# AF Test Investments — Program Element 0604759F

**Program element:** 0604759F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 6 — RDT&E Management Support  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604759F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force funding ramps 49% to a $235.4M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House cut 6.4% (to $220.4M); the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators cut 9.8% (to $212.3M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 66.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 158.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 235.4 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 239.2 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 228.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 232.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 240.0 |

> 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 | 235.4 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 220.4 | −15.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 235.4 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 212.3 | −23.1 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 664597 | AF Test Investments | 66.0 | 158.0 | 235.4 | +49% |

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

### Project 664597 — AF Test Investments

This Program provides planning, improvements, and modernization for test capabilities within Air Force Test Center (AFTC) Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB) organizations. This Program annually resources 10-30 unique, time-phased projects across the Center, changing from year to year as projects complete and others are started. Funding varies year to year based on project phases (planning, acquisition, installation, etc.), requiring significant differences in funding from one year to the next. As such, the changes in category funding from year-to-year does not necessarily indicate program growth, but rather a planned phasing of I&M efforts across the following sites: - 96 TW (Eglin AFB, FL): Non-nuclear weapons, C5ISR systems, target systems, spectral signatures, and cyber capabilities (Avionics Cyber Range - ACR). - 412 TW (Edwards AFB, CA): Aircraft, aerospace vehicles, UAVs, cruise missiles, parachute systems, and cargo handling. - AEDC (Arnold AFB, TN): Aero propulsion, flight systems, space and missile programs, providing simulated environments for testing satellites, sensors, space vehicles, and large-scale models. - 704 TG (Holloman AFB, NM): (Aligned under AEDC) Flight testing and support for advanced avionics, navigation systems, and aircraft/missile performance. Also coordinates USAF tests at White Sands. The 704TG OL-AC (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH) supports aircraft survivability, landing gear, tires and brakes testing, and component qualification. The Improvement and Modernization (I&M) program is managed as follows: - Requirements defined through the AF Test Investment Planning & Programming (TIPP) Process. - Projects are reviewed through the Tri-Service Reliance Process to avoid duplication with other branches. - Projects are documented in the Technology Development Acquisition Program (TDAP) database. - Test capabilities at AFTC locations enable testing through all phases of weapon system acquisition, from system concept exploration through component and full-scale integrated weapon system test to operational test. Funding is allocated to the following five key mission areas: 1. T&E Range and Test Asset Modernization: Testing long-range, high-speed weapons in complex environments, handling big data, and multi-domain testing with realistic threats. 2.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| T&E Range and Test Asset Modernization | 21.3 | 37.4 | 17.6 |
| Hypersonics | 33.7 | 110.8 | 100.2 |
| Directed Energy/Electronic Combat | 3.5 | 8.7 | 24.2 |
| Cyberspace and Avionics Cyber | 7.4 | 1.1 | 93.4 |
| Autonomy | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |

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

## Related program elements

- [0203345D8Z — Defense Operations Security Initiative (DOSI)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0203345D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0207147F — Collaborative Combat Aircraft](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207147F) (Air Force)
- [0208059JCY — CYBERCOM Activities](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0208059JCY) (Defense-Wide)
- [0601102A — Defense Research Sciences](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601102A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604759F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604759F")`.

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