Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0603462A/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology
Budget Figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
- FY24
- $433.3M
- FY25
- $254.7M
- FY26
- $141.3M
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $0 | $0 | $255.4M | $309.9M | $294.5M | $467.5M | $433.3M | ||
| Enacted | – | $0 | $260.5M | $302.2M | $299.7M | $471.4M | $217.4M | $254.7M | |
| Request | – | – | $160.0M | $199.4M | $165.0M | $193.2M | $217.4M | $175.2M | $141.3M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2023 book requested $193.2M for FY2023; the PB2025 book reports $467.5M actually spent — $274.3M above the request.
Program Lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Mission — Smart Targeting Environment for Lower Level Assets
This Project matures and demonstrates mission targeting support software and algorithms, to include Electronic Warfare capabilities, leveraged from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) System-of-System Enhanced Small Unit (SESU), current force, and Science and Technology (S&T) in order to enable small units to continuously build and share targeting data and access strike assets in multi-domain operations. The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Research in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this Project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
Mission — Autonomous Mobility Adv Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates data-based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) technologies to increase autonomy and mobility and perform teamed operations with manned and unmanned air and ground vehicles in a military relevant environment through data collection on relevant platforms. Data collection will involve both simulation and live collection. Simulation will provide a baseline to correctly collect, clean, and analyze data that meets the need for improving algorithms for both formation control and unmanned aerial vehicle map input for unmanned ground vehicle mobility, while reducing costs. Live data will start with Surrogate platforms in local areas. The Project will use AI/ML techniques to mature and demonstrate intelligent formation control to be used in complex, off-road terrain without the need for a global positioning system (GPS). Data will be collected from mounted platforms utilizing sensors to improve algorithms for relative and absolute positioning, undistributed formation control, and increased speeds of unmanned platforms. The utility of the military-relevant data will be demonstrated through a datahub which is designed specifically for robotic data types, formats and sizes. The datahub infrastructure is a unique solution to handle such ground vehicle data needs and will be able to optimize the outcome of the collected data. Also, the Project will use AI/ML techniques to optimize intelligent autonomous ground platform planning team with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Data collected from air vehicles will be converted to maneuverable information for unmanned ground platforms with the identification of obstacles, go/no-go areas, terrain classification, and optimal suggested paths. Research in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Projects BF3 (Combat Vehicle Robotics Tech) and BF4 (Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech) The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC)
Mission — Next Gen Intelligent Fire Control(NG-IFC) Adv Tech
This Project will mature and demonstrate armament specific hardware, algorithms and architectures to support the Next Generation Combat Vehicle with the necessary fire control on future manned and unmanned platforms. Research in this Project is related to and fully integrated with the efforts funded in Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Research in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Research in this Project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC)
Mission — Adv Direct InDirect Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Adv Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates technologies for large caliber direct fire light-weight armament systems that will exceed the current capability of 120 millimeter (mm) direct fire cannons and be optimized for future operational environment with cross-domain engagement capability. Specifically, this Project integrates and demonstrates technologies for rapid fire on-the-move at all elevations (direct & indirect), compact ammunition design with advanced ignition, advanced recoil mitigation to reduce impulse and allow integration onto lighter platforms, and automated ammunition handling and reloading. This Project also supports open architecture to enable supervised autonomy and remote operation and integrates intelligent fire control to address multi-domain targets from manned and unmanned platforms. Work in this Project is related to and fully integrated with the efforts funded in Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) and PE 0604115A (Technology Maturation Initiatives). Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BK5 (Adv Direct In-Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Tech) and Program Element (PE) 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project CE9 (Armaments Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this Project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC)
Mission — Ground Vehicle Advanced Technology(CA)
Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Ground Vehicle Advanced Technology. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy.
