What project FI3 buys
This project funds high-priority, threat-based initiatives aimed at delivering operationally effective capabilities in the near- to mid-term. It encompasses accelerated materiel development and prototyping based on anticipated and emerging threats and opportunities, including Directed Energy; Long-Range Precision Fires; Air and Missile Defense; Cyber; Artificial Intelligence; Autonomy; Robotics; Signals Intelligence (SIGINT); Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS (C-UAS); and other high-priority emerging threat areas. The project expedites the delivery of resilient combat materiel capabilities to the Warfighter, supports the Army modernization strategy, and accelerates transition to Programs of Record. Activities include rapid prototyping and assessment of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS), and Non-Developmental Items (NDI) to reduce integration timelines. The effort may also include partnering with industry to identify operationally relevant solutions to high-priority problem sets, enabling rapid design iterations, modernization of existing systems, and agile, cross-cutting prototyping that supports Army and Joint capability requirements. Funds may also facilitate the acceleration of critical capabilities to counter urgent threats and may include acquiring specialized support or limited-quantity assets. Efforts incorporate digital engineering and model-based system design (MBSE) activities to reduce technical, schedule, and integration risks and ensure early synchronization with Programs of Record. Prototyping activities may involve rigorous software testing, payload integration, architecture development, autonomy-enabled behaviors, advanced sensing, human-machine interfaces, and safety-related tasks that mitigate operational risk across contested environments.
- Management Services
- Product Development
- Support
- Test and Evaluation
Project FI3 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 | 60.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 68.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 58.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 58.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 59.3 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 60.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 60.2 |
6 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. 2 of them describe FY2027 work in enough detail to have their own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
Develop, prototype, and integrate advanced technology solutions addressing operational gaps. Conduct operational user evaluations and field-based assessments of technologies in areas such as advanced sensing, ground and air autonomy, unmanned platforms, resilient communications architectures, contested-environment electronic warfare, and…
Read the FY2027 plan →Sustain enterprise support services including installation access, facilities coordination, IT and network services, cybersecurity, and software licensing. Maintain acquisition, legal, and program management support needed to execute prototyping, contracting actions, and transition activities. Provide administrative, financial…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work Funding supports contract close out procedures, transitioning SPAR prototypes, data, and technical documents to our designated transition partner.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease due to the program transitioning from prototype development and testing, to its conclusion and transition to a program of record.
FY2026 plans — current year The government will conduct tests of Selective Propagation APS Radar (SPAR) at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. These tests will verify that the prototype radar system meet all project requirements and specifications before it transitions to a program of record.
FY2025 accomplishments Fabricate and assemble the prototype radar system according to the design and engineering specifications. Test the prototype radar system to ensure it meets the project requirements and specifications.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decrease due to the completion of HMIF Increment 1.
FY2026 plans — current year Continues the development and fielding for Armored and Infantry Formations. HMIF is designed to enhance Soldiers' decision-making capabilities by leveraging machines to provide additional information. This is achieved through the integration of ground and air systems, enablers, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and a variety of payloads from existing programs of record or those in development and transitioning to programs of record. To ensure the successful issuance to the unit, several activities will be undertaken, including rigorous testing, software productization, payload integration, training package finalization, and other related tasks. These activities are essential to mitigate risks…
FY2025 accomplishments Human Machine Integrated Formation (HMIF) accelerates the fielding of a robotic formation in order to leverage machines to offload risk and provide Soldiers with additional information for decision making for Armored and Infantry Formations. HMIF formations will include ground and air systems and enablers to aid in the human decision-making process to find, fix and engage enemy targets. RCCTO HMIF prototype development supports existing and future robotic capabilities by mitigating risk associated with enabling capabilities such as the common architecture, communications and network capabilities and mitigation of safety risks hindering operational employment. In addition to ground…
FY2025 accomplishments Continuation of Hybrid Electric Vehicle prototyping efforts for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) to validate hybrid electric technologies by Soldiers in extended operational environments. JLTV prototypes will complete build, integration, and vendor testing.
FY2025 accomplishments Continues the Family of Bidirectional Tactical Inverter (FoBTI) efforts from FY 2024 to build and test full-scale operational prototypes with delivery to the government fourth quarter of FY 2025.