) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 125.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 187.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 108.5 |
This activity is 100% of project 911's FY2027 request and 69% of PE 0604294D8Z'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.
1 activity in project 911
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 project page.