# Project D615 — Rotary Wing Aviation

**Program element:** 1160403BB — Aviation Systems  
**Project:** D615  
**Component:** Defense-Wide  
**Appropriation:** 0400 — RDT&E, Defense-Wide  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160403BB/D615  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160403BB

## Summary

Project D615 — Rotary Wing Aviation requests $54.8M in FY2027, 25% of the $216.8M requested for program element 1160403BB, down 21% on FY2026. 6 R-2A activities decompose the request. PM TAPO is the largest named R-3 performer at $37.0M, 68% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| 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 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 1160403BB; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## 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.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Support; Test and Evaluation; Management Services.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| PM TAPO | 37.0 | 68% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 6

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) | 7.3 | 25.2 | 19.2 | −24% | [a2](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160403BB/D615/a2) |
| Classified Program(s) | 21.9 | 14.3 | 17.8 | +25% | — |
| MH-60M Modifications and Upgrades, Program Number 827 | 12.8 | 8.7 | 5.8 | −33% | — |
| Mission Processor Upgrade (MPU), Program Number 846 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.0 | +4% | — |
| MH-47 Modifications and Upgrades, Program Number 830 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | +2% | — |
| A/MH-6M Block R Upgrade, Program Number 828 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.1 | +4% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)

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…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160403BB/D615/a2

### Classified Program(s)

**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.

### MH-60M Modifications and Upgrades, Program Number 827

**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.

### Mission Processor Upgrade (MPU), Program Number 846

**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.

### MH-47 Modifications and Upgrades, Program Number 830

**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.

### A/MH-6M Block R Upgrade, Program Number 828

**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.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/1160403BB.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 1160403BB project D615 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="1160403BB")`.

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