What project 660191 buys
Space Operational Test and Evaluation refers to Congressionally mandated Space Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) to support major weapon system acquisition decisions beyond Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP), Milestone C, full-rate production (FRP), fielding, and declaration of Initial Operational Capability (IOC). For Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP), Title 10 USC 2399 requires IOT&E to be completed under realistic operating conditions before proceeding beyond LRIP. IOT&E will be planned to answer all Critical Operational Issues (COI) as thoroughly as possible. IOT&E is conducted to determine operational effectiveness and suitability and resolve overall mission capability of systems undergoing Research and Development (R&D) efforts. It is an evaluation of a system's performance when the complete system is tested and evaluated against operational criteria by personnel with the same qualifications as those who will operate, maintain and support the system when deployed. In general, IOT&E is performed on new systems in development, major modifications, and other systems as directed. This project provides funding for the USSF Operational Test Agency's participation in Integrated Test and Evaluation (IT&E). Additionally, it funds the Multi-service Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E) and Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) when it is the continuation of IOT&E activities past the FRP decision. FOT&E answers specific questions about unresolved COIs and test issues or completes areas not finished during the IOT&E. This effort also funds related Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) activities such as Early Influence (EI), Operational Utility Evaluations (OUE), Early Operational Assessments (EOA), and Operational Assessments (OA) which are independent OT&Es supporting major milestones and decision points, FRP, fielding, or declaration of IOC for USSF programs. USSF schedules and executes tests according to the forecasted test readiness of the MDAP program offices.
Project 660191 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 | 51.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 41.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 60.6 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 58.5 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 60.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 61.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 66.2 |
1 accomplishment / planned program
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. Each 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.
Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS): Conduct Developmental & Operational (Integrated) Testing COBRA DANE: Conduct Cyber Test Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE): Conduct Software Acquisition Pathway & cyber test Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared - Geosynchronous: Conduct IT&E and cyber test…
Read the FY2027 plan →