Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0602184A/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Soldier Applied Research
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
- $17.6M
- FY25
- $14.1M
- FY26
- $27.6M
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $0 | $0 | $10.7M | $15.4M | $17.6M | ||
| Enacted | – | $0 | $11.1M | $15.7M | $19.0M | $14.1M | |
| Request | – | – | $11.1M | $15.7M | $19.0M | $21.1M | $27.6M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $19.0M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reports $17.6M actually spent — $1.36M below 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 — Modernized Composites & Manufacturing
This Project investigates manufacturing sciences and advanced automation through additive, subtractive, and digital manufacturing sciences of novel composite materials for use in both existing and future DoD-wide systems. This Project develops novel composite materials to deliver advanced structural materials with improved durability, functionality and performance, to support broad applications across the future operational environment and DoD. Focus will be on properties required for understanding operation in contested environments. The Project will use unique contract and collaborative approaches to accelerate transitions into and from university programs. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology) / Project DO2 (Modernized Composites & Manufacturing Adv Dev). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Advanced Materials Critical Technology Area and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this Project is performed by DEVCOM Soldier Center.
Mission — Directed Energy Biological Effects
This Project is a multi-disciplinary effort to investigate, determine characterize, mitigate, and validate emerging anti-personnel energy field threats. This Project designs and develops sensors, sources, and instrumentation to understand the molecular to organismal level of energy field impacts that produce neurocognitive and motor deficits. This effort will also investigate vulnerabilities and exploitable biophysical mechanisms which can be used to design, construct, and characterize tunable sources for laboratory use and future transition. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA5 (Biotechnology and Systems Biology). The cited research 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 — Intelligent Weapons Concepts and Technologies
This Project focuses on far-term, overarching lethality technologies by investigating techniques for Soldiers to guide the in-field adaptation of intelligent small arms technologies to respond to changing mission requirements, novel environments, and adversarial actions. Research areas include cognition-centric displays to ensure Soldiers maintain appropriate situational awareness in augmented reality (AR) environments, opportunistic shooter sensing, and interactive machine learning techniques to ensure small arms technologies can adapt to changing situations quickly and with reduced data requirements as compared to non-human guided machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The results of this Project will enhance operational performance of individuals and teams of Soldiers in the future operational environment through novel weapon and human-agent interaction 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 the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Soldier Applied Research
This Program Element (PE) investigates, designs, and performs research focused on technologies necessary for capability enhancements for the Soldier and Squad over the long-term well beyond those technologies planned within the Soldier Lethality Cross- Functional Team. Applied research projects investigate nascent and enduring science and technology areas that are applicable to the individual Soldier and Squads of Soldiers needs with emphasis on maximizing Soldier and Squad performance, lethality, mobility and survivability. This PE also designs and validates technologies that are necessary and foundational for future capabilities with far-reaching impact on mission success. The outputs of these efforts transition to advanced research efforts that mature and demonstrate potential opportunities to realize improved Soldier performance and inform technical requirements for future Soldier systems. The PE will fund civilian salaries for in-house researchers/scientists and program managers collaborating with external subject matter experts in academia and industry who are leaders in these technology research areas. This PE is coordinated with PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), 0602785A (Manpower, Personnel and Training Technology), 0603007A (Manpower, Personnel and Training Advanced Tech), 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology), and 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology). The cited research 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 $0.226 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 $0.101 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 — Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting Tech
This Project works across the Army Futures Command Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), with the Futures & Concepts Center (FCC), and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security to explore current and future emerging and disruptive applied scientific research to translate, integrate, and ingrain applied research outcomes with the Army. Warfighting Concepts to describe how the Army will fight in the mid and far-term future while the Future Operational Environment contextualizes projected applied research outcomes in the deep future. Applied research outcomes describe the projected future operational effects of science in the context of Army concepts and probable operational capabilities to mitigate risk for future Army capabilities and enable informed decision making across the Army Modernization Enterprise. This Project ensures Army Concepts are grounded by recent and anticipated advances in applied scientific research, Army applied research is capability use-inspired to deliver the right future capability identified in the Army Concepts, and learning opportunities are created to advance Army Concepts and operationalize science for transformational overmatch. This Project also performs long-range technology forecasts and trend analysis, informed by the threat and the predicted future state of technology, of Army-relevant applied research topics to enable informed decision making for the near-, mid-, and far-terms. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Joint Service Small Arms Enabling Tech
This Project investigates individual and crew-served armament component design (weapon, munition, and fire control) and technologies that enable increased lethality and survivability of the dismounted Warfighter across all the Joint Services. This Project investigates and designs engineering solutions to reduce the blast overpressure field for the M3 Carl Gustaf. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology) / Project DN4 (Joint Service Small Arms 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 completed by the Armaments Center (AC).
