What project L39 buys
This project supports the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) of critical capabilities for cargo aerial delivery for identified theater distribution and services capability gaps, improve unit sustainability, and increase combat effectiveness. Project supports the demonstration of engineering development models and Type Classification of cargo parachutes, airdrop containers, sling load equipment, and other aerial delivery equipment to improve safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of airborne operations. This project develops critical enablers that support the Army in executing future movement and maneuver operations and distributed sustainment support. This project also ensures Army Expeditionary Forces are capable of rapid deployment by providing aerial delivery initiatives and reduces sustainment requirements, related Combat Support/Combat Service Support (CS/CSS) demands in lift, combat zone footprint, and costs for logistical support. Funding supports modernization of cargo aerial delivery portfolio, enabling contested logistics aerial delivery in anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) by dramatically increasing range of aerial delivery vehicles and allowing them to be employed in contested environments. Additionally, funding supports developing initial prototypes to enable refinement of operational requirements and early user feedback to support future sustainment and operational movement concepts.
- Management Services
- Product Development
- Support
- Test and Evaluation
Project L39 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 8.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 17.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 15.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 17.1 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 17.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 17.1 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 9.2 |
3 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 1 of them describes FY2027 work in enough detail to have its own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
Finish development phase and conduct validation testing of JPADS V4 and Long Range JPADS 2K.
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work Complete RRDAS-Heavy DT and Initiate RRDAS-Heavy OT.
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY27 increase due to completion of DT and initiation of OT.
FY2026 plans — current year RRDAS - Light MSC TC/FMR and incorporate engineering change proposal in 2QFY26. RRDAS - Heavy initiate developmental testing.
FY2025 accomplishments Develop RRDAS Heavy design to reach Critical Design Review. Initiate Design Validation Testing. Begin logistics support development for RRDAS Heavy.
FY2027 planned work Complete DT/OT for SADE-SL (Low-Cost Nets, and Low Cost Sing Sets)
FY2026 to FY2027 change Decrease due to completing DT and OT earlier in FY27.
FY2026 plans — current year Initiate DT/OT for sling sets, payload stabilization device. Complete user surveys for enhanced speedbag. Initiate testing for Cargo Nets. Develop and fabricate protypes for Low-Cost Nets.
FY2025 accomplishments Begin development of the 4 SADE-SL capabilities. This includes getting the vendors under contract and maturing the designs of the Payload Stabilization, Low-Cost Slings, and Low-Cost Cargo Nets, and Enhanced Speed Bag. Additionally, the TMs for these capabilities will be initiated for new capabilities and revised for mature technologies.
Named performers on project L39
Performers named in the R-3 exhibit under this project. Share is of the project's whole FY2027 R-3 total — the same denominator the program-element split uses, so the two read on one scale and will not sum to 100% when unnamed or government work is in the mix. Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations.