What the FY2027 request buys
Verbatim from the R-2A exhibit for project 3312 of PE 0605853N. This is the budget justification's own description of work that has not happened yet — the one thing no other level of the budget carries.
In FY27, the BMC4I team will continue its mission to enhance Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) interoperability and capabilities within coalition maritime forces. The team will focus on defining Target Architecture 4 (TA4). Efforts will include identifying and addressing interoperability and capability gaps through data analysis from Formidable Shield 27 (FS27), Pacific Dragon 26 (PD26), and other coalition exercises. BMC4I will provide updated Information Exchange Requirements (IER) to support Modeling and Simulation (M&S), Coalition Distributed Engineering Plant (CDEP) exercises, and Test Planning and Execution (TPEX) at-sea events. The team will also expand its detailed analysis of Link 16 message implementations to ensure proper tactical data exchange across all member nations. Collaboration with the Interoperability and Common Tactical Picture (IaCTP) project will continue focusing on refining the IAMD maturity model and assessing Common Tactical Picture (CTP) support of joint coalition operations. The M&S group will model and analyze TA5 concepts, providing insights into the efficacy of future IAMD architectures. They will continue developing mission models to evaluate the operational impact of proposed solutions and support cost avoidance by reducing reliance on live testing. M&S will ensure coalition partners maintain access to simulation tools and will expand their efforts to include advanced synthetic environments for testing emerging technologies. These simulations will inform the design of future at-sea demonstrations and validate proposed solutions to complex IAMD challenges. The CDEP team will assess interoperability of joint air, land, and maritime assets during Annual Test Events (ATEs) and provide technical support for hardware-in-the-loop testing. CDEP will collaborate with BMC4I to address gaps identified in FS27 and PD26, focusing on improving information exchanges and reducing detectability by adversaries. The team will also explore experimental systems and pathways to integrate advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, into coalition operations. The Open Architecture group will continue advocating for Force Level Operational Architecture Technical Standard (FLOATS) as a NATO standard and supporting its integration into U.S. Navy and allied programs to ensure advanced interoperability and decisive advantage. The group will also continue validation of the FLOATS data model through an M&S implementation begun in FY26. The TPEX group will prepare for and execute At Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 27 (ASD/FS27), focusing on live-fire IAMD events and allied interoperability assessments. These exercises will include advanced sensor-effector pairings, live tracking events, and a combination of live and simulated engagements. TPEX will leverage data from prior events to refine planning and execution, ensuring alignment with coalition objectives. The group will also support the development of new IAMD targets and the development of innovative testing methodologies to address emerging threats. An effort to present vehicles flying hypersonic velocity trajectories for detection and tracking by the joint maritime force in collaboration with the Multiservice Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed program is developing with an objective to be conducted during ASD/FS 27. The Operational Requirements group will continue providing operator perspectives to inform engineering and testing activities. Their collaboration with the Naval Surface & Mine Warfare Development Command (NSMWDC) and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) will ensure that warfighter needs are integrated into technical solutions. The group will also work closely with coalition partners to align tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) with evolving IAMD capabilities.
Slight decrease reflects a reduction in capability and analysis efforts.
FY2026: the year under way
Prior-year accomplishments and current-year plans from the same exhibit. Context for the FY2027 plan, not a series — an activity partitions its project exactly in the request year, but can under-cover it in earlier years.
The BMC4I team will continue collaborating with the Systems Engineering Team (SET) and MTMD working groups to enhance Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) interoperability and capabilities within coalition maritime forces. Efforts will focus on identifying and addressing interoperability and capability gaps using data from test events, expert analyses, and coalition reports. The team will provide Information Exchange Requirements (IER) to support modeling and simulation (M&S), distributed engineering exercises, and at-sea or hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing. Coordination will extend to open architecture initiatives, force-level function development, and integration of warfighter tactics to draft Target Architecture 4 (TA4) objectives aligned with the MTMD Forum's IAMD vision. Additionally, the team will conduct detailed analyses of Link 16 message implementations across member nations, assess the Common Tactical Picture (CTP), and develop an IAMD maturity model to track capability progression. The M&S group will analyze target architectures, refine IERs, and ensure coalition partners have access to simulation tools. They will model future architectures, support at-sea demonstrations, and develop mission models to evaluate operational impacts of proposed solutions. These efforts aim to reduce costs by minimizing live testing while advancing IAMD capabilities. The Coalition Distributed Engineering Plant (CDEP) will assess joint air and land asset interoperability during annual test events and provide technical support for hardware-in-the-loop testing. CDEP will collaborate with BMC4I to address coalition capability gaps, conduct experimental tests, and recommend improvements to information exchanges while reducing detectability by adversaries. The Open Architecture group will conduct modeling and simulation tests to validate the Force Level Open Architecture Technical Standard (FLOATS) and advocate for its adoption as a NATO standard. They will continue developing FLOATS data models, and plan for future iterations. The group will support FLOATS integration into U.S. Navy and allied programs, develop operational test designs, and prepare for platform implementation. The Test Planning and Execution (TPEX) group will support at-sea test events, including Pacific Dragon 26 (PD26) in FY26. This exercise, endorsed by INDOPACOM and PACFLT, will involve live-fire IAMD events with coalition ships, aircraft, and sensors, focusing on allied interoperability. The U.S. will also test new sensor-effector pairings in a live operational environment. Data analysis from these demonstrations will inform future exercises, such as Formidable Shield 27 and Pacific Dragon 28, by identifying capability gaps and potential solutions. The Operational Requirements group will provide operator perspectives to inform engineering and testing activities. Their collaboration with the Naval Surface & Mine Warfare Development Command (SMWDC) and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) will ensure alignment between operational needs and technical solutions, fostering stronger allied integration. International experimentation will continue to support Maritime Theater Missile Defense activities, including COMPACFLT's Pacific Dragon and COMNAVEUR's Formidable Shield exercises. These efforts will advance coalition IAMD capabilities, improve interoperability, and address emerging challenges in joint maritime operations.
Three years, and no five-year plan
An R-2A activity publishes the prior year, the current year and the budget year. The FYDP outyears exist at project and program-element level and are deliberately absent here rather than inferred. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 11.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 10.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 10.4 |
This activity is 45% of project 3312's FY2027 request and 8.3% of PE 0605853N's. In the request year the activities under a project sum to it exactly; in the current year they under-cover it in about 9% of cases, so an activity's delta can legitimately exceed its parent's and the two must not be compared row to row.
2 activities in project 3312
Every R-2A line of this project, largest FY2027 request first. Linked where the activity has enough of its own narrative to carry a page; the rest are shown in full on the project page.