# Defensive Cyber Ops - Space — Program Element 1203040SF

**Program element:** 1203040SF  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force  
**Appropriation:** 3620F — RDT&E, Space Force  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203040SF

## Summary

U.S. Space Force funding ramps 391% to a $481.3M 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 funded it in full. MTSI leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 101.4 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 98.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 481.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 492.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 511.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 532.1 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 544.5 |

> 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 | 481.3 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 481.3 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 481.3 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 481.3 | +0.0 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 673070 | Defensive Cyber Ops - Space | 101.4 | 98.0 | 481.3 | +391% |

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

### Project 673070 — Defensive Cyber Ops - Space

The 6th Sustainment Squadron is developing, prototyping, deploying, sustaining and operating Defensive Cyber Operations - Space (DCO-S) (Project 673070) for Guardians across Combat Power, Enterprise Management and Information Technology, Space Domain Awareness, Launch, Position Navigation and Timing, Satellite Communications, Weather, and Science & Technology and Test & Evaluation. As a result, the Service will deter, neutralize, defeat and/or destroy counterspace threats, improve readiness and operational reach of existing force structure, integrate Allies, partners, and commercial space to USSF units which will result in resilient Infrastructure, equipment, and personnel. The Defensive Cyberspace Operations Space (DCO-S) program delivers advanced defensive cyber capabilities to safeguard United States Space Force (USSF) mission systems, including their computer systems, software applications, spacecraft and sensitive operational data against unauthorized access, corruption, or destruction. The program develops and deploys defensive cyberspace capabilities, network security, damage assessment and recovery, cyber threat detection and mitigation, and active response strategies to address evolving threats and changes in the cyber environment. The program is transitioning Space Vehicle Defense from demonstration and development to deployment. These objectives are achieved through research, development, testing, and acquisition in areas such as proactive defense, defensive counter cyberspace, cyberspace intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), command and control situational awareness, persistent network operations, decision support, recovery, and digital forensics. In addition, this program element supports the integration, testing and sustainment of classified efforts to enable advanced USSF cyberspace warfare operations. The program is managed by the 6th Sustainment Squadron (6 STS) under Mission Delta 6. The FY 2027 request increases significantly to more than double planned DCO-S deployments, including the added responsibility for mission system integration efforts, fully funds the Space Vehicle Defense project to pivot from development to deployment, and integration, testing and sustainment of classified efforts to enable advanced USSF cyberspace warfare operations.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** MTSI (41.0, 8.5%), Astrion (7.4, 1.6%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive Cyberspace Operations - Space (DCO-S) | 101.4 | 98.0 | 481.3 |

> 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 10% | 48.4 |
| Other / unspecified | 90% | 432.8 |

**Top named industry performers:** MTSI ($41.0M, 8.5%).

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

## Mission & acquisition strategy

The 6th Sustainment Squadron is developing, prototyping, deploying, sustaining and operating Defensive Cyber Operations - Space (DCO-S) (Project 673070) for Guardians across Combat Power, Enterprise Management and Information Technology, Space Domain Awareness, Launch, Position Navigation and Timing, Satellite Communications, Weather, and Science & Technology and Test & Evaluation. As a result, the Service will deter, neutralize, defeat and/or destroy counterspace threats, improve readiness and operational reach of existing force structure, integrate Allies, partners, and commercial space to USSF units which will result in resilient Infrastructure, equipment, and personnel.

The approved DCO-S acquisition strategy is committed to using a modular contracting strategy for fast, agile, and adaptable approaches to successfully develop and deploy DCO-S. Efforts implement a combined DEVSECOPS framework which incorporates methodologies, technologies, and tools to deeply embed security best practices into the modern development workflow and tool-chain. USSF plans to leverage new DCO-S prototyping techniques, previous Government investments in FFRDC efforts, Industry best practices and capability offerings, and Government labs as part of the DCO-S development activities.

## Related program elements

- [0604289M — Expeditionary Logistics](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604289M) (Navy)
- [0305022F — ISR Modernization & Automation Dvmt (IMAD)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305022F) (Air Force)
- [0101125F — Nuclear Weapons Modernization](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0101125F) (Air Force)
- [1203110SF — Satellite Control Network](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203110SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 1203040SF (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="1203040SF")`.

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