# SOF Technology Development — Program Element 1160401BB

**Program element:** 1160401BB  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0400 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160401BB

## Summary

Defense-Wide funding falls 44% to a $50.9M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak), sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 9.8% (to $55.9M); the Senate added 20% (to $60.9M); House appropriators added 94% (to $98.5M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 56.2 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 91.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 50.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 51.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 52.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 53.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 55.1 |

> 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 | 50.9 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 55.9 | +5.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 60.9 | +10.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 98.5 | +47.6 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S100 | SOF Technology Development | 56.2 | 91.2 | 50.9 | −44% |

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

### Project S100 — SOF Technology Development

This project conducts studies and develops laboratory prototypes for applied research and advanced technology developments and leverages other organizations' technology projects. Small incremental co-investments with the Department of War (DoW), other government agencies, and commercial organizations allow the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to influence the schedule and direction of technology developments, emerging technologies, and capabilities for Special Operations Forces (SOF), with significant economies of investment. This USSOCOM investment strategy is used to link technology opportunities with capability deficiencies, capability objectives, technology thrust areas, and technology objectives through key stakeholder relationships with the DoW and government technology developers. Technology development needs in these areas may be advertised to industry and government research and development agencies via agency announcements and calls for white papers.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOF Technology Development | 42.0 | 40.7 | 39.2 |
| SOF Brain Health | 2.0 | 4.2 | 7.1 |
| Classified Project | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 |

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This Program Element enables the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to conduct studies and develop laboratory prototypes for applied research and advanced technology development, as well as leverage other organizations' technology projects. Applying small incremental amounts of investments to the Department of War (DoW), other government agencies, and commercial organizations allows the USSOCOM to influence the direction of technology development or the schedule against which it is being pursued, and to acquire disruptive solutions and emerging technologies for Special Operations Forces (SOF).

## Related program elements

- [0604555D8Z — Operational Energy Prototyping](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604555D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0305601K — Mission Partner Environment](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305601K) (Defense-Wide)
- [0401318F — CV-22 Rdt&e POST Production](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401318F) (Air Force)
- [0605241A — Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Development](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605241A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 1160401BB (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="1160401BB")`.

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