Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0602141A/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Lethality Technology
Budget Figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
- FY24
- $145.4M
- FY25
- $128.7M
- FY26
- $97.2M
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $0 | $0 | $68.9M | $117.5M | $89.3M | $180.2M | $145.4M | ||
| Enacted | – | $0 | $70.0M | $117.5M | $91.6M | $194.7M | $85.6M | $128.7M | |
| Request | – | – | $27.0M | $42.4M | $64.1M | $87.7M | $85.6M | $96.1M | $97.2M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2023 book requested $87.7M for FY2023; the PB2025 book reports $180.2M actually spent — $92.5M above the request.
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 — Lethality Enabling University Applied Research
The project leverages research and technological innovations from academia, of lethal directed energy, laser diagnostics and accelerated design of future hypersonics, deep learning (DL) guidance tools, novel materials, and emerging technologies of importance to the Army, by accelerating research and conducting experiments focused on getting technology to the warfighter more quickly. This project performs discovery research efforts to focus more on mid to far-term Army modernization priorities while also maintaining delivery of near-term technologies critical to the Long Range Precision Fires and Air and Missile Defense. This project focuses on employment of research technologies originating from extramural applied research in academia pertaining to lethal directed energy, laser diagnostics, future hypersonic glide body and scramjet propulsor design, DL guidance tools, novel materials, and expansion of the Ballistic, Aero-Optics and Materials (BAM) range applied to lethality. This effort conducts applied research and development leading to potential emerging technologies in areas of importance to the Army in directed energy, future hypersonic glide body design, DL and novel materials, etc., by bringing competitively selected universities with research and development teams into technical alliances. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CZ9 (Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research), PE 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology) / Project DC1 (Next Generation DE Concept Development & Analysis), PE 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project CG2 (Lethality Enabling University Adv Development), and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project BY2 (Advanced Hypersonic Technology). The work cited is consistent with Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Terminal Effects Against Critical Targets Tech
This Project designs and develops engineering tools and high-fidelity modeling and simulation capabilities for materials and structural response to predict and enhance weapons performance to ensure lethality against structures and critical assets. Through dynamic impact experiments for a broad range of velocities against conventional and advanced structural materials, this project develops engineering tools and technologies to rapidly evaluate and predict weapon performance. Computational chemistry will be utilized to explore potential prediction and optimization pathways of high-energy density material formulations. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project CH5 (Terminal Effects Against Critical Targets Adv Tech). The work cited is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the United States Engineer Research and Development Center Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.
Mission — Solid-state Laser Concepts and Architectures
This project provides the research and development of advanced solid-state laser materials and architectures to support the Army Directed Energy Strategy for laser- based directed energy (DE) weapons. This project investigates advanced laser technologies based on unconventional solid-state laser concepts and designs, scalable and intelligent power modules, and advanced thermal management systems for the development of less complex, low size, weight, and power (SWaP) Army DE weapons and tactical lasers with much improved capabilities. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Technology) / Project CV6 (Optimized High Energy Laser Source Adv Tech) The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Lethality Technology (CA)
Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Lethality Technology. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy.
Mission — Lethality Technology
Work done in this Program Element (PE) supports research technologies, methodologies, and models required to enable next generation lethality. The effort focuses on: lethal mechanism technologies for projectiles and warheads that provide revolutionary capability to defeat Tier 1 adversary vehicle and body armors; selection of propulsion and energetic materials and technology to validate novel energetic materials concepts to exploit controllable energy release for future gun/missile systems; scalable effects for mixed target defeat while simultaneously decreasing warhead mass; development of materials solutions for improvement of weight and volume efficiency, lethal effects and sustainability for the warfighter in the Army of today and beyond; and multiple pathways to enhance lethal effects by investigating synergistic effects of novel micro warheads using advanced materials. Funding in this PE is a continuation of work done in PEs 0602105A (Materials Technology), 0602618A (Ballistics Technology), and 0602624A (Weapons and Munitions Technology). Work in this PE complements PEs 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology), 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology), 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), 0602144A (Ground Technology), 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), and 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.302 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 was reduced by $0.437 million for civilian personnel to optimize the workforce in compliance with Executive Order 14210, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative."
Mission — Fire Control Lethality Technology
Work in this project researches, investigates and develops concepts for common open architecture fire control systems to maximize distributed armament systems performance. Researches fire control architecture framework and protocols utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to minimize target engagement timelines, reduce cognitive processes, and enable collaborative lethal effectiveness on target across weapon platforms. Develops modular fire control concepts enabling safe, lethal, and agile integration of current systems to engage emerging threats and decrease system vulnerabilities for maximize performance and combined arms effects. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A Lethality Technology/ Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality, PE 0603462A Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology/ Next Generation Intelligent Fire Control, and PE 0602183A Air Platform Applied Research/ Airborne Threat Defeat The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center.
