Combat Rescue - Pararescue

Mission — Guardian Angel RDT&E source

Beginning in FY26 this funding is reported in BA 07 Project 0207457F. GA is a Family of Systems (FoS) based in both human and equipment capabilities formulated to execute Air Force Personnel Recovery (PR) across the full spectrum of military operations. Established by the Air Force Chief of Staff in 2003 and officially captured in AFPD 10-9, the GA FoS is employed by three distinct Air Force specialties: Pararescuemen (PJ), Combat Rescue Officer (CRO), and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE). The GA FoS is comprised of nine critical mission areas: Precision Aerial Insertion, Information Management, Force Application, Visual Augmentation, Maritime Recovery, Ground Mobility, Technical Rescue, Medical, and SERE. GA focus is on maintaining legacy weapon system capability while modernizing/improving subsystems for better mission effectiveness. Mission Description and Budget Item Justification: To stay aligned with SECAF Operational Imperatives, with OSD Focus Area C2, logistics mobility (land/water), funds will be used to obtain significant improvements in operational capability and develop items within the GA FoS to include but not limited to: Maritime Recovery (open ocean boat ), Ground Mobility, Technical Recovery, Precision Aerial Insertion (cargo & personnel parachutes), Medical (Simulators), Information Management, SERE, Visual Augmentation (night vision, augmented reality) and Force Protection. This may be conducted through industry technology demonstrations, prototypes, and associated engineering support to posture the GA program for technology insertion. The Guardian Angel weapon system development/Innovation activities also include studies, analysis, requirements development and developmental testing to support both current and future program planning and execution, quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. Funding will deliver enhanced capability for the dismounted Guardian Angel Operators in terms of dramatic weight reduction, standardization of items across units, and increased mission effectiveness across the conflict spectrum. This funding request will support potential DMS and obsolescence solutions, to include if optimal, life of type buys or bridge buys limited to the program of record quantity. 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. In FY 2024 0.443M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 0.361M is forecast for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)