Mission — Sensors for Auto Oper and Survivability Adv Tech
This Project matures, optimizes, and demonstrates automated, advanced multi-function sensors and integrates threat cueing capabilities for operations in full spectrum, complex environments, for next generation manned, optionally manned, and robotic platform applications. This Project will deliver sensor payloads which provide greatly increased situational awareness (e.g., pre-shot and hostile fire detection, threat classification) in all environments for manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems. The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project supports the Army Science and Technology modernization priorities. Work in this Project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center
Mission — Enhanced VETRONICS Advanced Technology
This Project matures, integrates, and demonstrates vehicle electronics hardware such as computers, sensors, communications systems, displays, and vehicle command/control/driving mechanisms as well as vehicle software to enhance crew performance, increase vehicle fuel efficiency, reduce Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) burdens and reduce vehicle maintenance costs. This Project is a collaborative work between Army laboratories and centers and private industry in effort to advance open system data architectures for military ground vehicles to enable common interfaces, standards and hardware implementations. This will align Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO-GCS's) Common Infrastructure Architecture (GCIA) with current combat platform modernization efforts and inform future GCIA iterations. The overall vehicle system architecture approach provides an open architecture to allow platforms and industry partners to accept future technologies without the need for significant re-design as new technologies are developed and integrated. This architecture will provide the interfaces and capabilities necessary to transmit data and power across vehicle subsystems and to dismounted equipment. Additionally, this project matures infrastructure that enables the ease of integration of autonomous subsystem technologies into future and existing tactical and combat vehicle architectures. Technical challenges include software and algorithm development for increased levels of automation for both manned and unmanned systems, secure vehicle data networks, interoperability of intra-vehicle and inter-vehicle systems, and implementation of advanced user interfaces. Overcoming these technical challenges enables improved and increased span of collaborative vehicle operations, efficient workload management, commander's decision aids, embedded simulation for battlefield visualization and fully integrated virtual test and evaluation. Work in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 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 Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).
Mission — Sensor Protection Advanced Technology
This Project matures and demonstrates novel sensor protection capabilities which dramatically reduce the susceptibility of our thermal electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensors to ever increasing threats on the battlefield. This Project enables continuation of the mission despite potential threat laser engagements. Low-cost modular solutions will be demonstrated that can be applied across current and planned EO/IR targeting, surveillance, and situational awareness sensor systems against existing and emerging threats in support of combined arms maneuver. Research in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift 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. Research in this Project supports the Army Modernization Priorities. Work in this Project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center
Mission — Materials Application and Integration Adv Tech
This Project matures, integrates, and demonstrates lightweight novel materials, integrated computational materials engineering methods, and new manufacturing processes and methodologies. These materials and technologies enable the Army to address critical areas of survivability, mobility, and transportability within the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV). This Project also continues the efforts originally started under Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance (AVPTA) between the Department of Energy and the Department of the Army with a focus on developing advanced materials technologies that enable military ground vehicles to become significantly more energy efficient. The AVPTA, though no longer chartered, has developed a relationship between DoE and DA that continues to accelerate the conceptualization and transition to deployment of inventive and creative energy-saving concepts that the Nation needs to achieve energy security. In support of lighter military vehicles which are more fuel-efficient and capable in expeditionary scenarios, this project will mature and integrate lightweight materials and joining technologies to provide superior mobility and protection of both vehicles and occupants. Research in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology). The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC)
Mission — Crew Augmentation and Optimization Adv Tech
This Project rapidly matures and demonstrates advanced commercial technologies to enhance crew performance and enable crew augmentation and optimization for closed hatch operations of ground vehicle platforms in a complex multi-domain operations environment. This includes rapid integration of intelligent systems, leveraging machine learning, to improve dynamic tasking, full crew interactions, decision aids, early warnings, command and control, crew use of UAS/Counter-UAS capabilities, to reduce response times and shorten task durations, and to optimize tasking and function. Mature technologies are incorporated onto existing or prototype Army-owned technology demonstrators so that performance of the enabling technologies can be evaluated and the delivery of critical capabilities that optimize crew performance can be accelerated . Work in this Project is also coordinated with work in Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) and PE 0602143 (Soldier Lethality Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this Project is performed by the Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC)
Mission — Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates innovative enabling technologies that permits scalable integration of multi-domain robotic and autonomous system capabilities within Army formations supporting all combat warfighting functions (close combat, reconnaissance, targeting and acquisition, etc.). Project focus areas include Platform Electronic Control and Autonomy Safety Engineering, Unmanned Maneuver Technologies, and Soldier-Robotic Interface Integration. This Project integrates these technologies with other robotic and autonomous system technologies and validates technologies in relevant environments. This project is also coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), and transitions to PE 0604017A (Robotics Development). The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC).
