# Project 3278 — MQ-25 Air System (AS)

**Program element:** 0605414N — Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA)  
**Project:** 3278  
**Component:** U.S. Navy  
**Appropriation:** 1319 — RDT&E, Navy  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605414N/3278  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605414N

## Summary

Project 3278 — MQ-25 Air System (AS) requests $0.0M in FY2027, down 100% on FY2026. 5 R-2A activities decompose the request.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 236.8 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 240.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0605414N; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 3278 buys

The scope of the program includes, but is not limited to, system level requirements identification, allocation of requirements to segments and components, design, development, integration, fabrication, test, training, and support activities to provide the MQ-25 capabilities. To provide these capabilities, MQ-25 will transition technologies from other programs and adapt them into the carrier environment. MQ-25 will deliver the necessary air vehicles, command, control, connectivity, shipboard and land-based launch and recovery control systems, associated support systems, interfaces, and upgrades to other Navy systems (as required) to meet the required capabilities.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Support; Test and Evaluation; Management Services.

## Activities (R-2A) — 5

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Segment Product Development | 99.7 | 105.8 | 0.0 | −100% | — |
| Lead Systems Integration (LSI) Product Development | 70.2 | 53.2 | 0.0 | −100% | — |
| Management | 7.2 | 7.0 | 0.0 | −100% | — |
| Test and Evaluation | 56.0 | 70.7 | 0.0 | −100% | — |
| Support | 3.7 | 3.4 | 0.0 | −100% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Air Segment Product Development

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to funding being transferred to new PE 0207255N starting in FY27.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue Air Vehicle development, design, and software integration. EDM3 will deliver to the test program to support ground and flight testing. Continue development of logistics products source data. Continue development of MD-5 integration software. Continue development and redesign of obsolete critical flight system avionics to establish a production baseline. Continue efforts to support IOC and beyond such as advanced training, tactics, and techniques, obsolescence, sustainment, and studies related to operational employment learned since EMD contract award.

### Lead Systems Integration (LSI) Product Development

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to funding being transferred to new PE 0207255N starting in FY27.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue Air System and UMCS development, design, and integration. Continue government led efforts that support science and technology investments and roadmap refinement. Maintain Cyber Security efforts to achieve Authority to Operate (ATO) certifications for the System Test and Integration Lab (STIL), Lab Revitalization Program and test facilities. Continue operation of the STIL in support of government led hardware and software development and test activities. Continue STIL activities in support of MQ-25 and UMCS software/hardware integration and correction of deficiencies.

### Management

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to funding being transferred to new PE 0207255N starting in FY27.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue oversight, coordination, and management of MQ-25 acquisition, system interface, and integration activities. Oversee contract activities, to include execution of the EMD contract, travel, and training. Conduct engineering and logistics management tasks. Maintain security and program office environments.

### Test and Evaluation

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to funding being transferred to new PE 0207255N starting in FY27.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue to support development, implementation, and sustainment of test facilities, range, and lab test requirements. Support updates to the Test and Evaluation Master Plan, support engineering events, and program management activities. Support activities in Modeling and Simulation development to include validation and verification. Continue stand up of the integrated test facilities in support of the EMD contract, to include test facility installation, integration, procurement of support equipment, and accreditation activities. Provide Government engineering to support Contractor testing and ground/flight testing of EDM3. This includes Air Vehicle Initial Checkout (AVICO) to verify functionality of Air Vehicle Systems; Freeplay and Rigidity (FP&R) to verify flight control surfaces; Ground Vibration Test (GVT) & Structural Mode Interaction (SMI) to verify structural response; MQ-25 and GCS Integrated Checkout (MAGIC) to evaluate the full integration of UMCS, MQ-25, and associated equipment prior to flight operations. This also includes flight test operations for guidance and control, Joint Precision Aircraft Landing System (JPALS) integration, electromagnetic environment effects, and aerial refueling.

### Support

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Decrease from FY26 to FY27 is due to funding being transferred to new PE 0207255N starting in FY27.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continue to organically mature the Logistics Elements including the Logistics Product Database (LPD), Aviation Logistics Environment (ALE), Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM), Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) publications, Common and Peculiar Support equipment (C/PSE), and continue to build a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to share air system data and resources in an efficient configuration managed environment. Evaluate and track maintainability and obsolescence issues including their impact on supportability. Continue to train IOT&E Squadron Fleet operators and maintainers and training Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Services Command (NATEC) services in support of post IOT&E activities ("train the trainer" events). Continue development of logistics products associated with the GCS.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605414N.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0605414N project 3278 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0605414N")`.

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