Mission — Advanced Radar Concepts and Technologies
This project conducts experiments on single crystal diamond and diamond hetero-structure semiconductor materials, layered structures, and novel devices for Diamond Electronics and integrated photonics structures and devices for Radar, Communications, and improved Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) Department of Defense systems. Efforts include multiscale modeling, material and structure growth and characterization, and novel device design and fabrication as well as two-dimensional (2-D) electronics for bio-inspired neuromorphic sensors, processors, and memory. This research has application to radars, communication systems, electronic warfare, directed energy, electronics for hypersonic systems, radiation hard systems, quantum sensing, and others. This project directly supports Air and Missile Defense modernization priority capabilities by investigating essential component technologies for insertion into Multi-Mission Army Radar systems. This project addresses the challenges of integrating new materials into Silicon Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) processing flows, and electronics reliability including protection against unintended adversarial use of state-of-the-art semiconductor materials, devices, and systems for Air and Missile Defense in contested environments. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology) Project AD6 (Next Generation Fires Radar Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
Mission — Lethality Materials and Processes Technology
Work in this project designs, determines, and assesses innovative materials solutions aimed at achieving leap ahead increases in lethality and weapons effectiveness through improvements in weight and volume efficiency, lethal effects, and sustainability of military systems. This research complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technology) and Project AH7 (Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies), and PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / AH4 (Precision and Cooperative Weapons in a Denied Environment) and builds upon and ballistic sciences research in PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies
Work in this project designs, determines, and assesses technology options for scaling warhead lethality and providing extreme efficiency for highly effective, simultaneous mixed/multi target defeat and collateral damage. This Project will also design and assess scalable structure defeat to mitigate collateral damage for disruptive urban Warfighting. Work in this project complements project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies) within this PE and builds upon disruptive energetic and ballistic sciences research in PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Science of Massed Responsive Fires
This project supports research on munitions, kinetic and non-kinetic payloads, and weapons in energetics, propulsion, flight, guidance, warheads, guns, material science, and electromagnetic device packages and sensors. This project also supports research in novel energetic materials and energetic monomer/polymer synthesis, composable design science, models for gun wear and erosion, and the development of algorithms, frameworks, and toolsets for cost-effective collaborative autonomous delivery of weapons. Electronic (e.g., jamming, spoofing) and kinetic (e.g., intercept) counters that disrupt nodes of defeat are within adversary reach. Enablers delivered in this research project provide entirely new approaches of dynamically adapting multi-functional systems of weapon systems (beyond improvements to field/air defense and cannon/missile artillery) and the means to physically realize this capability at relevant speed and size scales in collapsed formations to defeat complex, rapidly changing threats at depth. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies), and PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CZ9 (Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research). This Project transitions to PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH9 (Advanced Warheads Technology), PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / Project AG4 (Extended Range Artillery Munition Suite Technology), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CI1 (Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CIA (Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality), PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / Project AF8 (Affordable Extended Range Precision Technology), PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project CZ8 (PrSM Modular Payload Advanced Development), and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project BY2 (Advanced Hypersonics Technology). The cited work is consistent with Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Future Air Defense Missile Enabling Tech
This project investigates, develops, and evaluates critical missile technologies and components necessary for advanced lethal capability in support of future/mid to far term affordable short range air defense interceptor capability to defeat Cruise Missile (CM), Rotary Wing (RW), Tactical / Lethal Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and Fixed Wing (FW) threats. This effort designs and develops technologies to provide advanced materials, seekers, guidance and control, and propulsion for reduced size weight and power and cost for Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (MSHORAD), Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD), and Lower Tier essential to maintain overmatch against mid-/far-term threats. This project will investigate, identify and develop advanced radar concepts, technologies and signal processing algorithms to enable multi-mission radar functions and expanded threat capability. This project supports Air and Missile Defense Modernization priority efforts. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / Project AF3 (Extended Range Propulsion Technology) and Project AF8 (Affordable Extended Range Precision Technology), PE 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology) / Project SU1 (Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys (C-sUAS) Tech), and PE 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology) / Project SU2 (Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys (C-sUAS) Adv). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).
Mission — Sensor to Shooter (STS) Applied Research
This project designs and develops advanced algorithms for sensor to shooter decision aids and incorporates predictive tools and permissive airspace capabilities to reduce the sensor to shooter timeline and effects execution. Investigate technologies for enabling multi-sensor fusion for collaborative tracking of multi-theater threat tracks to enable tactical target engagement and counter fires across threat flight timeline. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project CID (Sensor to Shooter (STS) Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project supports Next Generation Combat Vehicle, Tactical Network, Future Vertical Lift, and Long-Range Precision Fires Army Modernization Priorities. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center, Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center, and United States Army Space and Missile Defense Technical Center.
Mission — Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology
This project designs and develops novel armament systems concepts and enabling technologies in weapons, munitions, and fire control, in order to advance range and accuracy capabilities. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC).
Mission — Advanced Warheads Technology
This project explores multiple pathways to enhance lethal efforts for future warheads against emerging peer/near peer target sets and investigates synergistic effects of novel micro warheads using advanced materials. This project investigates innovative energetic materials and novel processing techniques for the next generation of explosives and propulsion applications to enable an increase in range, lethality, and utility of munitions. It also directly supports Army Modernization Priorities through researching and developing energetic (propellant) technologies and processes for increased performance, expanded operation temperature bounds, and improved safety and environmental compliance of missile systems. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BK5 (Adv Direct In-Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Tech) and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project CE9 (Armaments Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center.
Mission — Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies
This project investigates, models, and assesses energetic material and propulsion technologies to validate novel concepts such as maximizing total energy density and power delivered on target. This Project also optimizes propellant grains for increased range and altering gun configurations to increase energy on target in order to exploit the controllable/scalable energy release required for improving effectiveness and reducing vulnerability of future gun/missile systems. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH7 (Lethality and Scalable Effects Technologies), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH8 (Lethality Materials and Processes Technology), and PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology) The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research
This project investigates foundational problems associated with high-speed weapons and informs the future strategic fires echelon of Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) capabilities. This Project funds the research of material science subjects such as extreme thermal loading and aero-thermodynamics and control technologies for high- speed vehicles which may encounter high mechanical loads at launch. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics) and PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies), Project AH7 (Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies), and Project AH8 (Lethality Materials and Processes Technology), PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology), and PE 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle) / Project BI4 (Materials Application and Integration Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Technical Center.
Mission — Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality
This project investigates technologies that holistically maximize armament performance, minimize target engagement timelines, reduce crew workloads, enhance responsiveness and enable collaborative lethal effectiveness on target across distributed platforms & missions. This project researches cross caliber weapon, munition & fire-control technologies to enhance Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) responsiveness and single or combined platform lethality in Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environments. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center.
