Joint Munitions Technology

Mission— Enhanced Munitions

The Enhanced Munitions project develops cross-cutting, enabling munitions technologies that are broadly applicable across service munitions. The project invests in sensors, sensor data fusion for navigation, propulsion, warheads, and fuzing that enable enhanced performance of U.S. munitions in both permissive and denied environments. The Enhanced Munitions project continues to address other critical munitions technologies outside of advanced energetics that enable the Energetics Technology project investments to be effectively incorporated into munitions systems. Lethality increases are not only dependent on advanced energetics, but also depend on optimized munitions placement and burst point optimization. Munitions investments in survivability against harsh environments and adversary countermeasures are necessary to allow the munition to reach and prosecute its intended target. Starting in FY 2026, the Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) project will accelerate critical PNT technologies and PNT data needs to ensure munitions are accurate and lethal in GPS-denied or contested environments. Investments in munitions-specific PNT will be leveraging a modular open systems approach, which will increase technology development and flexibility to have specific PNT solutions for any given munition.

Mission— Joint Munitions Technology

This program supports the Department's priorities to reestablish deterrence by building munitions technology advantages that solve operational and mission-focused challenges. The Joint Enhanced Munitions Technology Program (JEMTP), within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) was established to develop and demonstrate joint munitions enhancing technologies (energetics, warheads, propulsion systems, advanced lethality mechanisms, fuzes and fuze components, and target detection) to provide future kinetic fires capabilities and ensure advantage for U.S. warfighters. The program’s plans and investments are informed by threat-opportunity based analyses from Joint Force campaign scenarios. The JEMTP activities within Program Element 0602000D8Z are executed under two Project Codes: 076 - Enhanced Munitions and 355 – Energetics Technologies. These advancements through JEMTP provide foundational capabilities that impact a wide range of munitions including One-Way Attack, Counter-small UAS technologies, and munitions that may be utilized for Homeland Missile Defense. The JEMTP program also provides technologies that support munitions and energetics organic Industrial Base resiliency and increased production rates. Project Code 076 - The Enhanced Munitions Project focuses on investments of novel fuzing, power sources, target detection sensing technologies, and counter-countermeasure technologies that are enablers for enhancing future munition lethality and survivability. Alternative Positioning, Navigation, & Timing (Alt-PNT) is a new project focus starting in FY26. Alt-PNT technology investments will enable munitions to maintain effective operations in contested scenarios. Project Code 355 - This program executes the Energetics Technology project focused on investigation and research of energetic materials (ingredients and formulations) to enhance munitions capability and address supply chain resilience. The Energetics Technology Project supports and enables DoD Service strategies and roadmaps for advanced energetics material synthesis and formulation development; to accelerate the application and transition of advanced energetics materials into DoD munitions and the energetics manufacturing base; and to apply modern, agile energetics processing and manufacturing technologies.

Mission— Energetics Technology

U.S. weapons systems still largely rely on decades-old explosive and propellant technologies that limit Joint Force options to deter, and if necessary, defeat adversaries in conflict. The Energetics Technology project was established to expedite investigation, research, and transition of novel energetics materials, chemicals, and processes that enable improvements to existing and future munitions performance. The investments and efforts under this project enable modern manufacturing and processing while helping to bolster U.S. energetics supply chain resiliency.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (3)