# NC3 Integration, Assessment, and Improvement — Program Element 0606018F

**Program element:** 0606018F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0606018F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $36.5M in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak). In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 21.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 39.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 36.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 37.5 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 37.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 30.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 31.5 |

> 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 | 36.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 36.5 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 36.5 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 36.5 | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 674877 | NC3 Integration, Assessment, and Improvement | 21.3 | 39.6 | 36.5 | −8% |

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

### Project 674877 — NC3 Integration, Assessment, and Improvement

Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) is critical to our Nation's nuclear deterrence. Nuclear Deterrence Operations (NDO) is an Air Force Core Function. Within this core function, Nuclear Command and Control (NC2) is the exercise of authority and direction by the President, as Commander in Chief, through established command lines, over nuclear weapon operations of military forces. The President's authority and direction are exercised through the Nuclear Command and Control System (NCCS). The NCCS is the designated combination of flexible and enduring elements including facilities, equipment, communications, procedures, personnel, and the structure in which these elements are integrated, all of which are essential for planning, directing, and controlling nuclear weapon operations. These functions are accomplished through the NC3 system of systems. The NC3 system of systems provides connectivity from the President or Secretary of Defense through the National Military Command System (NMCS) to nuclear execution forces worldwide. To enhance NC3 mission success, the Air Force (AF) formalized AF NC3 elements as a specified AF Weapon System (WS), AN/USQ-225. Activities funded in this Program integrate legacy systems, ongoing NC3 programs, and future capabilities for the overall AF NC3 WS. The AF Nuclear Weapon Center NC3 Integration Directorate (AFNWC/NC) ensures current, new, and future NC3 capabilities are fully integrated as part of the Air Force's overall effort to sustain, modernize, and recapitalize the nuclear enterprise. AFNWC/NC is responsible for integrating NC3 materiel management across Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to include authority and responsibility for weapon system architecture, weapon system configuration management, weapon system state-of-health reporting, risk management, supply chain management, overall integration, system test, verification, and certification. AFNWC/NC is responsible for analyzing, defining, building, and sustaining current and future AF NC3 WS system of systems configuration baselines, and marshaling necessary Supporting Centers in AFMC and other units/agencies in the Air Force and the Department of War (DoW) to support and/or accomplish these tasks.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC3 Integration, Assessment, and Improvement | 21.3 | 39.6 | 36.5 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other / unspecified | 100% | 36.5 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) is critical to our Nation's nuclear deterrence. Nuclear Deterrence Operations (NDO) is an Air Force Core Function. Within this core function, Nuclear Command and Control (NC2) is the exercise of authority and direction by the President, as Commander in Chief, through established command lines, over nuclear weapon operations of military forces. The President's authority and direction are exercised through the Nuclear Command and Control System (NCCS).

The NC3 Integration acquisition strategy applies WS acquisition lifecycle principles across the system of systems AF NC3 WS. Key elements include configuration management, change management, supply chain supportability and risk management, maintenance data collection and reporting, risk management, experimentation, integration, test, verification, and certification, as well as modeling, simulation, visualization, gap and trade-space analyses for capabilities in sustainment, development, and for future capabilities.

## Related program elements

- [0303131F — Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303131F) (Air Force)
- [0605229F — HH-60W](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605229F) (Air Force)
- [0604601A — Infantry Support Weapons](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604601A) (Army)
- [1206857SF — AF Funded ORSSats](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206857SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0606018F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0606018F")`.

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