Mission — Advanced Warheads Technology
This project explores multiple pathways to enhance lethal efforts for future warheads against emerging peer/near peer target sets and investigates synergistic effects of novel micro warheads using advanced materials. This project investigates innovative energetic materials and novel processing techniques for the next generation of explosives and propulsion applications to enable an increase in range, lethality, and utility of munitions. It also directly supports Army Modernization Priorities through researching and developing energetic (propellant) technologies and processes for increased performance, expanded operation temperature bounds, and improved safety and environmental compliance of missile systems. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BK5 (Adv Direct In-Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Tech) and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project CE9 (Armaments Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center.
Mission — Lethality Materials and Processes Technology
Work in this project designs, determines, and assesses innovative materials solutions aimed at achieving leap ahead increases in lethality and weapons effectiveness through improvements in weight and volume efficiency, lethal effects, and sustainability of military systems. This research complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technology) and Project AH7 (Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies), and PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / AH4 (Precision and Cooperative Weapons in a Denied Environment) and builds upon and ballistic sciences research in PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies
Work in this project designs, determines, and assesses technology options for scaling warhead lethality and providing extreme efficiency for highly effective, simultaneous mixed/multi target defeat and collateral damage. This Project will also design and assess scalable structure defeat to mitigate collateral damage for disruptive urban Warfighting. Work in this project complements project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies) within this PE and builds upon disruptive energetic and ballistic sciences research in PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies
This project investigates, models, and assesses energetic material and propulsion technologies to validate novel concepts such as maximizing total energy density and power delivered on target. This Project also optimizes propellant grains for increased range and altering gun configurations to increase energy on target in order to exploit the controllable/scalable energy release required for improving effectiveness and reducing vulnerability of future gun/missile systems. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH7 (Lethality and Scalable Effects Technologies), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH8 (Lethality Materials and Processes Technology), and PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology) The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Lethality Technology
Work done in this Program Element (PE) supports research technologies, methodologies, and models required to enable next generation lethality. The effort focuses on: lethal mechanism technologies for projectiles and warheads that provide revolutionary capability to defeat Tier 1 adversary vehicle and body armors; selection of propulsion and energetic materials and technology to validate novel energetic materials concepts to exploit controllable energy release for future gun/missile systems; scalable effects for mixed target defeat while simultaneously decreasing warhead mass; development of materials solutions for improvement of weight and volume efficiency, lethal effects and sustainability for the warfighter in the Army of today and beyond; and multiple pathways to enhance lethal effects by investigating synergistic effects of novel micro warheads using advanced materials. Funding in this PE is a continuation of work done in PEs 0602105A (Materials Technology), 0602618A (Ballistics Technology), and 0602624A (Weapons and Munitions Technology). Work in this PE complements PEs 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology), 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology), 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), 0602144A (Ground Technology), 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), and 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.302 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 was reduced by $0.437 million for civilian personnel to optimize the workforce in compliance with Executive Order 14210, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative."
Mission — Lethality Technology (CA)
Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Lethality Technology. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy.
Mission — Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology
This project designs and develops novel armament systems concepts and enabling technologies in weapons, munitions, and fire control, in order to advance range and accuracy capabilities. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC).
Mission — Science of Massed Responsive Fires
This project supports research on munitions, kinetic and non-kinetic payloads, and weapons in energetics, propulsion, flight, guidance, warheads, guns, material science, and electromagnetic device packages and sensors. This project also supports research in novel energetic materials and energetic monomer/polymer synthesis, composable design science, models for gun wear and erosion, and the development of algorithms, frameworks, and toolsets for cost-effective collaborative autonomous delivery of weapons. Electronic (e.g., jamming, spoofing) and kinetic (e.g., intercept) counters that disrupt nodes of defeat are within adversary reach. Enablers delivered in this research project provide entirely new approaches of dynamically adapting multi-functional systems of weapon systems (beyond improvements to field/air defense and cannon/missile artillery) and the means to physically realize this capability at relevant speed and size scales in collapsed formations to defeat complex, rapidly changing threats at depth. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies), and PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CZ9 (Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research). This Project transitions to PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH9 (Advanced Warheads Technology), PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / Project AG4 (Extended Range Artillery Munition Suite Technology), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CI1 (Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology), PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CIA (Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality), PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / Project AF8 (Affordable Extended Range Precision Technology), PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project CZ8 (PrSM Modular Payload Advanced Development), and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project BY2 (Advanced Hypersonics Technology). The cited work is consistent with Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research
This project investigates foundational problems associated with high-speed weapons and informs the future strategic fires echelon of Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) capabilities. This Project funds the research of material science subjects such as extreme thermal loading and aero-thermodynamics and control technologies for high- speed vehicles which may encounter high mechanical loads at launch. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA7 (Mechanics and Ballistics) and PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project AH6 (Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies), Project AH7 (Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies), and Project AH8 (Lethality Materials and Processes Technology), PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology), and PE 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle) / Project BI4 (Materials Application and Integration Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Technical Center.
Mission — Future Air Defense Missile Enabling Tech
This project investigates, develops, and evaluates critical missile technologies and components necessary for advanced lethal capability in support of future/mid to far term affordable short range air defense interceptor capability to defeat Cruise Missile (CM), Rotary Wing (RW), Tactical / Lethal Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and Fixed Wing (FW) threats. This effort designs and develops technologies to provide advanced materials, seekers, guidance and control, and propulsion for reduced size weight and power and cost for Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (MSHORAD), Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD), and Lower Tier essential to maintain overmatch against mid-/far-term threats. This project will investigate, identify and develop advanced radar concepts, technologies and signal processing algorithms to enable multi-mission radar functions and expanded threat capability. This project supports Air and Missile Defense Modernization priority efforts. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires Technology) / Project AF3 (Extended Range Propulsion Technology) and Project AF8 (Affordable Extended Range Precision Technology), PE 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology) / Project SU1 (Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys (C-sUAS) Tech), and PE 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology) / Project SU2 (Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys (C-sUAS) Adv). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).
Mission — Lethality Enabling University Applied Research
The project leverages research and technological innovations from academia, of lethal directed energy, laser diagnostics and accelerated design of future hypersonics, deep learning (DL) guidance tools, novel materials, and emerging technologies of importance to the Army, by accelerating research and conducting experiments focused on getting technology to the warfighter more quickly. This project performs discovery research efforts to focus more on mid to far-term Army modernization priorities while also maintaining delivery of near-term technologies critical to the Long Range Precision Fires and Air and Missile Defense. This project focuses on employment of research technologies originating from extramural applied research in academia pertaining to lethal directed energy, laser diagnostics, future hypersonic glide body and scramjet propulsor design, DL guidance tools, novel materials, and expansion of the Ballistic, Aero-Optics and Materials (BAM) range applied to lethality. This effort conducts applied research and development leading to potential emerging technologies in areas of importance to the Army in directed energy, future hypersonic glide body design, DL and novel materials, etc., by bringing competitively selected universities with research and development teams into technical alliances. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CZ9 (Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research), PE 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology) / Project DC1 (Next Generation DE Concept Development & Analysis), PE 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project CG2 (Lethality Enabling University Adv Development), and PE 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project BY2 (Advanced Hypersonic Technology). The work cited is consistent with Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Fire Control Lethality Technology
Work in this project researches, investigates and develops concepts for common open architecture fire control systems to maximize distributed armament systems performance. Researches fire control architecture framework and protocols utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to minimize target engagement timelines, reduce cognitive processes, and enable collaborative lethal effectiveness on target across weapon platforms. Develops modular fire control concepts enabling safe, lethal, and agile integration of current systems to engage emerging threats and decrease system vulnerabilities for maximize performance and combined arms effects. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A Lethality Technology/ Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality, PE 0603462A Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology/ Next Generation Intelligent Fire Control, and PE 0602183A Air Platform Applied Research/ Airborne Threat Defeat The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center.
Mission — Sensor to Shooter (STS) Applied Research
This project designs and develops advanced algorithms for sensor to shooter decision aids and incorporates predictive tools and permissive airspace capabilities to reduce the sensor to shooter timeline and effects execution. Investigate technologies for enabling multi-sensor fusion for collaborative tracking of multi-theater threat tracks to enable tactical target engagement and counter fires across threat flight timeline. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project CID (Sensor to Shooter (STS) Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project supports Next Generation Combat Vehicle, Tactical Network, Future Vertical Lift, and Long-Range Precision Fires Army Modernization Priorities. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center, Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center, and United States Army Space and Missile Defense Technical Center.
Mission — Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality
This project investigates technologies that holistically maximize armament performance, minimize target engagement timelines, reduce crew workloads, enhance responsiveness and enable collaborative lethal effectiveness on target across distributed platforms & missions. This project researches cross caliber weapon, munition & fire-control technologies to enhance Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) responsiveness and single or combined platform lethality in Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environments. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this project is performed by the Armaments Center.
Mission — Advanced Radar Concepts and Technologies
This project conducts experiments on single crystal diamond and diamond hetero-structure semiconductor materials, layered structures, and novel devices for Diamond Electronics and integrated photonics structures and devices for Radar, Communications, and improved Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) Department of Defense systems. Efforts include multiscale modeling, material and structure growth and characterization, and novel device design and fabrication as well as two-dimensional (2-D) electronics for bio-inspired neuromorphic sensors, processors, and memory. This research has application to radars, communication systems, electronic warfare, directed energy, electronics for hypersonic systems, radiation hard systems, quantum sensing, and others. This project directly supports Air and Missile Defense modernization priority capabilities by investigating essential component technologies for insertion into Multi-Mission Army Radar systems. This project addresses the challenges of integrating new materials into Silicon Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) processing flows, and electronics reliability including protection against unintended adversarial use of state-of-the-art semiconductor materials, devices, and systems for Air and Missile Defense in contested environments. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology) Project AD6 (Next Generation Fires Radar Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
Mission — Terminal Effects Against Critical Targets Tech
This Project designs and develops engineering tools and high-fidelity modeling and simulation capabilities for materials and structural response to predict and enhance weapons performance to ensure lethality against structures and critical assets. Through dynamic impact experiments for a broad range of velocities against conventional and advanced structural materials, this project develops engineering tools and technologies to rapidly evaluate and predict weapon performance. Computational chemistry will be utilized to explore potential prediction and optimization pathways of high-energy density material formulations. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology) / Project CH5 (Terminal Effects Against Critical Targets Adv Tech). The work cited is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the United States Engineer Research and Development Center Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.
Mission — Solid-state Laser Concepts and Architectures
This project provides the research and development of advanced solid-state laser materials and architectures to support the Army Directed Energy Strategy for laser- based directed energy (DE) weapons. This project investigates advanced laser technologies based on unconventional solid-state laser concepts and designs, scalable and intelligent power modules, and advanced thermal management systems for the development of less complex, low size, weight, and power (SWaP) Army DE weapons and tactical lasers with much improved capabilities. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Technology) / Project CV6 (Optimized High Energy Laser Source Adv Tech) The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (64)
Mechanisms, Materials, and Processing for Lethality
This effort will investigate models that are formulated for gun wear and erosion. This effort also supports the design and development of materials and manufacturing techniques which will be confirmed for rifled tubes to increase tube lifetime by an order of magnitude and increase firing rate.
Threat-Responsive Dynamic Munition Sciences for Survivability and Delivered Effects
This effort will investigate electronics packages, sensors, algorithms, frameworks, and toolsets for cost-effective collaborative autonomous delivery of weapons that consider emerging heterogeneous payloads for targeting, deep sensing, battle damage assessment, communications, networking, and electronic warfare along with munition kinematics (propulsion, flight) for specific threats. This effort will also formulate compact radio frequency (RF) architectures for targeting/deep sensing, comms/networking, and electronic warfare in extreme munitions environment.
Adaptive Technologies for Advanced Weapons
Develops and validates the capability to predict terminal weapons effects for new advanced warheads and weapon systems with initial operational capabilities past FY 2025 against geomaterials, structures, and other critical assets.
Advanced Terminal Weapons Effects Technology
This effort develops and validates terminal weapons effects prediction capabilities for Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) weapons against geomaterials, structures, and other critical assets.
Advanced High Energy Laser Technology
Investigate power scaling strategies for advanced solid-state lasers through the exploitation of the unique properties of advanced materials to develop higher power lasers with lower size, weight, and power requirements. This effort funds research to maximize output power towards theoretical limits, design and develop scalable power conversion with intelligent control for improved efficiency and resiliency, and designs and develops an optimized preliminary design fiber laser to best serve the purpose of power scaling analysis toward 5 kW and 50 kW of output power. Effort will also assess scaled 50 kW power and thermal concepts.
High Energy Laser (HEL) Enabling Technologies for Tactical Directed Energy Weapons
Investigate novel solid-state laser concepts, architectures, and components in support of the Army's HEL weapons strategy. Develop innovative laser gain materials with much improved spectral, thermal, thermo-mechanical, and thermo-optical properties. Develop increased power while reducing size and weight, and complexity of all HEL components.
Advanced Energetics
This effort develops advanced energetic materials and novel processing techniques for future explosives and propulsion applications that enable an increase in range, lethality, and utility of ammunitions.
Advanced Warheads
This effort explores multiple pathways to enhance lethal effects for future warheads against emerging peer/near peer target sets; Investigates synergistic effects of novel warheads using advanced concepts of operations, materials, geometries, and manufacturing processes.
Lethal Effects Architecture for Decision Synchronization Technology
This effort designs and develops advanced adaptive algorithms and architectures to improve threat prediction, reduce the sensor to shooter timeline, and enhance airspace deconfliction in support of Large-Scale Combat Operations in a dynamic multi-domain environment.
Future Fire Control Tech (F2CT)
This effort designs and develops fire control technologies to increase interoperability and improve performance across future distributed armament systems. This effort designs and develops novel components, algorithms, and architectures necessary for future fire control systems.
Next Generation Energetics Technology
This effort designs and develops energetics in support of increased lethality and range and seeks to reduce operational and safety risk. The effort will focus on the following areas related to energetics: additive manufacturing, tailorable outputs, survivability in extreme environments, and advanced processing techniques.
Next Generation Warheads Technology
This effort designs novel warheads and lethal mechanisms for advanced payload concepts in current and future armaments. Develops methodologies to produce conventional, non-conventional, distributed, and synergistic effects and lethality in warhead payloads through advanced designs, materials, modeling, and manufacturing processes.
Advanced Pyrotechnics
This effort investigates compositions, components, and technologies to provide novel pyrotechnic formulations and devices to increase overall system performance and survivability. Coordinates research, strategic assessments and development of novel pyrotechnic technologies that will enable disruptive capabilities for Multidomain Operations.
Munition Efficiency and Scalability
This effort investigates, designs, determines, and assesses technologies to produce blast-fragment warheads with tailored fragment geometries to optimize target defeat. This effort identifies and develops warhead impact patterns to optimize target defeat with reduced collateral damage. This effort also designs, models, and assesses technologies for the cost effective, preprogrammed delivery of multiple scalable warheads capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets. This effort leverages guidance technologies from PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires) / Project AH4 (Precision and Coop Weapons in a Denied Env Tech), and metal additive manufacturing from PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology).
Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology
This project designs and develops novel armament systems concepts and enabling technologies in weapons, munitions, and fire control required to enable and dominate Multi Domain Operations (MDO). This includes advancing state of the art armament system technologies to provide overmatch against current and future threats.
Materials for Advanced Lethality
This effort researches innovative materials aimed at achieving leap-ahead increases in lethality and weapons effectiveness through improvements in weight and volume efficiency, lethal effects, and sustainability of military systems that can only be achieved through advances in materials technology.
Antennas and Radio Frequency (RF) Device Components for Advanced Electronic Systems
Conduct experiments into novel diamond material and silicon photonic device structures operable in the RF electromagnetic spectrum with high radiated power density for increased radar range and better target detection, improved efficiency of communications systems, smaller SWaP for electronics/cooling of autonomous systems, high temperature electronics for hypersonics, and radiation hardened electronics.
Distributed Radar Architectures
This research seeks to validate critical functions and perform proof-of-concept laboratory experimentation to develop phase synchronous, coordinated radar and multi-function effects that enable distributed, global positioning system (GPS)-independent, autonomous capabilities. This effort validates critical synchronized distributed networked sensor functions and novel signal processing methods. This effort validates advanced antenna designs for low size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C), multi-function systems.
Radar Digital Twin (EXHILARAMA)
This effort researches, designs, and develops a radar digital engineering environment, virtual prototype radar system architecture, and component technology to address next generation radar requirements, and quantifies performance through rapid persistent modeling and simulation.
Future Air Defense Missile Enabling Technology
Designs and develops reduced cost advanced Air Defense missile critical components essential to maintain overmatch against mid/far term M-SHORAD, SHORAD, and Lower Tier threats.
