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Fiscal Receipts

Future Verticle Lift Technology

ArmyRDT&EFully Reconciled0602148A

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What it is
Future Verticle Lift Technology (0602148A) is an Army research & development line funded in the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army account. Its J-book detail breaks the line into 10 projects.
What changed
-$31.9M FY25→26 R-1 TOA · PB2026
Who gets it
No award linkage at high confidence.

Budget Figures

FY24 Actuals
$104.8MR-1 TOA · PB2026
FY25 Total
$52.4MR-1 TOA · PB2026
FY26 Request
$20.4MR-1 TOA · PB2026
FY25→26 Change
-$31.9MR-1 TOA · PB2026

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? →

Budget Trajectory
The program's 3 summary figures for FY24 to FY26, plotted in fiscal-year order so the direction of travel is readable at a glance: this line ends lower than it starts. The points are the summary cards above, not a separate derivation; the table beside the chart carries each figure with its own citation.
The program's 3 summary figures for FY24 to FY26, plotted in fiscal-year order so the direction of travel is readable at a glance: this line ends lower than it starts. The points are the summary cards above, not a separate derivation; the table beside the chart carries each figure with its own citation.FY24: $104.8MFY25: $52.4MFY26: $20.4MFY24FY25FY26
Budget trajectory: one row per fiscal year, carrying the summary figure the sparkline plots. Every figure opens its own citation.
Fiscal yearAmount
FY24$104.8M
FY25$52.4M
FY26$20.4M

All series figures: R-1 TOA · 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
9 fiscal years of this program as published (FY2018–FY2026): a line through the actuals (filled dots), with the enacted (hollow circles) and request (diamonds) markers each edition reported. Read it for direction, not for precision — this program's actuals line rises across the span. The grid below is the same data as text, one cited figure per cell.
9 fiscal years of this program as published (FY2018–FY2026): a line through the actuals (filled dots), with the enacted (hollow circles) and request (diamonds) markers each edition reported. Read it for direction, not for precision — this program's actuals line rises across the span. The grid below is the same data as text, one cited figure per cell.FY2018 actuals — PB2020 editionFY2019 actuals — PB2021 editionFY2020 actuals — PB2022 editionFY2021 actuals — PB2023 editionFY2022 actuals — PB2024 editionFY2023 actuals — PB2025 editionFY2024 actuals — PB2026 editionFY2019 enacted — PB2020 editionFY2020 enacted — PB2021 editionFY2021 enacted — PB2022 editionFY2022 enacted — PB2023 editionFY2023 enacted — PB2024 editionFY2024 enacted — PB2025 editionFY2025 enacted — PB2026 editionFY2020 request — PB2020 editionFY2021 request — PB2021 editionFY2022 request — PB2022 editionFY2023 request — PB2023 editionFY2024 request — PB2024 editionFY2025 request — PB2025 editionFY2026 request — PB2026 editionFY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26

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.

Decade series values by fiscal year and President's Budget edition: one row per series (actuals, enacted, request), one column per fiscal year. Every figure opens its own citation.
SeriesFY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26
Actuals$0$0$94.9M$169.5M$130.1M$103.0M$104.8M
Enacted$0$98.4M$169.5M$133.2M$104.3M$73.8M$52.4M
Request$93.6M$96.5M$91.4M$69.3M$73.8M$52.7M$20.4M

blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.

Asked vs spent: the PB2021 book requested $96.5M for FY2021; the PB2023 book reported $169.5M as actual total obligation authority — $73.1M above the request. 169.53696.484 = 73.052 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 Future Verticle Lift Technology

This Program Element (PE) is directly aligned to the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Army Modernization Priority. This PE conducts air vehicle and mission system component design, fabrication, and evaluation to enable Army Future Vertical Lift. Emphasis is on developing aviation platform and mission system technologies to enhance manned and unmanned air vehicle combat and combat support operations for attack, reconnaissance, air assault, survivability, logistics, and command and control missions. Research in this PE contributes to the Army Science and Technology (S&T) air systems portfolio and is fully coordinated with efforts in PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Research) and PE 0603043A (Air Platform Advanced Technology). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering S&T focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.228 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 $0.094 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 Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech

This Project investigates and develops subsystem and component level technologies that enable advanced teaming behaviors for mixed platform formations in combined arms operations. Primary component technologies to develop are in the areas of resilient autonomy algorithms, team-based communications and situational awareness management, decision aiding for weapons systems engagement, autonomous terrain and collision avoidance, and human autonomy interface design. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project AL1 (Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Oper Adv Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC), and the Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Holistic Situational Awareness and Dec Making Tech