Mission — Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology
This Program Element (PE) executes development, maturation, and demonstration for the Army's modernization priority for the Next Generation of Combat Vehicle (NCCV). This PE matures, integrates and demonstrates combat vehicle technologies that enable the Army to have a smarter, faster, more lethal, more precise, more protected, and more adaptable force. Technology development builds upon the foundational vehicle architectures to support the NGCV, to include autonomy architecture, power architecture, vehicle electronic architecture, physical architecture, lethality architecture and vehicle protection architecture. Technologies developed, matured, and demonstrated will enable leap ahead capabilities for manned, optionally manned and unmanned vehicles that deliver decisive lethality. Project BF4: Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech was rescoped in PE 0603462A to reflect Department of Defense priorities and will cease the testing and validation of Government developed autonomy software and renewing focus towards integration and testing of industry software. Project BH6: Platform Electrification and Mobility Adv Tech was rescoped in PE 0603462A to reflect Department of Defense priorities and will cease the testing and validation of hybrid-drive systems for combat vehicles. Research in this PE complements PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology), PE 0602144A (Ground Technology), PE 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), PE 0602146A (Network C3I Technology), PE 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology), PE 0603119A (Ground Advanced Technology), PE 0603463A (Network C3I Advanced Technology), PE 0604115A (Technology Maturation Initiatives), and PE 0708045A (End Item Industrial Preparedness Activities). Research in this PE also transitions to PE 0603645A (Armored Systems Modernization Adv Dev) and PE 0604017A (Robotics Development). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Research is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center, Armament Center, Ground Vehicle Systems Center, and the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.806 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 $0.726 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 — Platform Electrification and Mobility Adv Tech
This Project matures, integrates and demonstrates high power technologies for manned and unmanned Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) platforms. High power technologies will enable advanced on-board power-based payloads such as directed energy weapons, and provide new capabilities such as improved acceleration, extended silent mobility and silent watch. This Project will also mature, integrate and demonstrate technologies to increase on-board vehicle power such as a high voltage/temperature generator and high power, high temperature electronics as well as technologies to reduce power demands including composite rubber band track and adaptive hydro-strut suspension. This Project matures, integrates and demonstrates energy storage technologies and addresses associated supply chain challenges to enable domestic suppliers. This Project also continues work leveraging the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense with a focus on energy storage, providing an emphasis on developing advanced technologies that enable military ground vehicles to improve platform mobility and lethality. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BH5 (Platform Electrification and Mobility Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC).
Mission — Ground Systems Active Defense (GSAD) Advanced Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates protection and survivability technologies to increase the survivability of ground vehicles and the protection of the Soldiers who depend on them. The tasks will focus on component maturation and demonstration and transfer products for demonstration as holistic (vehicle level) solutions. The Project will mature and demonstrate technologies to defeat threats throughout the timeline of a threat engagement; from obscuring a target, to actively defeat a threat and through mitigating its effects after engagement. These technologies include the active employment of smoke, physical and electronic active protection, advanced and adaptive armors, advanced and active blast mitigation systems and adaptive interior protection. This Project will be coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) and transitions to PE 0604852A (Suite of Vehicle Protection Systems - EMD). The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC) and Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center
Mission — Modeling and Simulation for MUMT Advanced Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates modeling and simulation (M&S) tools/technologies to assess and improve freedom of movement for ground forces and supports vehicle developers by addressing challenges for robotic and ground vehicles. This Project matures and demonstrates obstacle detection capabilities for autonomous systems operating in complex environments. This Project also matures and demonstrates real-time mobility decision support tools, vehicle-terrain interaction models for autonomous convoy operations, simulation tools for vehicle mobility in highly altered terrain, and M&S tools for predicting the performance of autonomous vehicles. These M&S technologies can be integrated across Army vehicle platforms as required. Work in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BG2 (Modeling and Simulation for MUMT Technology). The work cited is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.
Mission — Next Gen Intelligent Fire Control(NG-IFC) Adv Tech
This Project will mature and demonstrate armament specific hardware, algorithms and architectures to support the Next Generation Combat Vehicle with the necessary fire control on future manned and unmanned platforms. Research in this Project is related to and fully integrated with the efforts funded in Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Research in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Research in this Project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC)
Mission — Next Generation Combat Vehicle Advanced Technology
This Program Element (PE) executes development, maturation, and demonstration for the Army's modernization priority for the Next Generation of Combat Vehicle (NCCV). This PE matures, integrates and demonstrates combat vehicle technologies that enable the Army to have a smarter, faster, more lethal, more precise, more protected, and more adaptable force. Technology development builds upon the foundational vehicle architectures to support the NGCV, to include autonomy architecture, power architecture, vehicle electronic architecture, physical architecture, lethality architecture and vehicle protection architecture. Technologies developed, matured, and demonstrated will enable leap ahead capabilities for manned, optionally manned and unmanned vehicles that deliver decisive lethality. Project BF4: Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech was rescoped in PE 0603462A to reflect Department of Defense priorities and will cease the testing and validation of Government developed autonomy software and renewing focus towards integration and testing of industry software. Project BH6: Platform Electrification and Mobility Adv Tech was rescoped in PE 0603462A to reflect Department of Defense priorities and will cease the testing and validation of hybrid-drive systems for combat vehicles. Research in this PE complements PE 0602141A (Lethality Technology), PE 0602144A (Ground Technology), PE 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), PE 0602146A (Network C3I Technology), PE 0603116A (Lethality Advanced Technology), PE 0603119A (Ground Advanced Technology), PE 0603463A (Network C3I Advanced Technology), PE 0604115A (Technology Maturation Initiatives), and PE 0708045A (End Item Industrial Preparedness Activities). Research in this PE also transitions to PE 0603645A (Armored Systems Modernization Adv Dev) and PE 0604017A (Robotics Development). The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Research is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center, Armament Center, Ground Vehicle Systems Center, and the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.806 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 $0.726 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 — Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates innovative enabling technologies that permits scalable integration of multi-domain robotic and autonomous system capabilities within Army formations supporting all combat warfighting functions (close combat, reconnaissance, targeting and acquisition, etc.). Project focus areas include Platform Electronic Control and Autonomy Safety Engineering, Unmanned Maneuver Technologies, and Soldier-Robotic Interface Integration. This Project integrates these technologies with other robotic and autonomous system technologies and validates technologies in relevant environments. This project is also coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), and transitions to PE 0604017A (Robotics Development). The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC).