Dense Energetic Materials Science
This effort supports research in novel energetic materials and energetic monomer/polymer synthesis to maximize both performance and survivability in extreme operating conditions and incorporation into propulsion (gun and rocket propellants, air-breather fuels) and warhead (explosive) technologies.
Foundational Hypersonic System Component
This effort investigates the susceptibility of hypersonic threats to high-power microwave (HPM) and radio frequency (RF) attack. Research includes HPM effects research on electronic components, investigation of HPM and RF attenuation through hypersonic environments, development of hardware to represent foreign missile threats, and modeling and simulation to predict effectiveness of HPM attack on hypersonic threats.
Synthesis, Formulation, Modeling, and Diagnostics of Energetic Materials for Explosive and Propellant Applications
This effort pursues novel approaches for synthesize and scale up disruptive and traditional energetic materials with increased performance as well as design new formulation to include synthetic biology avenues in order to discover new materials and formulations to extend range and increase effect on target. This effort develops codes, and subsequently employs advanced models to predict multiscale response of energetic materials for both propellant and explosive purposes. This effort develops new processes, simulation and small scale experimental methods and techniques for understanding and design of advanced concepts and energetic formulations to rapidly iterate and optimize parameters for alternate energetic material sourcing and development strategies towards increased range and enhanced lethality. This effort also investigates new energetic precursor materials and processes, propellants and grain designs, burn rate/combustion modifier ingredients, as well as new gun and munition designs for extended range.
Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Flight and Control
This effort increases understanding of hypersonic vehicle flight behavior and control approaches for more aggressive, rapid, low risk multi-disciplinary designs of future hypersonic vehicles featuring enhanced agility/stability necessary for survivable delivery to advanced threats of the future. Research includes fundamental flow physics and chemistry, guidance and flight control algorithms, vehicle maneuver control mechanisms, novel vehicle shapes, and the theoretical modeling, computational toolsets, and experimental techniques to achieve these advancements.
Foundational Hypersonic Weapon Materials
This effort investigates materials synthesis and processing (including innovative approaches such as high-throughput materials-by-design using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms), novel experimental techniques, and fundamental theoretical modeling to decrease cost, increase availability, and model thermal and mechanical survivability on hypersonic vehicles. Specific research topics include polymer/resin synthesis for composites, novel three-dimensional composite weave architectures, composite processing (process by which the material is made), ceramic window/dome materials, high-temperature metallic alloys, and joining techniques.
Platform Agnostic Armaments Applied Tech
This effort designs and develops technologies that enables platform performance by increasing range without degrading accuracy, reducing size, weight, and power and impact to lighter platforms, enhancing weapon, munitions, fire control, & agnostic remote weapon automation tech to reduce the kill chain timeline. This effort enables Army Modernization and Multi- Domain Operations (MDOs) in support of the Army's future and planned vehicles.
Intelligent Hypersonics and Other Vehicle Systems
This effort develops and designs geometrically relevant testing hardware required to study aerothermodynamic performance, increase impact velocity and extend range of precision strike munitions. Work is conducted in collaboration with university partners to collect experimental data and insights required to train deep learning neural networks used for the development of hypersonic vehicle flight systems with adaptability and increased lethality.
Distributed, Dense, Multifunctional Architectures for Munitions
This effort support research into composable design science incorporating coupled physics/chemistry/engagement models of multiple components/munitions with new functionality which could be convergent manufactured. Advanced manufacturing of distributed components for airframe (propulsion, flight) and payloads (targeting, comms, electronic warfare (EW), control, warhead, post-launch propulsion) with multi-functionality will be addressed.
Laser Diagnostics for Hypersonics and Directed Energy
This effort researched systematic expansion in laser diagnostics technologies to assess hypersonic turbulence and boundary layer transition. Work is conducted in collaboration with university partners to advance the effects of atmospheric turbulence on laser propagation and gain applied knowledge in directed energy systems effectiveness and range.
Fire Control Lethality Technology
This effort designs and develops fire control technologies to increase interoperability and improve performance across future distributed armament systems. This effort designs and develops novel components, algorithms, and architectures necessary for future fire control systems.
Turbulence and Transition Modeling and Validation for Hypersonic Vehicles
This effort is conducted in collaboration with university partners to develop modeling tools to help inform the flight envelope of existing hypersonic vehicles to accelerate design of future hypersonic glide bodies.
Novel Materials for Extreme Environments
This effort produces a test environment for thermal and ablation evaluation of novel materials relevant to hypersonic vehicles. Work is conducted in collaboration with university partners to assess material characteristics and develop computational models of high strain rate materials to mitigate the effects of high kinetic energy impacts.
Next Generation Warheads Technology
This effort designs novel warheads and lethal mechanisms for advanced payload concepts in current and future armaments. Develops methodologies to produce conventional, non-conventional, distributed, and synergistic effects and lethality in warhead payloads through advanced designs, materials, modeling, and manufacturing processes.
Advanced Pyrotechnics
This effort investigates compositions, components, and technologies to provide novel pyrotechnic formulations and devices to increase overall system performance and survivability. Coordinates research, strategic assessments and development of novel pyrotechnic technologies that will enable disruptive capabilities for Multidomain Operations.
Materials for Advanced Lethality
This effort researches innovative materials aimed at achieving leap-ahead increases in lethality and weapons effectiveness through improvements in weight and volume efficiency, lethal effects, and sustainability of military systems that can only be achieved through advances in materials technology.
Munition Efficiency and Scalability
This effort investigates, designs, determines, and assesses technologies to produce blast-fragment warheads with tailored fragment geometries to optimize target defeat. This effort identifies and develops warhead impact patterns to optimize target defeat with reduced collateral damage. This effort also designs, models, and assesses technologies for the cost effective, preprogrammed delivery of multiple scalable warheads capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets. This effort leverages guidance technologies from PE 0602147A (Long Range Precision Fires) / Project AH4 (Precision and Coop Weapons in a Denied Env Tech), and metal additive manufacturing from PE 0602144A (Ground Technology) / Project BL1 (Materials and Manufacturing Research Technology).
