# Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) — Program Element 0605131OTE

**Program element:** 0605131OTE  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0460 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 6 — RDT&E Management Support  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605131OTE

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding falls 90% to a $11.0M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 883% (to $108.1M); the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 109.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 108.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 11.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 11.2 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 11.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 11.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 11.9 |

> 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 | 11.0 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 108.1 | +97.1 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 11.0 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 11.0 | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000311 | LFT&E | 109.6 | 108.1 | 11.0 | −90% |

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

### Project 000311 — LFT&E

In 2026, this Program Element consisted of four programs: (1) Live Fire Test and Evaluation Oversight, (2) Joint Live Fire (JLF), (3) Joint Aircraft Survivability Program (JASP), and (4) Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME). Beginning in 2027, JASP will transition to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, and JLF and JTCG/ME will transition to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. This Program Element will now solely support the Congressional statutory requirements for oversight of LFT&E. The primary objective of LFT&E is to assure that the vulnerability and survivability of DoW crew-carrying platforms and the lethality of our conventional munitions are known and acceptable before entering full-rate production. LFT&E encompasses realistic tests involving actual U.S. and foreign threat hardware or, if not available, acceptable surrogate threat hardware. The objective is to identify and correct design deficiencies early in the development process. A completed LFT&E program and test report is required before programs proceed beyond low-rate initial production (BLRIP). LFT&E also includes realistic M&S to examine survivability and lethality attributes not assessed during testing. This Program Element previously supported the DoW’s JLF program, initiated in 1984 under an Office of the Secretary of Defense charter to test fielded front-line combat aircraft and armor systems for their vulnerabilities as well as fielded weapons, both U.S. and foreign, for their lethality against their respective targets. Funding was used to support other initiatives related to quick reaction requests from theater as well as other areas of personnel survivability. Through its evolution, the JLF program also facilitates the development of adequate LFT&E tools, methods, and infrastructure required for credible development of both Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manuals (JMEM) weaponeering tools and LFT&E programs. JASP is the DoW’s focal point for joint Service enhancement of military aircraft non-nuclear survivability. The JASP is chartered by the Commander of the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology), and the Commander of the U.S.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Fire Test and Evaluation | 109.6 | 108.1 | 11.0 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

In 2026, this Program Element consisted of four programs: (1) Live Fire Test and Evaluation Oversight, (2) Joint Live Fire (JLF), (3) Joint Aircraft Survivability Program (JASP), and (4) Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME). Beginning in 2027, JASP will transition to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, and JLF and JTCG/ME will transition to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. This Program Element will now solely support the Congressional statutory requirements for oversight of LFT&E.

## Related program elements

- [0604100A — Analysis Of Alternatives](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604100A) (Army)
- [0202057C — Safety Program Management](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0202057C) (Defense-Wide)
- [0204571J — Joint Staff Analytical Support](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0204571J) (Defense-Wide)
- [0605516M — LONG RANGE FIRES](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605516M) (Navy)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0605131OTE (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0605131OTE")`.

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