This Project focuses on modeling and simulation of pilotage and decision aiding system technology that allows for carefree operations in complex and hostile environments. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology Development) / Project AL9 (Holistic Sit Awareness and Dec Making Adv Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission Future Vertical Lift Air Platform Tech (CA)

Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Future Vertical Lift Platform 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 Future Vertical Lift Medical Technologies

This Project involves research to prevent injury and performance degradation in Aviators, Unmanned Arial System (UAS) Operators and other Warfighters in training and operations; refines risk assessment and performance models based on operational stressors, e.g., sleep deprivation, work load, fatigue; and delivers biomedical-based spinal injury criteria and assessment methodologies. This research provides medical information important to the design and operational use of future vertical lift aircraft, and when appropriate, ground vehicles. The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy.

Mission FVL Radar Technologies

This Project develops underlying technologies applicable to next generation airborne radars used for detection, tracking and precision targeting, navigation and fire control for multiple modalities. It develops fully automated target recognition for radar, advanced processing techniques, distributed radar sensing and sensor coordination methods needed for targeting-quality detect, identify, locate and report (DILR) capabilities from airborne platforms. Efforts improve radar survivability and lethality across the Aviation ecosystem, speed target prosecution timelines for actionable information on the battlefield and provide the Warfighter with persistent DILR enabling day/night/all-weather sensing in congested/contested Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environments. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CC4 (FVL Radar Advanced Technologies). 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 Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Air Launched Effects Technology

This Project utilizes improved analytic modeling to investigate the effects that potential unmanned system capabilities could have on air vehicle design considerations and operational concepts. This Project improves government capability to design and assess novel Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) concepts. This Project also develops and investigates the ability to launch a UAS from a manned or unmanned future vertical lift aircraft at tactical altitudes and to control the same after launch from nearby Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft, as well as development of the associated payloads (recon, battle damage assessment, targeting, comms, decoy). This Project will assess the enabled capabilities and determine their relevance to current Army Aviation engagement and survivability portfolios. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project AK8 (Air Launched Effects Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission Holistic Team Survivability Technology

This Project will investigate and design advanced survivability technologies to develop a holistic team-based solution that delivers advanced sensing and electronic warfare (EW) effects across a family of aircraft to optimally penetrate and survive in the anti-access/area denial (A2AD) environment. This Project will take an integrated team-based system of systems survivability approach through a purpose-driven mix of improved survivability situational awareness, signature management, vulnerability reduction, enhanced platform survivability against directed energy munitions, route and maneuver optimization, expendables, advanced sensors, and electro-optics (EO) & radio frequency (RF) jamming for existing and future air platforms. This Project will also provide advanced teaming algorithms for survivability. This Project develops and evaluates multi layered survivability concepts and supporting technologies for increased survivability of Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Family of Systems (FVL FoS) in an advanced and evolving integrated air defense systems environment. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CG1 (Holistic Team Survivability Adv Tech). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) and Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Power & Thermal Management for FVL Tech

This Project directly supports Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Modernization Priority capabilities by investigating and developing power and thermal management technologies to provide significantly higher electrical power capability to FVL aircraft while addressing consequential size, weight, and thermal issues. This Project provides power capability for advanced electric aeromechanical effectors, advanced mission systems algorithms for route planning and teaming, and advanced electronic warfare devices. This also Project investigates emerging electrical power generation and distribution, energy storage, and thermal management technologies needed for future Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) and survivability equipment for application to FVL and other Army platforms. Enables significantly increased aircraft electrical power capability for advanced electric aeromechanical effectors, advanced mission systems to include algorithms for route planning and teaming, and for advanced electronic warfare devices while minimizing size and weight. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CH7 (Power & Thermal Management for FVL Adv Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) and Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Adaptive Avionics Technologies

This Project will Build on Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) successes to enable future aviation mission systems to proactively exploit emerging innovation from multiple technological domains, employing continuous development and continuous deployment by researching and developing advanced avionics integration techniques and optimized processing management. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CI8 (Adaptive Avionics Advanced Technologies). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission High Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) Tech