Synthesis, Formulation, Modeling, and Diagnostics of Energetic Materials for Explosive and Propellant Applications
This effort pursues novel approaches for synthesize and scale up disruptive and traditional energetic materials with increased performance as well as design new formulation to include synthetic biology avenues in order to discover new materials and formulations to extend range and increase effect on target. This effort develops codes, and subsequently employs advanced models to predict multiscale response of energetic materials for both propellant and explosive purposes. This effort develops new processes, simulation and small scale experimental methods and techniques for understanding and design of advanced concepts and energetic formulations to rapidly iterate and optimize parameters for alternate energetic material sourcing and development strategies towards increased range and enhanced lethality. This effort also investigates new energetic precursor materials and processes, propellants and grain designs, burn rate/combustion modifier ingredients, as well as new gun and munition designs for extended range.
Advanced Warheads
This effort explores multiple pathways to enhance lethal effects for future warheads against emerging peer/near peer target sets; Investigates synergistic effects of novel warheads using advanced concepts of operations, materials, geometries, and manufacturing processes.
Advanced Energetics
This effort develops advanced energetic materials and novel processing techniques for future explosives and propulsion applications that enable an increase in range, lethality, and utility of ammunitions.
Next Generation Energetics Technology
This effort designs and develops energetics in support of increased lethality and range and seeks to reduce operational and safety risk. The effort will focus on the following areas related to energetics: additive manufacturing, tailorable outputs, survivability in extreme environments, and advanced processing techniques.
Mechanisms, Materials, and Processing for Lethality
This effort will investigate models that are formulated for gun wear and erosion. This effort also supports the design and development of materials and manufacturing techniques which will be confirmed for rifled tubes to increase tube lifetime by an order of magnitude and increase firing rate.
Intelligent Hypersonics and Other Vehicle Systems
This effort develops and designs geometrically relevant testing hardware required to study aerothermodynamic performance, increase impact velocity and extend range of precision strike munitions. Work is conducted in collaboration with university partners to collect experimental data and insights required to train deep learning neural networks used for the development of hypersonic vehicle flight systems with adaptability and increased lethality.
Radar Digital Twin (EXHILARAMA)
This effort researches, designs, and develops a radar digital engineering environment, virtual prototype radar system architecture, and component technology to address next generation radar requirements, and quantifies performance through rapid persistent modeling and simulation.
Novel Materials for Extreme Environments
This effort produces a test environment for thermal and ablation evaluation of novel materials relevant to hypersonic vehicles. Work is conducted in collaboration with university partners to assess material characteristics and develop computational models of high strain rate materials to mitigate the effects of high kinetic energy impacts.
Threat-Responsive Dynamic Munition Sciences for Survivability and Delivered Effects
This effort will investigate electronics packages, sensors, algorithms, frameworks, and toolsets for cost-effective collaborative autonomous delivery of weapons that consider emerging heterogeneous payloads for targeting, deep sensing, battle damage assessment, communications, networking, and electronic warfare along with munition kinematics (propulsion, flight) for specific threats. This effort will also formulate compact radio frequency (RF) architectures for targeting/deep sensing, comms/networking, and electronic warfare in extreme munitions environment.
Distributed, Dense, Multifunctional Architectures for Munitions
This effort support research into composable design science incorporating coupled physics/chemistry/engagement models of multiple components/munitions with new functionality which could be convergent manufactured. Advanced manufacturing of distributed components for airframe (propulsion, flight) and payloads (targeting, comms, electronic warfare (EW), control, warhead, post-launch propulsion) with multi-functionality will be addressed.
Dense Energetic Materials Science
This effort supports research in novel energetic materials and energetic monomer/polymer synthesis to maximize both performance and survivability in extreme operating conditions and incorporation into propulsion (gun and rocket propellants, air-breather fuels) and warhead (explosive) technologies.
Foundational Hypersonic System Component
This effort investigates the susceptibility of hypersonic threats to high-power microwave (HPM) and radio frequency (RF) attack. Research includes HPM effects research on electronic components, investigation of HPM and RF attenuation through hypersonic environments, development of hardware to represent foreign missile threats, and modeling and simulation to predict effectiveness of HPM attack on hypersonic threats.
Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Flight and Control
This effort increases understanding of hypersonic vehicle flight behavior and control approaches for more aggressive, rapid, low risk multi-disciplinary designs of future hypersonic vehicles featuring enhanced agility/stability necessary for survivable delivery to advanced threats of the future. Research includes fundamental flow physics and chemistry, guidance and flight control algorithms, vehicle maneuver control mechanisms, novel vehicle shapes, and the theoretical modeling, computational toolsets, and experimental techniques to achieve these advancements.
Foundational Hypersonic Weapon Materials
This effort investigates materials synthesis and processing (including innovative approaches such as high-throughput materials-by-design using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms), novel experimental techniques, and fundamental theoretical modeling to decrease cost, increase availability, and model thermal and mechanical survivability on hypersonic vehicles. Specific research topics include polymer/resin synthesis for composites, novel three-dimensional composite weave architectures, composite processing (process by which the material is made), ceramic window/dome materials, high-temperature metallic alloys, and joining techniques.
Future Air Defense Missile Enabling Technology
Designs and develops reduced cost advanced Air Defense missile critical components essential to maintain overmatch against mid/far term M-SHORAD, SHORAD, and Lower Tier threats.
Turbulence and Transition Modeling and Validation for Hypersonic Vehicles
This effort is conducted in collaboration with university partners to develop modeling tools to help inform the flight envelope of existing hypersonic vehicles to accelerate design of future hypersonic glide bodies.
