# Joint C5 Capability Development, Integration, and Interoperability Assessments — Program Element 0604826J

**Program element:** 0604826J  
**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/0604826J

## Summary

Defense-Wide requests $28.3M 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 added 14% (to $32.3M). Joint Fires leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 28.9 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 25.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 28.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 29.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 31.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 33.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 33.6 |

> 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 | 28.3 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 28.3 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 28.3 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 32.3 | +4.0 |

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

## Projects (4)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 002 | C5 Capability Development | 16.2 | 14.5 | 14.8 | +2% |
| 001 | C5 Assessments and Analyses | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.9 | +6% |
| 003 | Joint Fires C2 Interoperability | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | +10% |
| 004 | Joint Fires Qualification Course (JAFQC) | — | — | 1.5 | new start |

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

### Project 002 — C5 Capability Development

Project 002 Capability Development. This project functions as the Department of War requirements lead for the joint command and control (C2), cyber, and mission partner environment. It focuses on creating common architectures and data standards to improve data access and interoperability. C5 development enables warfighter access to data sources and improves data interoperability by establishing common command and control (C2) data and standards.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C5 Capability Development | 16.2 | 14.5 | 14.8 |

> 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 001 — C5 Assessments and Analyses

Project 001 C5 Assessments and Analyses. This project leads analysis and assessment of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) for the Department of War. The findings from this project guide resource allocation and operational decisions to improve warfighter effectiveness and interoperability, with all efforts directly aligned with top priorities of the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, the Secretary of War Analysis Plans, and Combatant Command’s CJADC2 priorities and Tier I exercises and experiment activities.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C5 Assessments and Analyses | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.9 |

> 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 003 — Joint Fires C2 Interoperability

Project 003 Joint Fires C2 Interoperability. This project leads interoperability efforts for joint and coalition forces, with a focus on fire support, combat identification, and friendly force tracking at both the operational and tactical levels. It executes high-level action plans in these areas and conducts accreditation visits to U.S. and partner nation training centers to ensure fire support training complies with established standards.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Fires C2 Interoperability | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 |

> 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 004 — Joint Fires Qualification Course (JAFQC)

Project 004 Joint Fires Qualification Course (JAFQC). The program leads the efforts in the development, stand-up and execution for the JAFQ-C as the Office of Collateral Responsibility for an initiative in the Office of the Under Secretary of War (Personnel and Readiness). JAFQC will deliver qualified specialist for operational level, all-domain joint fires to address the Joint Warfighter Concept issues for Combatant Commands, Joint Task Forces and Components supporting Joint Fires Elements.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** Joint Fires (1.5, 100%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Advanced Fires Qualification Course (JAFQC) | — | — | 1.5 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 5.3% | 1.5 |
| Other / unspecified | 95% | 26.8 |

**Top named industry performers:** Joint Fires ($1.5M, 5.3%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Joint C5 Capability Development, Integration, and Interoperability Assessments program leads Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Cyber (C5) assessments, analyses, capability development, and Joint Fires Command and Control (C2) interoperability efforts required to achieve an effective, integrated, and interoperable combined joint force. Efforts include C5 requirements determination, architectures development and integration, data and standards, integration, Allies and coalition integration and interoperability assessments, and Joint Fires C2 interoperability coordinating firepower compatibility.

Biannual review of Command, Control, Communications, Computers/Cyber resources include an examination of the current and future Budget/Spend Plan, Lines of Effort, Acquisition Strategy and current Execution.

## Related program elements

- [0602026E — Effects](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602026E) (Defense-Wide)
- [0604756N — Ship Self Def (Engage: Hard Kill)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604756N) (Navy)
- [0603261N — Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603261N) (Navy)
- [0901226F — M & S Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0901226F) (Air Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604826J (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604826J")`.

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