International Cooperative Research & Development
The mission of this program is to establish, sustain, expand, and enhance mutually beneficial international partnerships through the implementation of air, space, and cyber international armament cooperation (IAC) agreements thereby supporting Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of War (DoW) goals and objectives. These International Agreements (IAs) will: significantly improve U.S. and allied conventional defense capabilities and capacity; accelerate the availability of defense systems; solve capability gaps; develop, acquire, upgrade, sustain, and/or support interoperable equipment with our allies; create cooperative acquisition, production, or logistic partnerships; promote mutual and equitable sharing of effort, cost, information, and risk; provide access to remote or operational test sites; leverage economies of scale; and promote interoperability with our allies. The DAF is party to more than 349 current air, space, and cyber bilateral and multilateral IAs that leverages $25,300,000.00+ from 46 different partner nations. IAs solve U.S. and allied military capability gaps, develop materiel solutions, harmonize requirements, and build interoperability with our international partners. This program element funds the DAF to identify, develop, process, negotiate, conclude, implement, and manage IAs in compliance with statutory provisions, legal authorities, fiscal constraints, technology transfer controls, intellectual property rights, third party transfer provisions, equitability criteria, industrial base factors, political-military interests, and the National Defense Strategy. Included in this budget are: air, space, and cyber IAC activities; specialized working groups; Air Senior National Representative (ASNR) activities; technology assessments; requirements development; Engineering and Scientist Exchange Program (ESEP); and Administrative and Professional Exchange Program (APEP). This program is in Budget Activity 6, RDT&E Management Support because this budget activity includes research, development, test and evaluation efforts and funds to sustain and/or modernize the installations or operations required for general research, development, test and evaluation.
FY2027 planned work Continue efforts started in FY 2026 to sustain and expand global partnerships and enhancing mutually beneficial partnerships between the United States and coalition partners and strategic partners to meet current and future global strategic challenges by ensuring optimum interoperability.
FY2026 plans — current year CY 2026 focus is on enhancing existing and building stronger relationships with Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and UK. Funds DAF efforts to establish IAC relationship with emerging partners IAW national security goals and objectives.
FY2027 planned work Identify, develop, process, negotiate, conclude, implement, and manage, new bilateral and multilateral IAC agreements that met the goals, objectives, and mission of the DAF and DoD in the air, space, and cyber domains.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Increase of $27K from FY 2026 will allow the Department of the Air Force to identify, develop, and negotiate more IAs in FY 2027.
FY2026 plans — current year FY 2026 is focused on identifying, developing, negotiating, and concluding over 90 bilateral and multilateral IAC agreements that met the goals, objectives, and mission of the DAF and DoW in the air, space, and cyber domains. Continue development and negotiations on IAs not concluded in 2025. New IAs were pursued IAW DAF, DoW, and NDS goals and objectives.
FY2027 planned work Continue program management and support of current and future ESEP and APEP personnel placements in foreign partner or DAF facilities for 2-year tours.
FY2026 plans — current year Provided program management and support of current and future ESEP and APEP personnel placements in foreign or DAF facilities.