Laser Diagnostics for Hypersonics and Directed Energy
This effort researched systematic expansion in laser diagnostics technologies to assess hypersonic turbulence and boundary layer transition. Work is conducted in collaboration with university partners to advance the effects of atmospheric turbulence on laser propagation and gain applied knowledge in directed energy systems effectiveness and range.
Fire Control Lethality Technology
This effort designs and develops fire control technologies to increase interoperability and improve performance across future distributed armament systems. This effort designs and develops novel components, algorithms, and architectures necessary for future fire control systems.
Future Fire Control Tech (F2CT)
This effort designs and develops fire control technologies to increase interoperability and improve performance across future distributed armament systems. This effort designs and develops novel components, algorithms, and architectures necessary for future fire control systems.
Lethal Effects Architecture for Decision Synchronization Technology
This effort designs and develops advanced adaptive algorithms and architectures to improve threat prediction, reduce the sensor to shooter timeline, and enhance airspace deconfliction in support of Large-Scale Combat Operations in a dynamic multi-domain environment.
Platform Agnostic Armaments Applied Tech
This effort designs and develops technologies that enables platform performance by increasing range without degrading accuracy, reducing size, weight, and power and impact to lighter platforms, enhancing weapon, munitions, fire control, & agnostic remote weapon automation tech to reduce the kill chain timeline. This effort enables Army Modernization and Multi- Domain Operations (MDOs) in support of the Army's future and planned vehicles.
Distributed Radar Architectures
This research seeks to validate critical functions and perform proof-of-concept laboratory experimentation to develop phase synchronous, coordinated radar and multi-function effects that enable distributed, global positioning system (GPS)-independent, autonomous capabilities. This effort validates critical synchronized distributed networked sensor functions and novel signal processing methods. This effort validates advanced antenna designs for low size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C), multi-function systems.
Antennas and Radio Frequency (RF) Device Components for Advanced Electronic Systems
Conduct experiments into novel diamond material and silicon photonic device structures operable in the RF electromagnetic spectrum with high radiated power density for increased radar range and better target detection, improved efficiency of communications systems, smaller SWaP for electronics/cooling of autonomous systems, high temperature electronics for hypersonics, and radiation hardened electronics.
Adaptive Technologies for Advanced Weapons
Develops and validates the capability to predict terminal weapons effects for new advanced warheads and weapon systems with initial operational capabilities past FY 2025 against geomaterials, structures, and other critical assets.
Advanced Terminal Weapons Effects Technology
This effort develops and validates terminal weapons effects prediction capabilities for Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) weapons against geomaterials, structures, and other critical assets.
Advanced High Energy Laser Technology
Investigate power scaling strategies for advanced solid-state lasers through the exploitation of the unique properties of advanced materials to develop higher power lasers with lower size, weight, and power requirements. This effort funds research to maximize output power towards theoretical limits, design and develop scalable power conversion with intelligent control for improved efficiency and resiliency, and designs and develops an optimized preliminary design fiber laser to best serve the purpose of power scaling analysis toward 5 kW and 50 kW of output power. Effort will also assess scaled 50 kW power and thermal concepts.
High Energy Laser (HEL) Enabling Technologies for Tactical Directed Energy Weapons
Investigate novel solid-state laser concepts, architectures, and components in support of the Army's HEL weapons strategy. Develop innovative laser gain materials with much improved spectral, thermal, thermo-mechanical, and thermo-optical properties. Develop increased power while reducing size and weight, and complexity of all HEL components.
Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology
This project designs and develops novel armament systems concepts and enabling technologies in weapons, munitions, and fire control required to enable and dominate Multi Domain Operations (MDO). This includes advancing state of the art armament system technologies to provide overmatch against current and future threats.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY24 Actuals | $145.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY25 Enacted | $128.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY25 Total | $128.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY26 Disc. Request | $97.2M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY26 Total | $97.2M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIA: Applied Armaments Tech for Distributed Lethality | $2.44M | — | $8.00K | $8.00K |
| CIC: Fire Control Lethality Technology | $1.41M | $2.96M | $1.47M | $1.47M |
| CJ1: Lethality Enabling University Applied Research | $5.38M | $7.87M | $3.57M | $3.57M |
| CJ7: Future Air Defense Missile Enabling Tech | $2.26M | $4.61M | $4.29M | $4.29M |
| AH6: Disruptive Energetics and Propulsion Technologies | $8.66M | $8.82M | $5.02M | $5.02M |
| CF8: Terminal Effects Against Critical Targets Tech | $2.14M | $1.03M | $5.14M | $5.14M |
| CF7: Solid-state Laser Concepts and Architectures | $8.99M | $8.98M | $7.84M | $7.84M |
| CG4: Advanced Radar Concepts and Technologies | $5.47M | $6.54M | $10.6M | $10.6M |
| CZ9: Foundational Hypersonic Weapons Research | $8.05M | $10.8M | $11.2M | $11.2M |
| DN6: Science of Massed Responsive Fires | — | — | $20.4M | $20.4M |
| AH9: Advanced Warheads Technology | $23.5M | $27.3M | $27.6M | $27.6M |
| Program Element | $145.4M | $128.7M | $97.2M | $97.2M |
| AH7: Lethal and Scalable Effects Technologies | $1.52M | $1.58M | — | — |
| AH8: Lethality Materials and Processes Technology | $1.90M | $1.91M | — | — |
| CI1: Advanced Armaments Lethality Technology | $1.64M | $4.35M | — | — |
| CIB: Sensor to Shooter (STS) Applied Research | $4.02M | $7.91M | — | — |
| BS6: Lethality Technology (CA) | $68.0M | $34.0M | — | — |
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1741 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.
Lobbying Mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →