# Defensive CYBER Tool Development — Program Element 0605041A

**Program element:** 0605041A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605041A

## Summary

U.S. Army requests $3.5M 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. CECOM leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 4.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 3.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 3.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 3.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 3.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 3.6 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 3.6 |

> 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 | 3.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 3.5 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 3.5 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 3.5 | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XU3 | Tactical DCO-I | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | −3% |

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

### Project XU3 — Tactical DCO-I

TDI is a software only program that pre-configures DCO applications to allow local and remote Cyber defenders the ability to conduct cyberspace surveillance and maneuver against an adversary traversing within the tactical network. The TDI capability includes: 1) Mission Protection: Ability to automate deployment of DCO tools to protect the virtual server environment of the Command Post Computing Environment. 2) Discovery/Counter-Infiltration: Ability to auto detect multiple virtual cyber threats and facilitate the mitigation/denial of adversarial actions. 3) Cyberspace Support/Readiness: Allow global and regional cyberspace defenders to assist units with countering advanced persistent threats. TDI follows a five-year, Information Technology (IT) Box construct to deliver capability over time, based on approved requirements. In IT Box (FY 2023-2027), TDI will develop Capability Releases (CR) (CR 1 - CR 12) to implement TDI software change activities and updates to provide value to Brigades to ASCCs. CR 1 collated and aggregated TDI data from various echelons and presented it into rolled-up status dashboards reflecting various roles and responsibilities. CR 2 integrated Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response and with Big Data Platform to initiate alignment with the Army's tactical data fabric efforts. CR 3 and CR 4 leveraged Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning models generated from BDP and implemented it at the tactical edge. CR 5 and CR 6 supported capabilities and technologies to address emerging cyber threats and techniques, tactics, and procedures. FY 2027 funding in the amount of $3.519 million provides for the software enhancements and maintenance/patching of the TDI software to ensure continued operability and security posture.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** CECOM (1.7, 47%), CACI; CECOM (0.9, 24%), CACI (0.7, 19%), DITCO; ILSC (0.3, 9.8%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Engineering | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Systems Test and Evaluation | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Training Development | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Systems Engineering/Management | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.9 |

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

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 100% | 3.5 |

**Top named industry performers:** CECOM ($1.7M, 47%), CACI; CECOM ($0.9M, 24%), CACI ($0.7M, 19%), DITCO; ILSC ($0.3M, 9.8%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

TDI is a software only program that pre-configures DCO applications to allow local and remote Cyber defenders the ability to conduct cyberspace surveillance and maneuver against an adversary traversing within the tactical network. The TDI capability includes: 1) Mission Protection: Ability to automate deployment of DCO tools to protect the virtual server environment of the Command Post Computing Environment. 2) Discovery/Counter-Infiltration: Ability to auto detect multiple virtual cyber threats and facilitate the mitigation/denial of adversarial actions.

The Milestone Decision Authority, approved the TDI Materiel Development Decision on 13 April 2018, designating Tactical DCO Infrastructure as an Acquisition Category (ACAT) III program. In July 2019, the MDA approved an execution strategy based on a tailored defense unique software intensive acquisition approach and designated the Full Deployment Decision as the entry point into the acquisition life cycle. The FDD was approved on 30 September 2019. On 23 November 2021, the MDA re-designated TDI an ACAT IV program based on cost and low risk and complexity, and delegation MDA to the Project Manager (PM) Mission Command.

## Related program elements

- [0401318F — CV-22 Rdt&e POST Production](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401318F) (Air Force)
- [0602213A — C3I Applied Cyber](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602213A) (Army)
- [0605013M — Marine Corps IT Dev/Mod](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605013M) (Navy)
- [0203728A — Joint Automated Deep Operation Coordination System (JADOCS)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0203728A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0605041A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0605041A")`.

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