# Rapid Sustainment Modernization Technologies — Program Element 0708051F

**Program element:** 0708051F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0708051F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force funding falls 40% to a $27.5M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators added 124% (to $61.6M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 48.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 45.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 27.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 26.4 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 26.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 27.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 28.0 |

> 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 | 27.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 27.5 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 27.5 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 61.6 | +34.1 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 648051 | Rapid Sustainment Modernization Technologies | 48.4 | 45.9 | 27.5 | −40% |

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

### Project 648051 — Rapid Sustainment Modernization Technologies

The Rapid Sustainment Modernization (RSM) program objective is to rapidly modernize sustainment practices, enhancing readiness and cutting costs by identifying, assessing, developing, validating, verifying, and deploying cutting-edge technologies across the sustainment enterprise. This program achieves this by proactively engaging stakeholders across the spectrum, from warfighters to depot and field maintenance teams, supply chains, and program offices, to pinpoint critical enterprise needs. In direct support of the Secretary of War direction to increase readiness across the Department of War, efforts within this PEC will be prioritized based on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), USAF Force Design, Agile Combat Employment (ACE), and the Defense Planning Guide (DPG). These efforts will support work and collaboration efforts across the Combat Readiness Directorate in PEs 78051F, 71212F, 72833F, 64706F, 65827F, 22834F, 52834F, 28031F, 41135F and 27521F to increase readiness across the Air Force enterprise. The program maintains flexibility to adapt to the rapidly evolving technology landscape, pivoting technical areas and solutions as requirements, warfighter needs, and resource environments change. Advanced Manufacturing Program Office (AMPO) leverages innovative technologies to create superior products, refine existing ones, and cultivate advanced production capabilities. This strengthens manufacturing quality and processes, providing warfighters with a distinct competitive advantage. The Advanced Manufacturing (AdvM) program develops additive and other advanced manufacturing capabilities to produce tools, jigs, fixtures, and aircraft components, thereby mitigating diminishing manufacturing sources, addressing material shortages, and accelerating part procurement lead times. Repair Additive Manufacturing (RAM) technologies enhance maintenance capabilities, minimize downtime, and boost operational efficiency. Furthermore, the program develops deployable AdvM and RAM capabilities for contested environments, enabling on-demand parts and tools at the point of need, along with on-site and aircraft-side repair capabilities. Automation and Robotics (A&R) efforts focus on hazardous environments, material handling, and repair, assembly, and test systems.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Sustainment Modernization - Advanced Manufacturing | 18.8 | 23.4 | 27.5 |
| Rapid Sustainment Modernization - Digital Architectures and Capabilities | 17.0 | 8.8 | 0.0 |

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

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Other / unspecified | 100% | 27.5 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

The Rapid Sustainment Modernization (RSM) program objective is to rapidly modernize sustainment practices, enhancing readiness and cutting costs by identifying, assessing, developing, validating, verifying, and deploying cutting-edge technologies across the sustainment enterprise. This program achieves this by proactively engaging stakeholders across the spectrum, from warfighters to depot and field maintenance teams, supply chains, and program offices, to pinpoint critical enterprise needs.

The RSO develops, tests, and deploys new technologies for implementation across the Air Force to improve readiness and reduce costs. New technologies are the key to meeting the challenges of aging weapon systems, increasing readiness, decreasing diminishing manufacturing sources and parts obsolescence, and will drive higher readiness and lower weapon system sustainment costs.

## Related program elements

- [0603564N — Ship Prel Design & Feasibility Studies](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603564N) (Navy)
- [0604288F — Survivable Airborne Operations Center](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604288F) (Air Force)
- [0603890C — BMD Enabling Programs](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603890C) (Defense-Wide)
- [0603680S — Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603680S) (Defense-Wide)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0708051F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0708051F")`.

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