# Contested Space Modeling for Capabilities, Analysis, and Verification Environment (CAVE)

**R-2A activity** of project 641234 — USSPACECOM Rapid Prototype Demonstration  
**Program element:** 1206415F — U.S. Space Command Research and Development Support  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 4  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206415F/641234/a2  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206415F

## Summary

This activity requests $12.0M in FY2027, 35% of project 641234, up 1.7% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** Expand capabilities in: - Baseline software, tools, models, and data at the mission- and campaign-level to inform senior leaders evolving inquiries and decisions on space investments, requirements, acquisition, operational COAs, operational risk, and future planning; Baseline front-end campaign-level and mission-level M&S software and tools supporting sufficiently accurate and very timely exploratory analytics to optimize operational planning, wargaming, and concepts; Leverage model-based analysis of current and future space-based effects to effect technology demonstrations and rapid operational prototyping opportunities; Capitalize on Industry Innovations to Develop future technical capabilities via Accelerator/Incubator collaboration, derived from risk-reduction modeling of space effects; In coordination with USSF/S9, continue assessing and integrating enterprise-level model data for MW, ISR, and SATCOM capabilities into campaign-level modeling; Support cost benefit analyses of space Control activities with quantifiable impacts to warfighter operations.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding increased due to increase in requirements.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Baseline development of software and tools to model contested space - Baseline software, tools, models, and data at the mission- and campaign-level to inform senior leaders evolving inquiries and decisions on space investments, requirements, acquisition, operational COAs, operational risk, and future planning; Baseline front-end campaign-level and mission-level M&S software and tools supporting sufficiently accurate and very timely exploratory analytics to optimize operational planning, wargaming, and concepts; Leverage model-based analysis of current and future space-based effects to effect technology demonstrations and rapid operational prototyping opportunities; Capitalize on Industry Innovations to Develop future technical capabilities via Accelerator/Incubator collaboration, derived from risk-reduction modeling of space effects; In coordination with USSF/S9, continue assessing and integrating enterprise-level model data for MW, ISR, and SATCOM capabilities into campaign-level modeling; Support cost benefit analyses of space Control activities with quantifiable impacts to warfighter operations.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 6.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 11.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 12.0 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 641234

- Space Operations Research, Development, and Experimentation — FY2027 8.0
- Classified Space Threat-Based Studies and Analysis — FY2027 6.9
- Space Operations Application Prototyping and Integration — FY2027 4.6
- Lighthouse — FY2027 2.8
- Commercial Capability Platform Integration into USSPACECOM Operations — FY2027 0.3
- PNT Operational Assessments — FY2027 0.3

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 1206415F project 641234 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

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