The Project investigates, designs, and evaluates missile component technologies compatible with Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and Future Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FUAS) aviation platforms and ground platforms in a Multi-Domain Battle/Cross-domain Maneuver operational environment. Efforts provide technologies to support a smaller, faster, maneuverable missile capable of long-range non-line-of-sight attack in contested/degraded environments. Technology development increases aviation and ground lethality and platform survivability by increasing missile standoff range, speed, and maneuverability, a faster rate of fire, shorter times of flight, and multi-threat lethal effects. Enables cross domain applications for aviation and ground vehicle platforms, including handoff capability, to engage threats in dead zones, and to operate in contested environments. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), Project CK2 (High Speed Maneuverable Missile Adv Tech). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission Future Verticle Lift Technology

This Program Element (PE) is directly aligned to the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Army Modernization Priority. This PE conducts air vehicle and mission system component design, fabrication, and evaluation to enable Army Future Vertical Lift. Emphasis is on developing aviation platform and mission system technologies to enhance manned and unmanned air vehicle combat and combat support operations for attack, reconnaissance, air assault, survivability, logistics, and command and control missions. Research in this PE contributes to the Army Science and Technology (S&T) air systems portfolio and is fully coordinated with efforts in PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), PE 0602183A (Air Platform Applied Research) and PE 0603043A (Air Platform Advanced Technology). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering S&T focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.228 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 $0.094 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 Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech

This Project investigates and develops subsystem and component level technologies that enable advanced teaming behaviors for mixed platform formations in combined arms operations. Primary component technologies to develop are in the areas of resilient autonomy algorithms, team-based communications and situational awareness management, decision aiding for weapons systems engagement, autonomous terrain and collision avoidance, and human autonomy interface design. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project AL1 (Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Oper Adv Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC), and the Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Holistic Situational Awareness and Dec Making Tech

This Project focuses on modeling and simulation of pilotage and decision aiding system technology that allows for carefree operations in complex and hostile environments. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with PE 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology Development) / Project AL9 (Holistic Sit Awareness and Dec Making Adv Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission Future Vertical Lift Air Platform Tech (CA)

Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Future Vertical Lift Platform 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 Future Vertical Lift Medical Technologies

This Project involves research to prevent injury and performance degradation in Aviators, Unmanned Arial System (UAS) Operators and other Warfighters in training and operations; refines risk assessment and performance models based on operational stressors, e.g., sleep deprivation, work load, fatigue; and delivers biomedical-based spinal injury criteria and assessment methodologies. This research provides medical information important to the design and operational use of future vertical lift aircraft, and when appropriate, ground vehicles. The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy.

Mission FVL Radar Technologies

This Project develops underlying technologies applicable to next generation airborne radars used for detection, tracking and precision targeting, navigation and fire control for multiple modalities. It develops fully automated target recognition for radar, advanced processing techniques, distributed radar sensing and sensor coordination methods needed for targeting-quality detect, identify, locate and report (DILR) capabilities from airborne platforms. Efforts improve radar survivability and lethality across the Aviation ecosystem, speed target prosecution timelines for actionable information on the battlefield and provide the Warfighter with persistent DILR enabling day/night/all-weather sensing in congested/contested Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environments. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CC4 (FVL Radar Advanced Technologies). 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 Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Air Launched Effects Technology

This Project utilizes improved analytic modeling to investigate the effects that potential unmanned system capabilities could have on air vehicle design considerations and operational concepts. This Project improves government capability to design and assess novel Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) concepts. This Project also develops and investigates the ability to launch a UAS from a manned or unmanned future vertical lift aircraft at tactical altitudes and to control the same after launch from nearby Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft, as well as development of the associated payloads (recon, battle damage assessment, targeting, comms, decoy). This Project will assess the enabled capabilities and determine their relevance to current Army Aviation engagement and survivability portfolios. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project AK8 (Air Launched Effects Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission Holistic Team Survivability Technology

This Project will investigate and design advanced survivability technologies to develop a holistic team-based solution that delivers advanced sensing and electronic warfare (EW) effects across a family of aircraft to optimally penetrate and survive in the anti-access/area denial (A2AD) environment. This Project will take an integrated team-based system of systems survivability approach through a purpose-driven mix of improved survivability situational awareness, signature management, vulnerability reduction, enhanced platform survivability against directed energy munitions, route and maneuver optimization, expendables, advanced sensors, and electro-optics (EO) & radio frequency (RF) jamming for existing and future air platforms. This Project will also provide advanced teaming algorithms for survivability. This Project develops and evaluates multi layered survivability concepts and supporting technologies for increased survivability of Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Family of Systems (FVL FoS) in an advanced and evolving integrated air defense systems environment. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CG1 (Holistic Team Survivability Adv Tech). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) and Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Power & Thermal Management for FVL Tech

This Project directly supports Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Modernization Priority capabilities by investigating and developing power and thermal management technologies to provide significantly higher electrical power capability to FVL aircraft while addressing consequential size, weight, and thermal issues. This Project provides power capability for advanced electric aeromechanical effectors, advanced mission systems algorithms for route planning and teaming, and advanced electronic warfare devices. This also Project investigates emerging electrical power generation and distribution, energy storage, and thermal management technologies needed for future Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) and survivability equipment for application to FVL and other Army platforms. Enables significantly increased aircraft electrical power capability for advanced electric aeromechanical effectors, advanced mission systems to include algorithms for route planning and teaming, and for advanced electronic warfare devices while minimizing size and weight. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CH7 (Power & Thermal Management for FVL Adv Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) and Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Mission Adaptive Avionics Technologies

This Project will Build on Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) successes to enable future aviation mission systems to proactively exploit emerging innovation from multiple technological domains, employing continuous development and continuous deployment by researching and developing advanced avionics integration techniques and optimized processing management. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology) / Project CI8 (Adaptive Avionics Advanced Technologies). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).

Mission High Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) Tech

The Project investigates, designs, and evaluates missile component technologies compatible with Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and Future Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FUAS) aviation platforms and ground platforms in a Multi-Domain Battle/Cross-domain Maneuver operational environment. Efforts provide technologies to support a smaller, faster, maneuverable missile capable of long-range non-line-of-sight attack in contested/degraded environments. Technology development increases aviation and ground lethality and platform survivability by increasing missile standoff range, speed, and maneuverability, a faster rate of fire, shorter times of flight, and multi-threat lethal effects. Enables cross domain applications for aviation and ground vehicle platforms, including handoff capability, to engage threats in dead zones, and to operate in contested environments. Work in this Project is fully coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift Advanced Technology), Project CK2 (High Speed Maneuverable Missile Adv Tech). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Science and Technology focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this project is performed by Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC).

Justification

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (30)

Advanced Teaming Concepts

Investigates and develops subsystem and component level technologies that enable advanced manned and unmanned teaming behaviors for mixed air and ground platform formations in combined arms operations.

Enhanced Optics for Long Range Targeting

This effort will deliver advanced airborne optics and reconfigurable filtering devices to enable agile, multi-task sensors for compact, long-range targeting, enhanced survivability and lethality of the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and Future Unmanned Aircraft System (FUAS). This effort will restore visual overmatch in any (day/night) environment through visual penetration of all obscurants (e.g. brownout, white out, engineered smokescreens) from a single sensor, as well as narrowband filtering for active imaging through obscurants while maintaining advanced target acquisition. Improved detection and identification and long-range target acquisition capability will result from filtering out scattered light and enabling 3-dimensional ranging through environmental obscurants.

Holistic Mission Manager (HMM) Concepts

Investigate and demonstrate the capability of agent-based, software solutions to increase future and enduring Army vertical lift mission effectiveness by improving in-flight, aircrew, mission management capabilities and processes in dynamic, time-constrained, tactical environments through information synthesis, automation, and autonomy.

Medical Standards to Support Future Vertical Lift (FVL)

This effort develops and delivers medical guidelines and strategies to assure optimal Soldier performance and protection on the future technologically-intensive battlefield. Key elements of the program include: 1) tailored medical selection and retention standards for FVL; 2) medical strategies to maintain and enhance human performance in multi-domain operations (MDO); 3) human-centered technology design guidance to accommodate the range of aircrew; 4) improved protection standards to reduce FVL occupant injury; and 5) operator state monitoring tools to enable scalable autonomy in FVL aircraft.

Airborne Distributed Radar

Research and develop distributed radar techniques, including approaches for Automatic Target Recognition for distributed airborne radar applications. Conduct monostatic and distributed vulnerability analyses.

Systems Concepts Studies for Air Launched Effects

Investigates and models air vehicle concepts to understand the effects that potential operational Air Launched Effects capabilities will have on air vehicle properties.

Versatile Air Launched Effects (VALE) Concepts

Conducts configuration trades analysis studies and develops technologies that support air and ground launched effects operations in complex, contested environments including urban / fringe and littoral. Matures individual technologies and design concepts that shape investment for Versatile Air Launched Effects Demonstration and inform the System Specifications for the LE Program of Record.