Mission — Syn Bio for Reactive-Resp Matls-Soldiers & Sys
This Project designs and investigates materials through the application of biotechnology and synthetic biology advances to develop material capabilities that respond and/or can adapt to a wide range of external stimuli and biological processes. Research into innovative materials that are capable of sensing, responding, and adapting to a broad spectrum of environmental variables will be conducted. This Project will explore new biology-based methods for controlled synthesis and assembly to create multi-functional materials and advanced composites as well as develop materials that are able to self-monitor, self-heal, and self-sustain. This Project also focuses on developing models, materials characterization techniques, non-destructive testing methods, and advanced fabrication and processing methodologies as well as the identification of unique material properties. The cited research is consistent with the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Soldier Enabling University Applied Research
This Project investigates technologies from academia that will improve capabilities and systems to advance Soldier and Squad lethality-overmatch and Soldier performance. This Project funds collaborative, enduring applied extramural university-based research and brings together competitively selected universities with Army research teams into Technical Alliances. This Project will determine discovery solutions and inform capabilities development for mid- to far-term Army modernization priorities while also maintaining delivery of near-term technologies fundamental to the modernization priorities. The technical scope of this Project includes the investigation and design of overarching Soldier-centric technologies including, human systems integration, robotics, synthetic environments for training, advanced materials, power management, energy, Warfighter endurance, and computational technologies. This Project conducts applied research for potential emerging technologies in areas of strategic importance to the Army in Soldier capabilities related to increased protection, performance, agility, situational awareness, and lethality. This Project will also continuously strive to engage and collaborate with entities that might not otherwise collaborate with the Department of Defense (DoD) to identify and determine novel Soldier-centric technologies for accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies for the Warfighter in the Army Soldier portfolio. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology) / Project CN8 (Soldier Enabling University Advanced Development) 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 Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Technical-SAVVY Soldier Applied Research
This Project conducts applied research a technologically fluent force. This research will develop models of technological fluency (TF) (TF Modeling), methods and measures to assess and develop the technological fluency of Soldiers across a career (TF Personnel Assessments), and technologies to maximize technological fluency resilience and performance in Soldiers and units (Maximizing TF). TF is defined as the ability of Soldiers and units to use and rapidly adapt new and intelligent technologies without formal training on these technologies, and it will be a decisive factor in a future operating environment in which Soldiers and squads are teamed with increasingly sophisticated and evolving technologies. Soldiers and leaders in specialty areas (e.g., Cyber and Emerging Tech) and General Purpose Forces will require increased technological aptitudes and skills to adapt emerging technologies to evolving mission sets and avoid being overmatched by Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled "smart" technologies. This Project supports key Army needs and will coordinate with and/or leverage findings of several Program Elements (PEs) to include PE 0602785A (Manpower, Personnel and Training Technology), 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), and 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle 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 the Army Research Institute (ARI) for Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Mission — Soldier Power And Energy Concepts and Technologies
This Project conducts applied research to improve safe, compact, efficient, rugged, lightweight, and energy dense power sources for increased capabilities for the mounted and dismounted force. This Project also investigates materials, processes, and component level energy storage and conversion technologies that enable tactical overmatch and reduce the physical and cognitive burden on Soldiers. Research will focus on safe electrochemical energy storage, high specific energy storage and conversion, novel materials and processing for energy and power, and new cell designs that address the power needs of future capabilities including advanced sensors, communications systems, and electronic Warfighting capabilities. Enabling and emerging technologies are supported in this Project to address future Soldier power needs necessary for increased lethality, increased mobility, and longer mission durations at reduced physical burden to the Soldier in the future operating environment. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Modernized Composites & Manufacturing
This Project investigates manufacturing sciences and advanced automation through additive, subtractive, and digital manufacturing sciences of novel composite materials for use in both existing and future DoD-wide systems. This Project develops novel composite materials to deliver advanced structural materials with improved durability, functionality and performance, to support broad applications across the future operational environment and DoD. Focus will be on properties required for understanding operation in contested environments. The Project will use unique contract and collaborative approaches to accelerate transitions into and from university programs. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology) / Project DO2 (Modernized Composites & Manufacturing Adv Dev). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Advanced Materials Critical Technology Area and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this Project is performed by DEVCOM Soldier Center.
Mission — Soldier Power And Energy Concepts and Technologies
This Project conducts applied research to improve safe, compact, efficient, rugged, lightweight, and energy dense power sources for increased capabilities for the mounted and dismounted force. This Project also investigates materials, processes, and component level energy storage and conversion technologies that enable tactical overmatch and reduce the physical and cognitive burden on Soldiers. Research will focus on safe electrochemical energy storage, high specific energy storage and conversion, novel materials and processing for energy and power, and new cell designs that address the power needs of future capabilities including advanced sensors, communications systems, and electronic Warfighting capabilities. Enabling and emerging technologies are supported in this Project to address future Soldier power needs necessary for increased lethality, increased mobility, and longer mission durations at reduced physical burden to the Soldier in the future operating environment. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Soldier Enabling University Applied Research
This Project investigates technologies from academia that will improve capabilities and systems to advance Soldier and Squad lethality-overmatch and Soldier performance. This Project funds collaborative, enduring applied extramural university-based research and brings together competitively selected universities with Army research teams into Technical Alliances. This Project will determine discovery solutions and inform capabilities development for mid- to far-term Army modernization priorities while also maintaining delivery of near-term technologies fundamental to the modernization priorities. The technical scope of this Project includes the investigation and design of overarching Soldier-centric technologies including, human systems integration, robotics, synthetic environments for training, advanced materials, power management, energy, Warfighter endurance, and computational technologies. This Project conducts applied research for potential emerging technologies in areas of strategic importance to the Army in Soldier capabilities related to increased protection, performance, agility, situational awareness, and lethality. This Project will also continuously strive to engage and collaborate with entities that might not otherwise collaborate with the Department of Defense (DoD) to identify and determine novel Soldier-centric technologies for accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies for the Warfighter in the Army Soldier portfolio. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology) / Project CN8 (Soldier Enabling University Advanced Development) 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 Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Intelligent Weapons Concepts and Technologies
This Project focuses on far-term, overarching lethality technologies by investigating techniques for Soldiers to guide the in-field adaptation of intelligent small arms technologies to respond to changing mission requirements, novel environments, and adversarial actions. Research areas include cognition-centric displays to ensure Soldiers maintain appropriate situational awareness in augmented reality (AR) environments, opportunistic shooter sensing, and interactive machine learning techniques to ensure small arms technologies can adapt to changing situations quickly and with reduced data requirements as compared to non-human guided machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The results of this Project will enhance operational performance of individuals and teams of Soldiers in the future operational environment through novel weapon and human-agent interaction 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 the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting Tech
This Project works across the Army Futures Command Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), with the Futures & Concepts Center (FCC), and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security to explore current and future emerging and disruptive applied scientific research to translate, integrate, and ingrain applied research outcomes with the Army. Warfighting Concepts to describe how the Army will fight in the mid and far-term future while the Future Operational Environment contextualizes projected applied research outcomes in the deep future. Applied research outcomes describe the projected future operational effects of science in the context of Army concepts and probable operational capabilities to mitigate risk for future Army capabilities and enable informed decision making across the Army Modernization Enterprise. This Project ensures Army Concepts are grounded by recent and anticipated advances in applied scientific research, Army applied research is capability use-inspired to deliver the right future capability identified in the Army Concepts, and learning opportunities are created to advance Army Concepts and operationalize science for transformational overmatch. This Project also performs long-range technology forecasts and trend analysis, informed by the threat and the predicted future state of technology, of Army-relevant applied research topics to enable informed decision making for the near-, mid-, and far-terms. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Soldier Applied Research
This Program Element (PE) investigates, designs, and performs research focused on technologies necessary for capability enhancements for the Soldier and Squad over the long-term well beyond those technologies planned within the Soldier Lethality Cross- Functional Team. Applied research projects investigate nascent and enduring science and technology areas that are applicable to the individual Soldier and Squads of Soldiers needs with emphasis on maximizing Soldier and Squad performance, lethality, mobility and survivability. This PE also designs and validates technologies that are necessary and foundational for future capabilities with far-reaching impact on mission success. The outputs of these efforts transition to advanced research efforts that mature and demonstrate potential opportunities to realize improved Soldier performance and inform technical requirements for future Soldier systems. The PE will fund civilian salaries for in-house researchers/scientists and program managers collaborating with external subject matter experts in academia and industry who are leaders in these technology research areas. This PE is coordinated with PE 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), 0602785A (Manpower, Personnel and Training Technology), 0603007A (Manpower, Personnel and Training Advanced Tech), 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology), and 0603118A (Soldier Lethality Advanced Technology). The cited research 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 $0.226 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 $0.101 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 — Technical-SAVVY Soldier Applied Research
This Project conducts applied research a technologically fluent force. This research will develop models of technological fluency (TF) (TF Modeling), methods and measures to assess and develop the technological fluency of Soldiers across a career (TF Personnel Assessments), and technologies to maximize technological fluency resilience and performance in Soldiers and units (Maximizing TF). TF is defined as the ability of Soldiers and units to use and rapidly adapt new and intelligent technologies without formal training on these technologies, and it will be a decisive factor in a future operating environment in which Soldiers and squads are teamed with increasingly sophisticated and evolving technologies. Soldiers and leaders in specialty areas (e.g., Cyber and Emerging Tech) and General Purpose Forces will require increased technological aptitudes and skills to adapt emerging technologies to evolving mission sets and avoid being overmatched by Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled "smart" technologies. This Project supports key Army needs and will coordinate with and/or leverage findings of several Program Elements (PEs) to include PE 0602785A (Manpower, Personnel and Training Technology), 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), and 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle 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 the Army Research Institute (ARI) for Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Mission — Syn Bio for Reactive-Resp Matls-Soldiers & Sys
This Project designs and investigates materials through the application of biotechnology and synthetic biology advances to develop material capabilities that respond and/or can adapt to a wide range of external stimuli and biological processes. Research into innovative materials that are capable of sensing, responding, and adapting to a broad spectrum of environmental variables will be conducted. This Project will explore new biology-based methods for controlled synthesis and assembly to create multi-functional materials and advanced composites as well as develop materials that are able to self-monitor, self-heal, and self-sustain. This Project also focuses on developing models, materials characterization techniques, non-destructive testing methods, and advanced fabrication and processing methodologies as well as the identification of unique material properties. The cited research is consistent with the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
Mission — Directed Energy Biological Effects
This Project is a multi-disciplinary effort to investigate, determine characterize, mitigate, and validate emerging anti-personnel energy field threats. This Project designs and develops sensors, sources, and instrumentation to understand the molecular to organismal level of energy field impacts that produce neurocognitive and motor deficits. This effort will also investigate vulnerabilities and exploitable biophysical mechanisms which can be used to design, construct, and characterize tunable sources for laboratory use and future transition. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA5 (Biotechnology and Systems Biology). The cited research 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 — Joint Service Small Arms Enabling Tech
This Project investigates individual and crew-served armament component design (weapon, munition, and fire control) and technologies that enable increased lethality and survivability of the dismounted Warfighter across all the Joint Services. This Project investigates and designs engineering solutions to reduce the blast overpressure field for the M3 Carl Gustaf. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0603044A (Soldier Advanced Technology) / Project DN4 (Joint Service Small Arms 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 completed by the Armaments Center (AC).
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (28)
Institute for Advanced Composites Engineering - Applied Research
This effort focuses on advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to support the unique needs of the Army in future operating environments, to include the challenges associated with sustaining distribution operations. This research program will be enhanced by the incorporation of machine-learning algorithms into structural systems and advanced composite research, the leveraging of existing foundational university investments, and partnership with the National Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.
Experimentation and Soldier Engagement
Experimentation and Solider Engagement develops strategies and implementation plans to validate technical assumptions and research ideas in operationally relevant experimentation environments to accelerate the delivery of capabilities to the Solider. This effort will synchronize and investigate experimentation and soldier engagement efforts to maximize fundamental understanding of operational needs and to deliver scientific value.
Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting
Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting identifies and translates emerging and disruptive applied scientific research current and future outcomes in order to integrate and ingrain applied scientific data and knowledge with Army Warfighting Concepts which describe how the Army will fight in the mid- and far-term future. This effort also provides long-range, scientifically grounded technology forecasts and trend analysis, informed by the threat and future predicted state of technology, of applied research topics to enable informed decision-making for the near-, mid-, and far-terms.
Joint Small Arms Research (JSAR)
This effort designs and develops small arms weapon, ammunition, and enabler component technologies that will maintain decisive lethal overmatch capabilities to the Joint Warfighter. This effort investigates and matures small arms weapon component designs in support of Joint Warfighter's capability needs.
Directed Energy Bio Effects
This is multi-disciplinary effort to investigate and characterize emerging energy field biological effects to address the need to design and develop a mechanistic understanding of how energy field effects can produce biological effects. This effort will investigate transformational mechanisms by which energy fields affect biological function or structure, via experimentation, modeling, and simulation. This effort will integrate physical and biological models with validation to understand energy propagation, coupling, and effects on biological materials and systems.
Human-Agent Interactions for Intelligent Squad Weapons
This effort investigates enhanced target acquisition, situational awareness, and shooting performance through Soldier-centered integration of intelligent technologies and distributed information in augmented squad weapons. Enhances operational performance of individuals and teams of Soldiers through novel weapon and human-agent interaction technologies.
Bio-Reactive Surfaces and Adaptive Protection Technology
This effort investigates the application of synthetic biology and integrated technology solutions to develop self-powered living biological systems that sense, adapt, and respond to the environment. These living systems will respond to a wide range of external stimuli, produce signal compatibility with a variety of stand-off detection modalities, and persist in military relevant environments. This effort designs and develops new methods of sensing and reporting for multimodal inputs through genetic circuitry and other triggers, pushing the development of novel biologically based reporting systems to stand-off interface with Soldier-borne assets. Res. This project investigates biology's ability to self-sustain, environmentally monitor, and respond to external stimuli. This effort funds research in these areas that lead to future applications in Soldier environmental susceptibility monitoring, situational awareness, protection, maneuver, and sustainment.
Biological Bio-Composite Materials and Processes
This effort conducts applied research through the application of biotechnology advances to develop materials with capabilities to respond and adapt to a wide range of external stimuli and biological processes. Research will explore new biology-based methods for controlled synthesis and assembly to create materials with precise chemistries, microstructures, properties, and responsive functionalities through controlled molecular placement, spatial architectures, and interfacial structures. Investment in bio-enabled materials research allows for the design of materials that are capable of sensing and responding, as well as adapting to a broad spectrum of environmental variables with the ability to self-monitor, self-heal, self-sustain, and self-degrade. Investments in this area could lead to future applications in Soldier performance, situational awareness, protection, and sustainment.
Distributed Information for Enhanced Squad Lethality
This effort investigates how multimodal data from heterogenous small units of Soldiers and systems can be combined and leveraged to provide actionable information for squad lethality and survivability, including enhanced target acquisition and engagement, situational awareness, tactical maneuver, and decision-making performance. Enhances operational performance at scale and complexity through novel human-agent interaction techniques over distributed formations of Soldier technologies.
Soldier Technical Enhancement Applied Research - ARL
This effort enables TF through three areas of focus: TF Modeling through the creation and utilization of novel future-focused laboratory experimental test-beds; TF Personnel Assessments through methodologies and technologies for "opportunistic" (no Soldier burden) sensing and TF interpretation; and Maximizing TF through creating TF training approaches and in-field performance aids.
Materials and Technologies for Electrochemical Alternative Power
This effort investigates materials for electrolyzers and alternative power sources for small unit energy and power needs. Research is focused on materials and technologies that will reduce the dependence on fossil fuels while diversifying the energy sources for soldier platforms.
Tactical Energy Sources and Energy Materials
This effort conducts overarching power and energy research to determine and design alternative energy capabilities to replace current energy systems. Research focuses on new materials and processing techniques as well as energy storage technologies that support advanced sensors, communications systems, and electronic Warfighting capabilities.
Soldier Training and Performance
Collaboratively investigate technologies for Soldier capabilities related to increased protection, performance, agility, situational awareness, training, and lethality.
Soldier Technical Enhancement Applied Research - ARI
This effort enables TF through three areas of focus: TF Modeling by identifying and understanding the critical human knowledge, skills, abilities, and characteristics that enable TF in Soldiers and teams; TF Personnel Assessments by developing and validating personnel tests to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities, and characteristics to promote TF for talent management; and Maximizing TF by creating and validating TF training approaches to improve TF at both the individual and team levels of performance.
Institute for Advanced Composites Engineering - Applied Research
This effort focuses on advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to support the unique needs of the Army in future operating environments, to include the challenges associated with sustaining distribution operations. This research program will be enhanced by the incorporation of machine-learning algorithms into structural systems and advanced composite research, the leveraging of existing foundational university investments, and partnership with the National Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.
Soldier Training and Performance
Collaboratively investigate technologies for Soldier capabilities related to increased protection, performance, agility, situational awareness, training, and lethality.
Distributed Information for Enhanced Squad Lethality
This effort investigates how multimodal data from heterogenous small units of Soldiers and systems can be combined and leveraged to provide actionable information for squad lethality and survivability, including enhanced target acquisition and engagement, situational awareness, tactical maneuver, and decision-making performance. Enhances operational performance at scale and complexity through novel human-agent interaction techniques over distributed formations of Soldier technologies.
Human-Agent Interactions for Intelligent Squad Weapons
This effort investigates enhanced target acquisition, situational awareness, and shooting performance through Soldier-centered integration of intelligent technologies and distributed information in augmented squad weapons. Enhances operational performance of individuals and teams of Soldiers through novel weapon and human-agent interaction technologies.
Directed Energy Bio Effects
This is multi-disciplinary effort to investigate and characterize emerging energy field biological effects to address the need to design and develop a mechanistic understanding of how energy field effects can produce biological effects. This effort will investigate transformational mechanisms by which energy fields affect biological function or structure, via experimentation, modeling, and simulation. This effort will integrate physical and biological models with validation to understand energy propagation, coupling, and effects on biological materials and systems.
Experimentation and Soldier Engagement
Experimentation and Solider Engagement develops strategies and implementation plans to validate technical assumptions and research ideas in operationally relevant experimentation environments to accelerate the delivery of capabilities to the Solider. This effort will synchronize and investigate experimentation and soldier engagement efforts to maximize fundamental understanding of operational needs and to deliver scientific value.
Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting
Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting identifies and translates emerging and disruptive applied scientific research current and future outcomes in order to integrate and ingrain applied scientific data and knowledge with Army Warfighting Concepts which describe how the Army will fight in the mid- and far-term future. This effort also provides long-range, scientifically grounded technology forecasts and trend analysis, informed by the threat and future predicted state of technology, of applied research topics to enable informed decision-making for the near-, mid-, and far-terms.
Materials and Technologies for Electrochemical Alternative Power
This effort investigates materials for electrolyzers and alternative power sources for small unit energy and power needs. Research is focused on materials and technologies that will reduce the dependence on fossil fuels while diversifying the energy sources for soldier platforms.
Soldier Technical Enhancement Applied Research - ARL
This effort enables TF through three areas of focus: TF Modeling through the creation and utilization of novel future-focused laboratory experimental test-beds; TF Personnel Assessments through methodologies and technologies for "opportunistic" (no Soldier burden) sensing and TF interpretation; and Maximizing TF through creating TF training approaches and in-field performance aids.
Soldier Technical Enhancement Applied Research - ARI
This effort enables TF through three areas of focus: TF Modeling by identifying and understanding the critical human knowledge, skills, abilities, and characteristics that enable TF in Soldiers and teams; TF Personnel Assessments by developing and validating personnel tests to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities, and characteristics to promote TF for talent management; and Maximizing TF by creating and validating TF training approaches to improve TF at both the individual and team levels of performance.
Biological Bio-Composite Materials and Processes
This effort conducts applied research through the application of biotechnology advances to develop materials with capabilities to respond and adapt to a wide range of external stimuli and biological processes. Research will explore new biology-based methods for controlled synthesis and assembly to create materials with precise chemistries, microstructures, properties, and responsive functionalities through controlled molecular placement, spatial architectures, and interfacial structures. Investment in bio-enabled materials research allows for the design of materials that are capable of sensing and responding, as well as adapting to a broad spectrum of environmental variables with the ability to self-monitor, self-heal, self-sustain, and self-degrade. Investments in this area could lead to future applications in Soldier performance, situational awareness, protection, and sustainment.
Bio-Reactive Surfaces and Adaptive Protection Technology
This effort investigates the application of synthetic biology and integrated technology solutions to develop self-powered living biological systems that sense, adapt, and respond to the environment. These living systems will respond to a wide range of external stimuli, produce signal compatibility with a variety of stand-off detection modalities, and persist in military relevant environments. This effort designs and develops new methods of sensing and reporting for multimodal inputs through genetic circuitry and other triggers, pushing the development of novel biologically based reporting systems to stand-off interface with Soldier-borne assets. Res. This project investigates biology's ability to self-sustain, environmentally monitor, and respond to external stimuli. This effort funds research in these areas that lead to future applications in Soldier environmental susceptibility monitoring, situational awareness, protection, maneuver, and sustainment.
Joint Small Arms Research (JSAR)
This effort designs and develops small arms weapon, ammunition, and enabler component technologies that will maintain decisive lethal overmatch capabilities to the Joint Warfighter. This effort investigates and matures small arms weapon component designs in support of Joint Warfighter's capability needs.
Tactical Energy Sources and Energy Materials
This effort conducts overarching power and energy research to determine and design alternative energy capabilities to replace current energy systems. Research focuses on new materials and processing techniques as well as energy storage technologies that support advanced sensors, communications systems, and electronic Warfighting capabilities.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY24 Actuals | $17.6M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY25 Enacted | $14.1M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY25 Total | $14.1M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY26 Disc. Request | $27.6M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY26 Total | $27.6M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DN1: Directed Energy Biological Effects | — | — | $659.0K | $659.0K |
| DO1: Modernized Composites & Manufacturing | — | — | $2.00M | $2.00M |
| CK9: Advancing Concepts and Technology Forecasting Tech | $2.58M | $2.58M | $3.03M | $3.03M |
| CV9: Technical-SAVVY Soldier Applied Research | $2.77M | $3.17M | $3.74M | $3.74M |
| CN2: Intelligent Weapons Concepts and Technologies | $4.41M | $4.48M | $4.45M | $4.45M |
| CW9: Syn Bio for Reactive-Resp Matls-Soldiers & Sys | $3.50M | $3.68M | $6.02M | $6.02M |
| DN2: Joint Service Small Arms Enabling Tech | — | — | $7.69M | $7.69M |
| Program Element | $17.6M | $14.1M | $27.6M | $27.6M |
| CN9: Soldier Enabling University Applied Research | $18.0K | $229.0K | — | — |
| CO1: Soldier Power And Energy Concepts and Technologies | $4.35M | — | — | — |
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? →