Airbase Air Defense Systems (ABADS)

Mission — Tech Maturation & Risk Reduct source

The Airbase Air Defense Systems (ABADS) program element is the principal Air Force (AF) program to provide the ability to detect, track, identify, and defeat airborne threats to missions and assets. These threats include small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), Rockets, Artillery and Mortars (RAM), and cruise missiles. These two efforts (Missile Defense (MD) and Counter-sUAS (C-sUAS)) aim to protect personnel, assets, and infrastructure vital to supporting the national security strategy. ABADS MD is designed as a configurable combination of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS)/Government Off the Shelf (GOTS) sensor and Non-Kinetic Effector (NKE) technologies integrated with tailored Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) subsystem that leverages GOTS products and Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) Digital Infrastructure to provide adaptive, resilient, and dedicated air defense capability. The ABADS MD system is designed to operate independently or combine with other local and distributed capabilities to form a multi-layered defense-in-depth, improving airbase defense and airbase resiliency. ABADS MD FY2026 funding will support development efforts to operationalize the NKE following prototype transition from AFRL. Funding will also support and maintain a Government Development Security and Operations (DevSecOps) software pipeline, supporting software updates and prioritized capability upgrades. The Government DevSecOps pipeline will also support further alignment with the ABMS portfolio (Distributed Battle Management Node, Digital Infrastructure, and Cloud Based Command and Control). FY2026 funding also supports Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) oversight required test activities. The FY 2026 request was reduced by 0.015 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative.” The FY 2026 request for ABADS MD includes 5,041 thousand of discretionary and 15,000 thousand of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of 20,041 thousand. The mandatory funds support ABADS MD development and integration activities in support of Golden Dome. Further information for this reconciliation request is provided in Section 20004 (Enhancement of Department of Defense Resources for Munitions and Defense Supply Chain Resiliency) of the Reconciliation Exhibit. ABADS Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) specifically aims to counter the threats posed by the rapid proliferation of inexpensive yet highly capable systems, and the enemies who target US Service members, Allies, and Coalition partners. The ABADS C-sUAS program will continue to analyze evolving threats, evaluate new capabilities, and design an open system architecture that reduces life cycle cost and enables fielding to all 180+ AF installations. ABADS C-sUAS features a system of systems approach to integrate sensors and effectors into a robust Command and Control (C2) interface able to detect, track, identify, and defeat sUAS threats. The AF works closely with the DoD Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) to align annual efforts. ABADS C-sUAS FY2026 funding will further develop and test Command, Control, Communication, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) systems to include follow-on of Medusa C2 System and focus on needed fixed and expeditionary site sense and defeat capability development. The Medusa C2 system supports Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2) development and is required to employ electronic warfare capabilities, artificial intelligence, operator workload and task reduction capabilities, closed-loop training system for operator certification and proficiency, identification capabilities, and sensor fusion. Funding will support development and test of Medusa C2 software to further interoperability and incorporation within the ABMS architecture. It will continue electronic warfare upgrades, to include but not limited to new sensor and effector components, and add new Electronic Warfare skills which leverage current Ninja or future EW capabilities within Medusa C2 and other C2 systems. Funding will also continue efforts in alignment with the DoD's JCO, including cyber hardening of all new system changes, and support management of JCO funded Ninja development. Additionally, funding will be utilized to conduct studies, analysis, and evaluations of threats and capability gaps along with evaluation and streamlined acquisition of new capabilities. ABADS C-sUAS funding will also support innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. Funds will be used to further develop detection, tracking, ID, fusion and C2 technical solutions for a National Capital Region (NCR) C-sUAS system for protection of Presidential aviation assets and Common Operational Picture (COP). The NCR COP will include cloud-based infrastructure and system architectures. The FY 2026 cost of the ABADS C-sUAS Next Gen C2 Systems (CNGCS) Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is reflected in the budget request, including RDT&E and procurement of prototype units. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The FY 2026 request was reduced by 2.356 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative.” 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 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 0.000M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 0.231M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. 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.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)