What project D615 buys
This project provides for the development, rapid prototyping, demonstration, and integration of current and maturing technologies for SO-p rotary wing aviation and training requirements. This project provides next generation mobility to allow SO-p helicopters to operate in denied environments. Rotary wing aircraft supported by this project include currently fielded: MH-60M; MH-47G; A/MH-6; and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). The currently fielded aircraft provide aviation support to SOF in worldwide contingency operations and low-intensity conflicts. These aircraft must be capable of rapidly deploying, penetrating hostile areas undetected, and operations at extended ranges under adverse weather conditions to infiltrate, provide logistics for, reinforce, and extract SOF. The anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) threat is characterized by an extensive and sophisticated ground-based air defense system and an upgraded air-to-air capability targeted against helicopters. The Mission Processor Upgrade (MPU) program provides non-recurring engineering, systems engineering/testing, and future aircraft architecture studies that support replacement and upgrade of the current mission and video processors for all Army Special Operations Aviation (ARSOA) rotary wing aircraft. Airborne Mission Networking (AMN) focuses on technology development of platform software and hardware systems with capabilities to enable aircraft to effectively adapt and overcome the challenges of a highly contested and congested Radio Frequency (RF) environment.
- Product Development
- Support
- Test and Evaluation
- Management Services
Project D615 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 65.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 69.4 |
| FY2027 | Request | 54.8 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 66.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 98.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 118.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 123.9 |
6 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 1 of them describes FY2027 work in enough detail to have its own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
Continues FLRAA SO-p MEP engineering, integration, and demonstration necessary to support advanced avionics, advanced mission equipment, RFCM, TF/TA Sensor, EOIR sensor, and into the Army baseline design through digital integration with Digital Backbone. Completes software development to support SO-p MOSA and MBSE. Delivers and…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work Details provided under separate cover.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Details for increase of $3.513 million provided under separate cover.
FY2026 plans — current year Details provided under separate cover.
FY2025 accomplishments Details provided under separate cover.
FY2027 planned work Continues Payload Restoration efforts and other technologies to improve safety, decrease operational costs and improve weapons systems / integration of enhanced munitions.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Decrease of $2.847 million due to Air Launched Effects budget moving into a new program budget line 0201RWUPGR/ Rotary Wing Upgrades.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue Payload Restoration efforts, launched effects integration, and other technologies to improve safety and decrease operational costs to ASE, weapons systems improvements and munitions.
FY2025 accomplishments Continue Payload Restoration efforts and other technologies to improve safety and decrease operational costs to ASE, weapons systems improvements and munitions. Continues launched effects integration.
FY2027 planned work Continues avionics, communications upgrades and cybersecurity efforts in support of the next generation cockpit modernization roadmap; includes precision timing devices in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environment, and enhanced utilization of information on threat, route, weather, terrain, and friendly forces. Continues development of software and hardware to rapidly incorporate advanced waveforms, advanced communications, and ensure interoperability with ground forces and multi-domain operations.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Increase of $0.184 million supports avionics and communications upgrades and cybersecurity efforts in support of the next generation cockpit modernization roadmap as well as rapid incorporation of advanced waveforms, advanced communications, and networking hardware onto ARSOA aircraft.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue avionics, communications upgrades and cybersecurity efforts in support of the next generation cockpit modernization roadmap; includes precision timing devices in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environment, and enhanced utilization of information on threat, route, weather, terrain, and friendly forces. Continue development of software and hardware to rapidly incorporate advanced waveforms, advanced communications, and ensure interoperability with ground forces in multi-domain operations.
FY2025 accomplishments Continue avionics, communications upgrades and cybersecurity efforts in support of the next generation cockpit modernization roadmap; includes precision timing devices in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environment, and enhanced utilization of information on threat, route, weather, terrain, and friendly forces. Continues development of software and hardware to rapidly incorporate advanced waveforms, advanced communications, and ensure interoperability with ground forces and multi-domain operations.
FY2027 planned work Continues developing new technologies, weight reduction efforts, and performance improvements; this includes modifications to Aircraft Survivability Equipment and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats and enhanced aircraft self-protection integration with MH-47G subsystems, such as the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS). Incorporates performance enhancing and weight reduction technologies targeting increased payloads, improved fuel economy and expanded airspeed, range, and environmental operating envelopes to include maritime environments.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Increase of $0.073 million supports development of new technologies, weight reduction efforts, and performance improvements.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue developing new technologies, weight reduction efforts, and performance improvements; this includes modifications to Aircraft Survivability Equipment and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats and enhanced aircraft self-protection integration with MH-47G subsystems, such as CAAS. Incorporate performance enhancing and weight reduction technologies targeting increased payloads, improved fuel economy and expanded airspeed, range, and environmental operating envelopes to include maritime environments.
FY2025 accomplishments Continue developing new technologies, weight reduction efforts, and performance improvements; this includes modifications to Aircraft Survivability Equipment and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats and enhanced aircraft self-protection integration with MH-47G subsystems, such as CAAS. Incorporates performance enhancing and weight reduction technologies targeting increased payloads, improved fuel economy and expanded airspeed, range, and environmental operating envelopes to include maritime environments.
FY2027 planned work Continues software updates to incorporate communications data upgrades and crypto modernization for enhanced situational awareness as well as additional software applications. Continues improved main rotor performance testing, completes improved infrared illuminator testing and continues lightweight engine doors testing.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Increase of $0.114 million supports the added cost of materials and labor to design, build, test and field small changes to the platform.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue software updates to incorporate communications data upgrades and crypto modernization for enhanced situational awareness as well as additional software applications. Begin improved main rotor performance testing, complete improved infrared illuminator testing and continue lightweight engine doors testing.
FY2025 accomplishments Continue software updates to incorporate communications data upgrades and crypto modernization for enhanced situational awareness as well as additional software applications. Begin qualification assessment for improved main rotor performance, begins improved infrared illuminator testing, and begins lightweight engine doors testing.
Named performers on project D615
Performers named in the R-3 exhibit under this project. Share is of the project's whole FY2027 R-3 total — the same denominator the program-element split uses, so the two read on one scale and will not sum to 100% when unnamed or government work is in the mix. Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations.