Joint Munitions Advanced Technology

Mission — Joint Munitions Advanced Technology source

This program supports the Department's priority to reestablish deterrence through developing and demonstrating munitions technologies that deliver crosscutting capabilities to the Services to solve operational and mission-focused challenges. The Joint Enhanced Munitions Technology Program (JEMTP), within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), was established to develop and demonstrate munitions enhancing technologies (energetics, warheads, propulsion systems, advanced lethality mechanisms, fuzes and fuze components, and target detection), to transition future kinetic fires capabilities and ensure lethality advantage for U.S. warfighters. The JEMTP concentrates on cross-cutting, all-domain munitions technology needs that benefit multiple services. JEMTP investments focus on increasing and improving the performance, lethality, range, and survivability of existing and future weapons systems. The program’s technology investment and munitions application strategy are informed by threat-opportunity based analysis from Joint Force campaign scenarios. The advancements through JEMTP provide capabilities that impact a wide range of munitions including One-Way Attack, Counter-small UAS technologies, and munitions that may be utilized for Homeland Missile Defense. The JEMTP program also delivers technologies that support munitions and energetics organic industrial base resiliency and increased production rates of critical weapon systems. The JEMTP activities within Program Element 0603000D8Z are executed under two Project Codes: 077 - Enhanced Advanced Munitions Technology and 356 – Energetics Advanced Technologies. Project Code 077 - The Enhanced Munitions Advanced Technology Project demonstrates critical munitions technologies including advanced fuzing, power sources, seeker technologies, and counter-countermeasure technologies that combine with Energetics Advanced Technologies to provide increases to munitions performance and survivability. Project Code 356 – The Energetics Advanced Technology Project supports DoD strategies for advanced energetics and enables the transition of higher performance explosives and propellants for U.S. munitions and delivers new technologies supporting a resilient manufacturing base. The project delivers weapon capabilities through highly lethal warheads and propulsion systems with greater range and speed. The project starts investments in FY 2026 of CL-20 advanced energetic development and formulation scale-up for incorporation into weapon systems. Also in FY 2026, the project incorporates investment in area effects, focusing on maturing the High Reliability Cluster Munition concept for demonstration and transition.

Mission — Enhanced Munitions Advanced Technology source

The Enhanced Munitions Advanced Technology project demonstrates advanced technologies that improve the performance, range, and lethality of existing and future weapons systems. This effort takes promising technologies demonstrated at the laboratory scale and matures them into demonstration programs with a focus on operationally relevant key munitions. Enhanced Munitions technologies that are matured and demonstrated at Technology Readiness Level 5 inform service requirements and transition into operational use, thereby decreasing program executive office program cost and risk. In FY 2026, the project continues the development of critical munitions technologies, such as advanced materials and designs, fuzing, power sources, seeker technologies, and counter countermeasure technologies that, when combined with advanced energetics, provide significant performance enhancements in range, speed, and target damage effects. This project applies machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced material technologies to inform and refine research efforts and enable next-generation kinetic weapons capabilities, including advances in propulsion, warhead effects, fuze technologies, and targeting technologies. In FY 2026, the Munitions Advanced Technology project continues to address the critical munitions technologies that are necessary for realizing weapon performance improvements particularly for low-cost alternative munitions and defensive munitions. Increases in weapon range and run time require higher energy density power sources for guidance, seekers, and other subsystems. Lethality increases are not only dependent on advanced energetics, but also depend on optimized munitions placement, burst point control, and survivable fuzing. Operations in highly contested scenarios also require technical resiliency, with systems capable of defeating adversary kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures. In FY 2026, the Munitions Advanced Technology project will continue to address the critical munitions technologies that are necessary for realizing performance improvements from Energetics Advanced Technology investments. Increases in weapon range and run time require higher energy density power sources for guidance, seekers, and other subsystems. Lethality increases are not only dependent on advanced energetics, but also depend on optimized munitions placement, burst point control, and survivable fuzing. Operations in contested environments requires technical resiliency, with systems capable of defeating adversary kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures.

Mission — Energetics Advanced Technology source

U.S. weapons systems still largely rely on decades-old explosive and propellant technologies that limit Joint Force options to deter, and if necessary, defeat adversaries in conflict. The Energetics Technology project was established to expedite investigation, research, and transition of novel energetics materials, chemicals, and processes that enable improvements to existing and future munitions performance. The investments and efforts under this project enable modern manufacturing and processing while helping to bolster U.S. energetics supply chain resiliency. The Joint Enhanced Munitions Technology Program, Services, and OUSD(R&E) munitions stakeholders collaborate to generate technology roadmaps for advanced energetic research and development that include high-energy materials, such as CL-20, and missile delivered submunitions and payloads.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (5)