# Project 660191 — 660191 - Space Systems Operational Test & Eval

**Program element:** 1206759SF — Major T&E Investment - Space  
**Project:** 660191  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force  
**Appropriation:** 3620F — RDT&E, Space Force  
**Budget Activity:** 6 — RDT&E Management Support  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206759SF/660191  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206759SF

## Summary

Project 660191 — 660191 - Space Systems Operational Test & Eval requests $60.6M in FY2027, 92% of the $65.7M requested for program element 1206759SF, up 45% on FY2026. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request.

## Funding profile

| 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 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 1206759SF; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## 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.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Systems Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) | 51.6 | 41.7 | 60.6 | +45% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206759SF/660191/a0) |

> 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.

### Space Systems Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E)

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…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206759SF/660191/a0

## 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/1206759SF.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 1206759SF project 660191 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="1206759SF")`.

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