Advanced Survivability Concepts

This effort will provide analysis of the rapidly evolving and emerging threat environment and impacts to Future Vertical Lift Family of Systems FVL FoS platforms, developing and evaluating full spectrum survivability concept, collaborative team based survivability algorithms and behaviors

Distributed Electronic Warefare Effects

This effort investigates and develops critical EW components and techniques to enable the FVL capability to operate and survive in A2/AD environments. It provides scalable low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) signal processing components and decision-making algorithms that adapt and counter the characteristics of advanced and emerging threats.

Optimized Energy for C5ISR Platforms

This effort investigates electrical power and thermal management associated with high power C5ISR capabilities on ground and air platforms enabling enhanced mobility and mission flexibility. This effort funds research to improve FVL aircraft and other Army platforms power efficiency through the use of on-demand hybrid electrical power architectures, while also researching ways to eliminate platform thermal constraints. This effort will also investigate safer battery chemistries which enable very high density electrical power sources and energy storage to be flight certified for high rate pulsed power, electrical power management, and thermal management for dynamic high rate pulsed power.

Adaptive Power Component Technologies

This effort develops adaptive propulsion and power system component technologies to provide highly efficient propulsion and power capability to FVL aircraft while addressing consequential SWAP & thermal issues. Technology will be validated through component level test.

Hybrid Propulsion Conceptual Design Analysis

Explore design and development of hybrid-electric propulsion concepts / applications (conventional & non-conventional) for multiple manned-VTOL classes to achieve greatest operational benefit for FVL future Platforms. Analysis will include trade studies to identify metrics, best architectures/technologies/configurations, and demonstration path for improved FVL aircraft capability.

Future Avionics Implementation Research (FAIR)

This effort will investigate evolving advanced avionics technologies and integration techniques in disparate environments for FVL mission systems, and will research complex computing environments, contextual resource management and ownship network technologies to implement on FVL air platforms.

High Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) Technology

Efforts provide technology development to support a maneuverable missile capable of both short range direct attack and long range non-line-of-sight attack with reduced time to target; reduced size and weight for increased load-out; capable of air launched missions in degraded/contested environments.

High Payoff Aviation Missile Technology (HPAMT) Dev

Investigate, design, develop and evaluate missile technologies to provide autonomous capabilities, enhanced lethal mechanisms, advanced propulsion, novel navigation and guidance in contested environments, and reduced size and weight components which will defeat future Integrated Air Defense Systems and Main Battle Tanks.

Advanced Teaming Concepts

Investigates and develops subsystem and component level technologies that enable advanced manned and unmanned teaming behaviors for mixed air and ground platform formations in combined arms operations.

Enhanced Optics for Long Range Targeting

This effort will deliver advanced airborne optics and reconfigurable filtering devices to enable agile, multi-task sensors for compact, long-range targeting, enhanced survivability and lethality of the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and Future Unmanned Aircraft System (FUAS). This effort will restore visual overmatch in any (day/night) environment through visual penetration of all obscurants (e.g. brownout, white out, engineered smokescreens) from a single sensor, as well as narrowband filtering for active imaging through obscurants while maintaining advanced target acquisition. Improved detection and identification and long-range target acquisition capability will result from filtering out scattered light and enabling 3-dimensional ranging through environmental obscurants.

Holistic Mission Manager (HMM) Concepts

Investigate and demonstrate the capability of agent-based, software solutions to increase future and enduring Army vertical lift mission effectiveness by improving in-flight, aircrew, mission management capabilities and processes in dynamic, time-constrained, tactical environments through information synthesis, automation, and autonomy.

Medical Standards to Support Future Vertical Lift (FVL)

This effort develops and delivers medical guidelines and strategies to assure optimal Soldier performance and protection on the future technologically-intensive battlefield. Key elements of the program include: 1) tailored medical selection and retention standards for FVL; 2) medical strategies to maintain and enhance human performance in multi-domain operations (MDO); 3) human-centered technology design guidance to accommodate the range of aircrew; 4) improved protection standards to reduce FVL occupant injury; and 5) operator state monitoring tools to enable scalable autonomy in FVL aircraft.

Airborne Distributed Radar

Research and develop distributed radar techniques, including approaches for Automatic Target Recognition for distributed airborne radar applications. Conduct monostatic and distributed vulnerability analyses.

