What the FY2027 request buys
Verbatim from the R-2A exhibit for project 649493 of PE 1206458SF. This is the budget justification's own description of work that has not happened yet — the one thing no other level of the budget carries.
Continue: - Operational experimentation and modeling/simulation activities to advance next-generation resilient network enterprise management and control capabilities, establish scalability to DoW traffic loads, and optimize traffic flow algorithms across the hybrid DoW-commercial SATCOM architecture. ‒ Acquisition of commercial SATCOM services for use in experimentation and assessment of new capabilities. ‒ Development of trusted network device engineering units to support software- and hardware-in-the-loop experimentation with related prototyping and acquisition programs. Includes procurement of space- rated flight units. ‒ Early adopter tests and integration with next-generation terrestrial data transport investments. ‒ Next milestone experiment dynamic trust factors to inform ongoing and future programs of record. - Compatibility testing of existing and new user equipment with future narrowband architectures. Commence: - Evaluation of 5G Non-terrestrial Networks (NTN) user equipment under DoW user requirements to include latency, capacity, and security. - Compatibility testing of existing and new user equipment for 5G Non-terrestrial Networks (NTN), as well as other frequencies - Prototype integration of commercial 5G Non-terrestrial Networks (NTN) capabilities into DoW information systems. - Efforts to seamlessly transition prototype systems into Department of Army, Navy, Air Force SATCOM procurements. - Analysis of new experiments for the full cohort of force designs including mission services for multi-domain sensing, Positioning Navigation and Timing (PNT) including security framework for Modular Open SaTnav Architecture, and space control within the hybrid space network. - Prototyping future Ultra High Frequency (UHF) capabilities including space and ground segments and user equipment modifications, including: --Procurement of long-lead parts for UHF communication payloads. --Procurement of long-lead parts for a space vehicle suitable for Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). --Systems engineering design reviews including Systems Requirements Review (SRR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the software defined radio and antenna communications payloads. --Systems engineering design reviews including Systems Requirements Review (SRR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the satellite vehicle system and components. --Testing of current UHF SATCOM user hardware in ground tests under the constraints of the newly designed system. Complete: ‒ Prototyping variable trust engine extending DoW zero trust principles across the internetwork to dynamically provide improved availability and security. ‒ Development and test of network service orchestrator based on commercial products to quantify and improve security and resiliency. ‒ Assessment of inclusion of narrowband technologies into the experimental next-generation resilient network. This may include (1) leveraging commercial 5G cellular waveforms and (2) technologies enabling space-based UHF broadcast supporting both legacy and modern user equipment.
FY 2027 increased compared to FY 2026 by $116.351 million due to 1) accelerating Narrowband technologies, specifically 5G for tactical user equipment compatibility with commercial partners and Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations, 2) conducting initial requirements and design reviews and procurement of long-lead parts for innovative Ultra High Frequency (UHF) communication payloads and space vehicle for a Narrowband UHF prototype satellite launch in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) planned for FY 2030 and 3) delivery of Space Data Network prototype ground trusted network hardware for terrestrial exchange point fielding.
FY2026: the year under way
Prior-year accomplishments and current-year plans from the same exhibit. Context for the FY2027 plan, not a series — an activity partitions its project exactly in the request year, but can under-cover it in earlier years.
Continue: ‒ Operational experimentation and modeling/simulation activities to advance next-generation resilient network enterprise management and control capabilities, establish scalability to DoW traffic loads, and optimize traffic flow algorithms across the hybrid DoW-commercial satellite communication (SATCOM) architecture. ‒ Prototyping variable trust engine extending DoW zero trust principles across the internetwork to dynamically provide improved availability and security. ‒ Development and test of network service orchestrator based on commercial products to quantify and improve security and resiliency. ‒ Acquisition of commercial SATCOM services for use in experimentation and assessment of new capabilities. ‒ Development of trusted network device engineering units to support software- and hardware-in-the-loop experimentation with related prototyping and acquisition programs. Includes procurement of secure processing devices and long-lead items for space-rated flight units. ‒ Early adopter tests and integration with next-generation terrestrial data transport investments. ‒ Next milestone experiment dynamic trust factors to inform ongoing and future programs of record. ‒ Assessment of inclusion of narrowband technologies into the experimental next-generation resilient network. This may include (1) leveraging commercial 5G cellular waveforms and (2) technologies enabling space-based UHF broadcast supporting both legacy and modern user equipment. Complete: ‒ Analysis of milestone experiment characterizing advanced authentication, authorization and trust factors to refine the experimental next-generation resilient network and inform ongoing and future programs of record.
Three years, and no five-year plan
An R-2A activity publishes the prior year, the current year and the budget year. The FYDP outyears exist at project and program-element level and are deliberately absent here rather than inferred. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 58.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 104.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 220.5 |
This activity is 100% of project 649493's FY2027 request and 91% of PE 1206458SF's. In the request year the activities under a project sum to it exactly; in the current year they under-cover it in about 9% of cases, so an activity's delta can legitimately exceed its parent's and the two must not be compared row to row.
1 activity in project 649493
Every R-2A line of this project, largest FY2027 request first. Linked where the activity has enough of its own narrative to carry a page; the rest are shown in full on the project page.