# Operational Energy Prototyping — Program Element 0604555D8Z

**Program element:** 0604555D8Z  
**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/0604555D8Z

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding falls 18% to a $53.5M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 75% (to $93.5M); the Senate added 75% (to $93.5M); House appropriators added 18% (to $63.2M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 48.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 65.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 53.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 54.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 55.3 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 56.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 57.6 |

> 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 | 53.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 93.5 | +40.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 93.5 | +40.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 63.2 | +9.7 |

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

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 035 | Operational Energy Prototyping | 48.7 | 65.5 | 53.5 | −18% |

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

### Project 035 — Operational Energy Prototyping

The Operational Energy Prototyping Fund (OEPF) provides advanced energy solutions for decisive capabilities in the expeditionary environment, like proliferated drones and tactical AI, by accelerating power and energy technology transition to the warfighter. Through rapid, warfighter-centric prototyping, OEPF de-risks acquisition and enables data-driven investment. This proven model accelerates capability delivery by more than two years and has successfully transitioned over 80% of its projects to Service acquisition programs, Combatant Commands, industry, or other partners. In addition to core program activities, OEPF also executes projects responding to specific congressional interest items (CIIs). OEPF manages these initiatives, including efforts in field-based airborne power generation, forward aerial refueling point upgrades, and laser wireless power beaming, in full alignment with its proven model. OEPF manages CIIs with the same rigor as its core projects, applying its proven principles of warfighter-centric prototyping and data-driven evaluation. This ensures these investments successfully transition meaningful capabilities to the Joint Force.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operational Energy Prototyping | 48.7 | 54.3 | 53.5 |

> 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% | 53.5 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

The Operational Energy Prototyping Fund (OEPF) addresses joint operational energy needs and requirements that enhance warfighter lethality and survivability. Modern battlefield capabilities require ever-increasing amounts of power and energy to maintain advantage, including new investment in directed energy, electronic warfare, proliferated drones, energy sensing, and artificial intelligence at the tactical edge along with traditional operational energy investment in maneuver forces’ platforms and individual warfighters. The OEPF program provides a solutions pipeline for next-generation power and energy technologies, delivering them on warfighter-relevant timelines.

OEPF works with service-specific Programs Of Record (PORs) to ensure funded projects transition into acquisition programs. The ASW(EI&E) approach integrates across the entire joint operational energy community, ensuring Joint Forces are integrating warfighting lessons from current conflicts related to power and energy and have the energy needed to fight and win in contested environments. ASW(EI&E) collaborations include the service energy offices, service acquisition and requirements offices, Combatant Commands, DoW and National laboratories, industry, academia, and other DoW innovation programs. Each year, the Combatant Commands and the Services’ Program Executive Offices (PEO) propose projects which improve warfighter capability.

## Related program elements

- [0604601N — Mine Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604601N) (Navy)
- [0604115C — Technology Maturation Initiatives](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604115C) (Defense-Wide)
- [1160401BB — SOF Technology Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160401BB) (Defense-Wide)
- [1206410SF — Space Technology Development and Prototyping](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206410SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604555D8Z (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604555D8Z")`.

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