# End-Cryptographic Unit (ECU)

**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/a1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206855SF/650015

> **NEW START.** $52.2M requested in FY2027 with no prior-year and no current-year funding.

## Summary

This activity requests $52.2M in FY2027, 9.1% 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.** Continue National Security Agency (NSA) cybersecurity certification process and procedures for AVE and GOE ECUs for the ESS Space Segment and ST2. Maintain all required and appropriate Interim Authority to Test (IATT) approval letter(s) from NSA. Deliver AVE and GOE PRAs to Space Segment and MIT- LL to support ST2 development. Begin integration support for for Space Assembly, Integration & Testing (AI&T) events upon delivery of the AVE and GOE PRA ECUs. Continue iterative development and delivery of software updates for the ECUs and continue to meet NSA's Crypto Modernization (CM) 2 and Security Evaluation Requirements Document (SERD) 2.0 requirements. With assistance from NSA, CCSD, and MIT/LL, plan for and conduct AVE and GOE ECU design verification, qualification, and acceptance milestones. Submit TEMPEST test plan to NSA, then begin TEMPEST testing. Conduct Functional Configuration Audit (FCA) and Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) and provide complete FCA and PCA data and artifacts packages to NSA and CCSD. Continue modification of the AEHF PKMA and KMI services and protocols to support ESS capabilities and features. Deliver cryptographic key material (Keys) and PKMA development equipment to support ECU Security Verification Testing and Space AI&T. Continue coordination with NSA through the ECU certification process and cryptographic key material delivery. Continue to fund CCSD, UARC, and FFRDC to provide program office support, planning, GFE, studies, technical analyses and information or resources in conjunction with the ESS Space Development and Production Contract. Continue the development to provide NSA-certified crypto solutions to support TT&C, Mission Data, TRANSEC, and COMSEC; includes all required cybersecurity, resiliency, and program protection activities, as well as Government support for contractor management and oversight. Continue to assist with requirements trades, technical design, threat assessment and mitigation strategies, and ESS testing assets to include the test terminal.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 increased due to start of various NSA cybersecurity certification activities (SVT, TEMPEST testing, EMI/EMC testing, FCA/PRA, etc.) for the AVE and GOE ECU units along with ST2 interoperability testing with the delivery of GOE EDM ECU units to MIT/LL. In addition, modified PKMA test vectors/keys such as the M-keys (Maintenance Keys) will be formulated, verified, and validated through collaboration amongst CCSD, GOE ECU vendor, and NSA to perform preliminary interrogability testing of the GOE EDM and ST2 emulators. ECU 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) Continue the development and National Security Agency (NSA) cybersecurity certification process and procedures for AVE and GOE ECUs for the ESS Strategic Test Terminal (ST2). Upon successful completion of the PDRs and CDRs and development of engineering development models (EDMs) continue to execute AVE and GOE ECU contract through the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. Develop and build the first ECU production representative articles (PRAs) for the Space Segment vendor to enable the complete manufacturing of an ESS Space Vehicle (SV). Deliver the first PRAs to MIT-LL to support the development of the ST2. Continue to fund CCSD, University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), and Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) to provide program office support, planning, GFE, studies, technical analyses and information or resources in conjunction with the ESS Space Development and Production Contract. Continue the development to provide NSA-certified crypto solutions to support Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C), Mission Data, Transmission Security (TRANSEC), and Communications Security (COMSEC); includes all required cyber, resiliency, and security activities required, as well as Government support for contractor management and oversight. Continue to assist with requirements trades, technical design approaches, threat assessment (e.g., VOLT) and mitigation approaches, and ESS testing assets to include the test terminal. Continue coordination with NSA through the ECU Certification process and modified-PKMA compatible cryptographic key material delivery. Continue activities and start work to modify AEHF-based PKMA and Key Management Infrastructure (KMI) to support ESS development and testing, and ramp up of the KMI services, protocols, and modification work required to be interoperable to fully support all ESS constellation requirements. 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 | 52.2 |

> 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

- [Ground Resilient Integration & Framework for Operational NC3 (GRIFFON)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206855SF/650015/a0) — FY2027 519.6

## 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.*