# Joint Smart Munitions Test and Evaluation — Program Element 0604604F

**Program element:** 0604604F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604604F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $3.6M in FY2027, 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. 96th Test Wing leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 3.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 3.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 3.6 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 3.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 3.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 3.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 4.0 |

> 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 | 3.6 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 3.6 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 3.6 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 3.6 | +0.0 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 653166 | Joint Smart Munitions Test and Evaluation | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | +3% |

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

### Project 653166 — Joint Smart Munitions Test and Evaluation

Project Chicken Little (PCL) continues providing superior rapid reaction signature exploitation capabilities for use on both the traditional and the asymmetrical battlefield. PCL delivers vital one-of-a-kind research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) expertise directly to the warfighter, capability developer, and allied/coalition forces. From its inception in 1985, PCL constantly advances the state-of-the-art for developmental smart munitions, seekers/sensors, and their platforms. PCL also focuses its capability against today's networked weapons, emerging weapon concepts, and assists development of innovative targeting technologies to be employed against a wide variety of vehicle targets, theater air defense units, and an extensive array of associated equipment. Combat systems and support equipment exhibit physical characteristics (i.e. signatures) and present certain vulnerabilities, which can be exploited by various targeting technologies leading to the elimination or incapacitation of the threat through the application of force (e.g. smart munitions or directed energy) or application of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) methods. PCL collects physical, functional, and signature attributes of real foreign threat systems and related equipment; this data feeds high-fidelity models used to predict detection, classification, vulnerability, and effectiveness performance for ISR sensor and weapon system design. PCL collects high resolution signature data using a variety of ground, air, and space-based sensors against both new and existing (obtained, sustained, and maintained to be signature representative) foreign targets; with and without the presence of camouflage, concealment, and deception materials; and operated using enemy tactics/Concept of Operations (CONOPS). The resulting highly reliable, realistic data directly support munitions/targeting development programs and helps mitigate overall acquisition risk. PCL serves as a major focal point for joint signature exploitation, collection, and dissemination within the DoD. PCL is a prime contributor in the time critical process to rapidly exploit, assess, and determine US and allied weapon/targeting performance against high value targets.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** 96th Test Wing (2.7, 74%), 46TS/TGBB (0.1, 3.3%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Chicken Little (PCL) | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 |

> 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 | 78% | 2.8 |
| Other / unspecified | 22% | 0.8 |

**Top named industry performers:** 96th Test Wing ($2.7M, 74%), 46TS/TGBB ($0.1M, 3.3%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Project Chicken Little (PCL) continues providing superior rapid reaction signature exploitation capabilities for use on both the traditional and the asymmetrical battlefield. PCL delivers vital one-of-a-kind research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) expertise directly to the warfighter, capability developer, and allied/coalition forces. From its inception in 1985, PCL constantly advances the state-of-the-art for developmental smart munitions, seekers/sensors, and their platforms.

Funds are executed organically in support of test and evaluation activities including studies, analyses, flight & ground tests, model building and simulation. Work is performed organically by the 96th Test Wing.

## Related program elements

- [0604445F — Wide Area Surveillance](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604445F) (Air Force)
- [0207697F — JFCOM Wargaming](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207697F) (Air Force)
- [0604940D8Z — Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604940D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604294D8Z — Trusted and Assured Microelectronics](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604294D8Z) (Defense-Wide)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604604F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604604F")`.

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