Offensive small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)

Mission — St System Developement source

(U) The Offensive sUAS (O-sUAS) effort identifies requirements addressing capability gaps in the AF ability to rapidly generate a family of sUAS capable of executing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Warfare, and precision strike in permissive, contested, and denied environments. Funding supports operationalizing the AF UAS Strategy and force-present emerging systems, including exquisite, attributable, and expendable platforms, for collaborative operations within permissive, contested, and denied environments. O-sUAS funding also supports 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 such as but not limited to Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, and 0606398F. In FY 2025 0.000 million was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2026 0.276 million is forecast for civilian pay expenses in this program element. Items requested in FY26 are representative but not limited to the system development and program support. Items developed during execution may change based on critical equipment needed to support current Air Force mission requirements. Due to the rapidly changing threat environment, the acquisition program manager has the authority to redirect funding as necessary to meet current slated and emerging requirements for operational units. O-sUAS funding also supports innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, intelligence and data management activities, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. This program is in Budget Activity 6, RDT&E Management Support because this budget activity includes research, development, test and evaluation efforts and funds to sustain and/or modernize the installations or operations required for general research, development, test and evaluation.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)