Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0207179F/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Autonomous Collaborative Platforms
Budget Figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
- FY24
- $110.9M
- FY25
- $50.7M
- FY26
- $62.0M
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $0 | $0 | $55.0M | $110.9M | ||
| Enacted | – | $0 | $51.7M | $118.8M | $50.7M | |
| Request | – | – | $51.7M | $118.8M | $51.7M | $62.0M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $118.8M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reports $110.9M actually spent — $7.88M below the request.
Program Lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Mission — Experimental Operations Unit (EOU)
The Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) effort explores Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy (DOTMLPF-P) concepts for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Program activities serve as early risk reduction for employment of CCA with crewed aircraft to mature operational concept development and evaluate supporting force structure to execute CCA operations. Funding provides operational concepts and studies, flight test and test support, prototypes, infrastructure investment for information technology, training and demonstration, and program management support to mature autonomous operational concepts. Program management support costs include but are not limited to contractor support services, supplies, and facility related expenses. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F.
Mission — Autonomous Collaborative Platforms
Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) are uncrewed weapon systems designed to work in conjunction with current and future aircraft to provide operational flexibility and enhance operational effectiveness. Key ACP attributes include tailored cost of platforms, rapidly updateable software, autonomy, interoperability with multiple platforms and network capabilities, agility of use, lethality, and ability to penetrate challenging air environments. The program matures technology to reduce risk through development, integration, experimentation, and test activities. Autonomous Collaborative Technologies (ACT) served as the starting point for the Air Force's investment in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. ACP will explore Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy (DOTMLPF-P) concepts for uncrewed vehicles. Program activities include digital engineering, agile software development, open systems architectures, and risk reduction projects. Funding provides digital systems infrastructure, operational concept exploration, technology studies, multi-domain integration assessments, operational and system architecture development, flight test and test support, prototypes, training and demonstration, program management support, as well as maturation and risk reduction of air superiority related technologies to include weapons systems, autonomy, and integrated system concept development. Program management support costs include but are not limited to contractor support services, civilian pay, supplies, and facility related expenses. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.
Mission — Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM)
The Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) effort serves as a flying autonomy testbed for Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP). Program activities reduce risk to ACP through test and demonstration of the autonomy reference architecture and autonomy software on a F-16, or other human-on-the-loop testbed. Funding provides flight test and test support (including modifications), infrastructure investments for information technology, training, and program management support to mature autonomy architecture and software. Program management support costs include but are not limited to contractor support services, supplies, and facility related expenses. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F.
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)
Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model
The VENOM candidate concepts consist of establishing human-on-the-loop autonomy testbeds, enabling modifications and implementing initial autonomy reference architecture to reduce risk for ACP autonomy.
Experimental Operations Unit
The EOU candidate concepts consist of operational analyses, prototypes, studies and identification of operation concepts. Ongoing studies and operational analysis are conducted to refine EOU concepts related to test and employment of uncrewed platforms as well as employment with crewed platforms.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY24 Actuals | $110.9M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY25 Enacted | $50.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY25 Total | $50.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY26 Disc. Request | $62.0M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY26 Total | $62.0M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 643721: Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) | $0 | $80.1M | $44.5M | $55.4M | $55.4M |
| 645340: Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) | $0 | $30.9M | $6.13M | $6.57M | $6.57M |
| Program Element | $0 | $110.9M | $50.7M | $62.0M | $62.0M |
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1741 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.
Lobbying Mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →