# Ground Resilient Integration & Framework for Operational NC3 (GRIFFON)

**R-2A activity** of project 650015 — Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) GRIFFON & Crypto  
**Program element:** 1206855SF — Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS)  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force · **Budget Activity:** 5  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206855SF/650015/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206855SF/650015

> **NEW START.** $519.6M requested in FY2027 with no prior-year and no current-year funding.

## Summary

This activity requests $519.6M in FY2027, 91% of project 650015 — a new start with no prior-year and no current-year money. 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.** The GRIFFON program will continue efforts in the Execution Phase of the Software Acquisition Pathway for integration and testing across the entire ESS architecture, to include the Ground software applications, framework, terminals, and test sites. Continue maturation of the ESS ground framework and integration prototype. Complete Systems Engineering work in support of the System-Level CDR in FY 2027. The GIF/SoSI vendor, with the program office as the lead systems integrator, will continue to run the Ground Assembly, Integration, and Test (Ground AI&T) minimum viable product (MVP) integration test with a projected exit of Ground AI&T in FY 2027. The Ground AI&T milestone will be the defining event that will encapsulate, integrate, and test all of ESS GRIFFON software applications and capabilities into the system architecture. The Ground AI&T milestone is the first integration test on the road to Initial Operational Capability (IOC)and precedes the next integration test milestone, System AI&T, in FY 2028. The down-selected Mission Planning (MP) application developer will continue development and integration in support of Ground AI&T. The MP prototype releases will be integrated with space, crypto, terminal, and ground framework segments. Continue development of the Out-of-Band Command and Control (OOB-C2) application MVP capability during the Phase 1 period and support continued integration and testing throughout Ground AI&T. Prepare and release a solicitation for the Phase 2 OOB- C2 application development with contract award expected in early FY 2028. Phase 2 will complete application development through System AI&T and continue mission integration and testing through FY 2030. The In-Band Command and Control (IB-C2) software application will continue development and integration to support Ground AI&T testing with the Ground Framework and other mission applications throughout FY 2027. The Ground AI&T IB-C2 testing will be performed in an operationally-relevant test environment with the, MIT-LL developed, Terminal Management Plane Emulator (TMP-E) and System Test Terminal. The ESS Command and Control (C2) Terminals (i.e., Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminal (FAB-T) Command Post Terminal (CPT) will be modernized for cryptographic, cybersecurity, resiliency, survivability, and interoperability requirements, necessary to support ESS and meet critical Ground Segment, Space Segment, and systems integration need dates, as well as the production and fielding of 4 ESS C2 terminal pre-production units in support of Systems AI&T in FY 2028, Initial Launch Capability (ILC), IOC, and FOC milestones. The ESS Ground Resiliency initiative will be leveraging both existing and commercial capabilities to prototype a more robust and effective ground architecture compared to the legacy system, utilizing IL-6/ IL-7 cloud capabilities and data transport connections. Continue prototype maturation throughout FY 2027, as well as integration and test with software applications, framework, and ground components during Ground AI&T. Award the alternative C2 Terminals and OOB-C2 commercial efforts. Begin terminal architecture design, implementation and test plan development. Begin prototyping the OOB-C2 Terminal application. Complete initial integration testing and connectivity with PKMA and cryptographic modernization efforts with the NSA. Continue development activities in support of the ground segment and system/mission integration schedules.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding increased due to scope of Ground AI&T activities, System-Level CDR support, concurrent ramp-up of system level integration and test planning for Systems AI&T in FY 2028, and the production and fielding of 4 C2 Terminals. GRIFFON transitioned from BA 04 Project 643725 in FY 2026 to BA 05 Project 650015 in FY 2027

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** (Project 643725 BA 04) The GRIFFON program will continue within the Execution Phase of the Software Acquisition Pathway and will begin a critical year for integration and testing across the entire ESS architecture, to include all Ground software applications, framework, and test sites. Continue Maturation of the ESS ground framework and integration prototype. The GIF/SoSI vendor will define and develop the Ground Assembly, Integration, and Test (Ground AI&T) minimum viable product (MVP) and run the integration test with all ESS vendors and system capabilities in FY 2026, with a projected exit of Ground AI&T in FY 2027. The Ground AI&T milestone will be the defining event that will encapsulate, integrate, and test all of ESS Ground's individual software applications and capabilities into the system architecture. The Ground AI&T milestone is the first integration test on the road to Initial Operational Capability (IOC), immediately preceding the next integration milestone testing of System AI&T in FY 2028. System AI&T will include testing Ground with the Space, Crypto, and Terminal segments, and will ensure that the system is interoperable and capable to enter into integrated launch testing. The Mission Planning prototype will be down-selected from two to one vendor and then will be integrated with the space, crypto, terminal, and ground framework segments. The Mission Planning prototype will then begin integrating with operational users and building test and training applications with the GIF/SoSI vendor. All integration issues found during Ground AI&T testing will be fixed in FY 2026 in an agile ramp up to ensure software is mission capable upon exit of Ground AI&T in FY 2027. The Out-of-Band Command and Control (OOB-C2) software application vendors will begin modernization of the legacy software to integrate with the Ground framework. The In-Band Command and Control (IB-C2) software application will begin development and testing with the Ground Framework and other mission applications. IB-C2 will begin integration efforts and testing in an operationally relevant environment. The ESS C2 Terminals will be modernized for cryptographic, cybersecurity, resiliency, survivability, and interoperabilty requirements, necessary to support ESS and meet critical ground segment, space segment, and systems integration need dates. ESS must enter Ground Assembly, Integration and Test in FY 2026 to meet the USSTRATCOM threat-driven strategic need date by FY 2032. The production and fielding effort for C2 terminals is broken out into launch readiness, IOC requirements, and FOC requirements, to ensure the right terminals are fielded just in time for each of those milestones. While this effort may have begun in FY 2025, it will continue in FY 2026 with production of first articles required for launch readiness. Continue technology maturation of multiple GRIFFON prototype demonstration contracts that will conclude with a successful exit of Ground AI&T in FY 2027. Interoperability testing and integration patches will be developed in an agile DevSecOps pipeline to also ensure cyber resilience is a part of delivered software. Resilient technology studies will ensure the fielded system addresses current threat scenarios for endurance capability, command and control, mission control, and user terminal interface. Fund prototype technology maturation, system integration, and Ground AI&T testing in order to ensure an integrated, interoperable, secure software framework and cyber secure software delivery pipeline, software applications, and user interfaces with the enterprise community. Further mature a development, security, and operations (DevSecOps) pipeline for software vendors to test their applications on the ground framework to conduct end-to-end integration testing. Conduct early integration testing at government sites. Maintain user agreements with operational sites outlining deliveries and key milestones to ensure system functionality by FY 2029, prior to the first ESS space launch. Conduct integration testing and connectivity with Protected SATCOM Key Management Architecture (PKMA) and cryptographic modernization efforts with the NSA. Communicate any necessary modifications to legacy terminal programs to ensure entire integrated system functions within modernized cyber architecture. Continue development activities in support of the ground segment and system/mission integration schedules. GRIFFON transitioned from BA 04 Project 643725 in FY 2026 to BA 05 Project 650015 in FY 2027

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 519.6 |

> 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 650015

- [End-Cryptographic Unit (ECU)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206855SF/650015/a1) — FY2027 52.2

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 1206855SF project 650015 (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.*