# Department of Defense (DoD) Unmanned Systems Common Development — Program Element 0604400D8Z

**Program element:** 0604400D8Z  
**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/0604400D8Z

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding falls 83% to a $2.0M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), 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. USAF/OSW leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 9.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 12.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 2.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 1.9 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 1.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 2.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 2.2 |

> 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 | 2.0 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 2.0 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 2.0 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 2.0 | +0.0 |

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

## Projects (3)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 440 | Unmanned Systems Development | 1.3 | 10.7 | 0.7 | −93% |
| 442 | Unmanned Systems Integration | 6.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | +4% |
| 443 | Unmanned Systems Integration Support | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | +4% |

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

### Project 440 — Unmanned Systems Development

FY 2027 request for Unmanned Systems Development supports the Department’s unmanned system development goals of making available commercial unmanned systems and components for DoW procurement and operations that are safe, secure, interoperable, and effective on the modern battlefield. This effort includes: (1) identifying and mitigating unmanned system related cyber and operations security threats, (2) developing standards, concepts, and guidance that support the Department’s procurement and operation of unmanned systems, and (3) facilitating the acquisition of modern commercially developed unmanned systems for DoW use that are sourced from trusted supply chains and are cyber-secure.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** USAF/OSW (0.7, 100%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanned Systems Development | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 |

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

### Project 442 — Unmanned Systems Integration

FY 2027 funding for Unmanned Systems Integration includes $693 thousand of discretionary funds which supports the Department’s unmanned system integration goals of facilitating access and integration of unmanned systems into military and civilian environments in a safe and effective manner. This effort includes: (1) the safe and effective integration of UXS within civil and military environments and (2) the development of standards, concepts, and guidance to support this integration. In the near-term, this project is focused on the development of concepts and prototype systems that support the DoW UXS integration mission and includes the execution of various evaluation events that integrate military UXS within air, ground, and maritime environments. This effort also includes the development and integration of current airspace access and integration system initiatives to include UAS Drone Zone and UAS Traffic Management (UTM). The long-term goal of this project is to establish the ability for DoW UAS and UGV systems to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) safely, effectively, and routinely within civil and military environments. The results from this effort will be shared with federal partners, to include the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in order to help shape the development of UAS airspace access and integration related concepts, technology, and rulemaking.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanned Systems Integration | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 |

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

### Project 443 — Unmanned Systems Integration Support

FY 2027 request for Unmanned Systems Integration Support supports the Department’s unmanned system integration goals of establishing and overseeing coordination, agreements, guidance, and standards that enable the DoW’s operation of unmanned systems in military and civilian environments. This effort includes leading multiple Joint and Interagency forums focused on identifying, prioritizing, and executing tasks aimed at overcoming challenges associated with the successful development, fielding, and operation of DoW unmanned systems.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanned Systems Integration Support | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 37% | 0.7 |
| Other / unspecified | 63% | 1.3 |

**Top named industry performers:** USAF/OSW ($0.7M, 37%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

FY 2027 request for Department of War (DoW) Unmanned Systems Common Development includes $2,024 thousands of discretionary and $34,627 thousands of mandatory for a total of $36.651 thousand. The mandatory funds will provide additional support for Unmanned Systems Development, Integration, and Integration Support missions, allowing OUSW(A&S) to implement the Acquisition Transformation Strategy for unmanned systems across the department. Funds will also support the blue list marketplace that supports industries in development of UAS systems and warfighter procurement of secure systems.

N/A

## Related program elements

- [0605161D8Z — Nuclear Matters Management Support](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605161D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0606771D8Z — Cyber Resiliency & Cybersecurity Policy](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0606771D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604028N — Small/Medium Unmanned Undersea Vehicles](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604028N) (Navy)
- [0105519N — (U)Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Spt](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0105519N) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604400D8Z (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604400D8Z")`.

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