Systems Concepts Studies for Air Launched Effects

Investigates and models air vehicle concepts to understand the effects that potential operational Air Launched Effects capabilities will have on air vehicle properties.

Versatile Air Launched Effects (VALE) Concepts

Conducts configuration trades analysis studies and develops technologies that support air and ground launched effects operations in complex, contested environments including urban / fringe and littoral. Matures individual technologies and design concepts that shape investment for Versatile Air Launched Effects Demonstration and inform the System Specifications for the LE Program of Record.

Advanced Survivability Concepts

This effort will provide analysis of the rapidly evolving and emerging threat environment and impacts to Future Vertical Lift Family of Systems FVL FoS platforms, developing and evaluating full spectrum survivability concept, collaborative team based survivability algorithms and behaviors

Distributed Electronic Warefare Effects

This effort investigates and develops critical EW components and techniques to enable the FVL capability to operate and survive in A2/AD environments. It provides scalable low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) signal processing components and decision-making algorithms that adapt and counter the characteristics of advanced and emerging threats.

Optimized Energy for C5ISR Platforms

This effort investigates electrical power and thermal management associated with high power C5ISR capabilities on ground and air platforms enabling enhanced mobility and mission flexibility. This effort funds research to improve FVL aircraft and other Army platforms power efficiency through the use of on-demand hybrid electrical power architectures, while also researching ways to eliminate platform thermal constraints. This effort will also investigate safer battery chemistries which enable very high density electrical power sources and energy storage to be flight certified for high rate pulsed power, electrical power management, and thermal management for dynamic high rate pulsed power.

Adaptive Power Component Technologies

This effort develops adaptive propulsion and power system component technologies to provide highly efficient propulsion and power capability to FVL aircraft while addressing consequential SWAP & thermal issues. Technology will be validated through component level test.

Hybrid Propulsion Conceptual Design Analysis

Explore design and development of hybrid-electric propulsion concepts / applications (conventional & non-conventional) for multiple manned-VTOL classes to achieve greatest operational benefit for FVL future Platforms. Analysis will include trade studies to identify metrics, best architectures/technologies/configurations, and demonstration path for improved FVL aircraft capability.

Future Avionics Implementation Research (FAIR)

This effort will investigate evolving advanced avionics technologies and integration techniques in disparate environments for FVL mission systems, and will research complex computing environments, contextual resource management and ownship network technologies to implement on FVL air platforms.

High Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) Technology

Efforts provide technology development to support a maneuverable missile capable of both short range direct attack and long range non-line-of-sight attack with reduced time to target; reduced size and weight for increased load-out; capable of air launched missions in degraded/contested environments.

High Payoff Aviation Missile Technology (HPAMT) Dev

Investigate, design, develop and evaluate missile technologies to provide autonomous capabilities, enhanced lethal mechanisms, advanced propulsion, novel navigation and guidance in contested environments, and reduced size and weight components which will defeat future Integrated Air Defense Systems and Main Battle Tanks.

Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)

P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.

Exhibit R-1

AccountOrgTypeAmount
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, ArmyAFY24 Actuals$104.8M
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, ArmyAFY25 Enacted$52.4M
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, ArmyAFY25 Total$52.4M
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, ArmyAFY26 Disc. Request$20.4M
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, ArmyAFY26 Total$20.4M

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.

ProjectFY24 ActualsFY25 TotalFY26 BaseFY26 Request
Program Element$104.8M$52.4M$20.4M$20.4M
AL8: Holistic Situational Awareness and Dec Making Tech$967.0K$3.02M$2.40M$2.40M
BZ7: Future Vertical Lift Medical Technologies$7.62M$7.46M$6.92M$6.92M
CC3: FVL Radar Technologies$5.20M$3.40M$3.40M
CH3: Holistic Team Survivability Technology$10.9M$11.1M$3.49M$3.49M
CI4: Adaptive Avionics Technologies$982.0K$3.62M$3.60M$3.60M
CI5: High Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) Tech$23.3M$605.0K$605.0K
AK9: Adv Teaming for Tactical Aviation Operations Tech$14.9M$14.9M
BP7: Future Vertical Lift Air Platform Tech (CA)$33.5M$5.00M
CH2: Air Launched Effects Technology$4.20M$2.09M
CH4: Power & Thermal Management for FVL Tech$8.48M

No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1,741 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.

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 Future Verticle Lift Technology — no program-specific GAO finding for this line is in the ingested data. See the DOD oversight record.

No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1,741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →