Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0305204N/ — built September 26, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Watch this program
Budget figures
No FY2026 R-1/P-1 request line for this program element. The FY2026 President's Budget request workbook carries no FY2026 line for it; its last workbook figure is FY2024. The PB2026 J-book detail below does carry an FY2026 row for this line, recorded as zero. A workbook blank and a documented zero are different records, and this page shows both. An absent line is not by itself an ending — PB2026 renumbered program elements at scale across the services and defense agencies, so this work may continue under a different number. No successor is linked for this line: this site's program-lineage layer holds no keyed edge pointing forward from here. That is an absence in this site's lineage layer, not a finding about the program: if the J-book narrative on this page describes a realignment, it is quoted below in the document's own words, and this note does not restate it.
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USAspending reports awards on a rolling basis, and this corpus runs through 2026-09-04. why partial FY2026 data? →
Budget trajectory
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY24 | $7.52MR-1 TOA · PB2026 |
| FY25 | $0J-book detail · PB2026 |
| FY26 | $0J-book detail · PB2026 |
Decade view
P-1/R-1 workbook TOA basis, shown compact in $B/$M (the workbook records USD thousands); each figure cites its own President's Budget edition
The vertical scale does not start at zero: the baseline sits just below this program’s smallest year, so a low point on this line is not a small amount. Read the shape for direction and the grid below for the figures.
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY15 | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $8.51M | $8.55M | $8.44M | $7.77M | $8.53M | $9.45M | $7.11M | $9.84M | $10.6M | $7.52M |
| Enacted | $8.55M | $8.44M | $7.77M | $8.53M | $9.45M | $7.11M | $9.84M | $10.6M | $11.2M | |
| Request | $8.44M | $7.77M | $8.53M | $9.45M | $7.11M | $9.84M | $10.6M | $11.2M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $11.2M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reported $7.52M as actual total obligation authority — $3.72M below the request. 7.5 − 11.2 = -3.7 USD millions — the compact figures above are rounded for reading.
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 — Tactical Unmanned Aer Vehicles
The MQ-8 Unmanned Air System is a Joint Military Intelligence Program. The Tactical Control System FY 2026 budget is dependent on the MQ-8 Fire Scout Program Element 0305231N. There is no funding requested in FY 2026 based on a Navy decision to divest current inventory of MQ-8C Air Vehicles (AVs) and associated equipment. The Navy will divest the MQ-8C Fire Scout Uncrewed Aircraft System at the conclusion of FY 2024. Through coordination with Commander Naval Air Forces, Commander Naval Surface Forces, Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Sea Systems Command, operational employment of the MQ-8C will end in Q4 FY2024 and sundown will be completed by Q4 FY2026. This program element provides funding for the software development capabilities associated with Mission modules of the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Tactical Control System (TCS), a component of the MQ-8 System, provides software for the joint tactical MQ-8 Fire Scout System. TCS integrated into the MQ-8 Mission Control System (MCS) provides the warfighters with the capability for day/night aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), target acquisition, voice, data and command and control communications/relay, and mine detection and localization. Additionally, TCS provides a multi-level, scalable, and flexible operator control of the air vehicles and payloads as well as direct receipt and dissemination of unmanned aerial vehicle sensor data.
Mission — Tactical Control System
The Tactical Control System (TCS) program supports the MQ-8 Fire Scout System and is a standards-based system, which provides interoperability and commonality for Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) interfaces of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). TCS software, operating on Mission Control System (MCS) (also referred to as a Ground Control Station) hardware, utilizes North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Standardization Agreements (STANAG)-4586 architecture to communicate across a Tactical Common Data Link. TCS provides a full range of scalable UAS capabilities from passive receipt of air vehicle and payload data to full air vehicle and payload command and control. TCS offers the warfighter a common core operating environment to simultaneously receive, process, and disseminate data from different UAS types for intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, and combat assessment. This program supports enhancements and updates to TCS in order to continue to meet supported air vehicle enhancements, incorporation of new technologies that will be used to enhance overall system performance, includes software updates to support Mission System Trainers (MST), incorporate new payloads and payload capabilities, incorporate multi-vehicle control, incorporate NATO STANAG-4586 and Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence enhancements, and alignment with OSD direction for UAS control segments. TCS software is incorporated into the MQ-8 Fire Scout System and fields in conjunction with MQ-8. TCS software addresses MQ-8 requirements validated by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council in the MQ-8 Capability Production Document (Nov 2016) and multiple Joint Emergent Operational Need/Urgent Operational Needs statements. TCS is supported by an Operational Requirements Document (Feb 2000). TCS maximizes the use of contractor and government off-the-shelf hardware and software whenever possible and incorporates software/hardware enhancements where appropriate to maintain growth potential and minimize hardware and operating system dependence. TCS software is interoperable and is compliant with the OSD Command and Control, Communications, Intelligence Joint Technical Architecture, Distributed Common Ground System standards, Global Command and Control System, and NATO standards. TCS hardware and software upgrades support the Navy's Common Control System (CCS) migration and as such can be used to support future UAS MCS requirements.
Justification
No accomplishments or planned-program narratives in this line's J-book detail — some exhibits carry figures without per-project prose.
Budget line items(workbook-cited)
P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY24 Actuals | $7.52M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
J-book detail basis (R-2/P-40, USD millions) · PB2026 — a different accounting basis from the P-1/R-1 workbook TOA above; where the two disagree, the reconciliation strip under Budget figures shows both.
Wider than this screen — swipe the table sideways for the remaining fiscal-year columns.
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $315.1M | $7.52M | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2478: Tactical Control System | $315.1M | $7.52M | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Follow the dollar
Appropriation → program element → top high-confidence awards → recipient families → congressional districts.
Follow-the-dollar covers 312 of 1,938 programs — only high-confidence budget→award links are shown. why coverage is partial? →
The diagram illustrates the cited table below — amounts shown in the diagram are transaction sums per award (no citation chips); the per-district obligations in the table cite USAspending queries.
| District | Program obligations |
|---|---|
| VA-10 | $71.5M |
Related awards
Award linkage is shown for 32 of 200 profiled companies — high- and medium-confidence USAspending matches, each row labeled; medium is the weaker evidence. why partial award coverage? →
| Recipient | PIID | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| RAYTHEON COMPANY | N0001916C0027 | high |
| RAYTHEON COMPANY | N0001921C0018 | high |
Contractor concentration
No concentration index is published for this line. This line's high-confidence links do not clear the floor for a published concentration index — at least 3 awards across 2 contractor families holding positive obligations, with positive net linked dollars. An index below that floor is a fact about the sample, not about the market. Whatever further links this line carries are medium-confidence, and what each medium evidence path does and does not establish is set out in the methodology. Both bases are in the downloadable warehouse.
Lobbying mentions
Showing 25 of 94 from the Senate LDA disclosure database.
National Defense Authorization Act, 2027 (HR 8800/S 4784); provisions regarding R&D - Navy, US Marine Corps, Air…
National Defense Authorization Act, 2027 (HR XXXX/S XXXX); provisions regarding R&D - Navy, US Marine Corps, Air…
H.R.4213 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026. H.R.7147 - Further Additional Continuing…
H.R.7273 - NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026. S.933 - NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025. FY27 Commerce…
Issues associated with funding development of long endurance unmanned aerial systems in H.R. 9495 FY27 Defense…
FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (HR 8800 / S 4784) and FY27 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill (HR…
Department of Defense Appropriations Act and National Defense Authorization Act, provisions related to unmanned aerial…
Funding issues related to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aerial systems (UASs); FY2026 Department of…
Funding issues related to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aerial systems (UASs); FY2027 National Defense…
ALERT Act (H.R.7613) Aviation Navigation data bases Safe Air on Airplanes Act (H.R.4994) Issues related to…
Issues related to classification of certain aerospace components for export licensing purposes Helicopter terrain…
Issues related to classification of certain aerospace components for export licensing purposes Helicopter terrain…
Carrier Replacement Program VCS CVN RCOH DDG-51 Class Multi-year Procurement DDG(X) DDG 1002 LHA and LPD Flight II…
Carrier Replacement Program VCS CVN RCOH DDG-51 Class Multi-year Procurement DDG(X) DDG 1002 LHA and LPD Flight II…
Carrier Replacement Program VCS CVN RCOH DDG-51 Class Multi-year Procurement DDG(X) DDG 1002 LHA and LPD Flight II…
Issues relating to industrial base resilience, missiles, missile defense, counter-unmanned aerial systems, remote…
Issues relating to industrial base resilience, missiles, missile defense, counter-unmanned aerial systems, remote…
Contacted Congressional officials regarding unmanned ground vehicles for law enforcement activities.
Contacted Congressional officials regarding unmanned ground vehicles for law enforcement activities.
Contacted Congressional officials regarding unmanned ground vehicles for law enforcement activities
Contacted Congressional officials regarding unmanned ground vehicles for law enforcement activities
P.L. 119-60 - National Defense Authorization Act FY26, National Defense Authorization Act FY27 (bills pending)…
H.R. 8800/S. 4784 - National Defense Authorization Act FY27, H.R. 9495 - Department of Defense Appropriations Act FY27…
S.2296 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective…
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 JADC2 Cybersecurity. Cloud Acquisition policy/funding; DoD…
Oversight
Department-level designation (not specific to this program)
GAO lists 5 high-risk areas for DOD as a whole. That designation covers the department, not Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. No program-specific GAO finding for this line is in the ingested data. See the DOD oversight record.
Program dossier
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1,938 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →
Primary sources
Open any budget figure for its exact receipt. Verified line items lead with the highlighted government PDF; original spreadsheets download with their budget edition and exhibit in the filename.
Budget totals · TOA sources
FY2026 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J482
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2026_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2017 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J434
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2017_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2018 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J466
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2018_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2019 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J484
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2019_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2020 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J494
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2020_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2021 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J503
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2021_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2022 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J470
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2022_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2023 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J463
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2023_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2024 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J456
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2024_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2025 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J464
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2025_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
Detailed budget justification
The related TOA spreadsheets above use a different accounting basis from R-2/P-40 detail. Their amounts are not assumed to match these detailed sources.
RDTEN BA1-3 Book · www.secnav.navy.mil