Mission — Adv Direct InDirect Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Adv Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates technologies for large caliber direct fire light-weight armament systems that will exceed the current capability of 120 millimeter (mm) direct fire cannons and be optimized for future operational environment with cross-domain engagement capability. Specifically, this Project integrates and demonstrates technologies for rapid fire on-the-move at all elevations (direct & indirect), compact ammunition design with advanced ignition, advanced recoil mitigation to reduce impulse and allow integration onto lighter platforms, and automated ammunition handling and reloading. This Project also supports open architecture to enable supervised autonomy and remote operation and integrates intelligent fire control to address multi-domain targets from manned and unmanned platforms. Work in this Project is related to and fully integrated with the efforts funded in Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) and PE 0604115A (Technology Maturation Initiatives). Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BK5 (Adv Direct In-Direct Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Tech) and Program Element (PE) 0603464A (Long Range Precision Fires Advanced Technology) / Project CE9 (Armaments Advanced Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this Project is performed by the Armaments Center (AC)
Mission — Smart Targeting Environment for Lower Level Assets
This Project matures and demonstrates mission targeting support software and algorithms, to include Electronic Warfare capabilities, leveraged from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) System-of-System Enhanced Small Unit (SESU), current force, and Science and Technology (S&T) in order to enable small units to continuously build and share targeting data and access strike assets in multi-domain operations. The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Research in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this Project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
Mission — Ground Vehicle Advanced Technology(CA)
Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Ground Vehicle Advanced Technology. The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy.
Mission — Platform Electrification and Mobility Adv Tech
This Project matures, integrates and demonstrates high power technologies for manned and unmanned Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) platforms. High power technologies will enable advanced on-board power-based payloads such as directed energy weapons, and provide new capabilities such as improved acceleration, extended silent mobility and silent watch. This Project will also mature, integrate and demonstrate technologies to increase on-board vehicle power such as a high voltage/temperature generator and high power, high temperature electronics as well as technologies to reduce power demands including composite rubber band track and adaptive hydro-strut suspension. This Project matures, integrates and demonstrates energy storage technologies and addresses associated supply chain challenges to enable domestic suppliers. This Project also continues work leveraging the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense with a focus on energy storage, providing an emphasis on developing advanced technologies that enable military ground vehicles to improve platform mobility and lethality. Work in this Project complements Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BH5 (Platform Electrification and Mobility Tech). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC).
Mission — Enhanced VETRONICS Advanced Technology
This Project matures, integrates, and demonstrates vehicle electronics hardware such as computers, sensors, communications systems, displays, and vehicle command/control/driving mechanisms as well as vehicle software to enhance crew performance, increase vehicle fuel efficiency, reduce Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) burdens and reduce vehicle maintenance costs. This Project is a collaborative work between Army laboratories and centers and private industry in effort to advance open system data architectures for military ground vehicles to enable common interfaces, standards and hardware implementations. This will align Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO-GCS's) Common Infrastructure Architecture (GCIA) with current combat platform modernization efforts and inform future GCIA iterations. The overall vehicle system architecture approach provides an open architecture to allow platforms and industry partners to accept future technologies without the need for significant re-design as new technologies are developed and integrated. This architecture will provide the interfaces and capabilities necessary to transmit data and power across vehicle subsystems and to dismounted equipment. Additionally, this project matures infrastructure that enables the ease of integration of autonomous subsystem technologies into future and existing tactical and combat vehicle architectures. Technical challenges include software and algorithm development for increased levels of automation for both manned and unmanned systems, secure vehicle data networks, interoperability of intra-vehicle and inter-vehicle systems, and implementation of advanced user interfaces. Overcoming these technical challenges enables improved and increased span of collaborative vehicle operations, efficient workload management, commander's decision aids, embedded simulation for battlefield visualization and fully integrated virtual test and evaluation. Work in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 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 Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).
Mission — Sensor Protection Advanced Technology
This Project matures and demonstrates novel sensor protection capabilities which dramatically reduce the susceptibility of our thermal electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensors to ever increasing threats on the battlefield. This Project enables continuation of the mission despite potential threat laser engagements. Low-cost modular solutions will be demonstrated that can be applied across current and planned EO/IR targeting, surveillance, and situational awareness sensor systems against existing and emerging threats in support of combined arms maneuver. Research in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology), 0602143A (Soldier Lethality Technology), 0603465A (Future Vertical Lift 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. Research in this Project supports the Army Modernization Priorities. Work in this Project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center
Mission — Materials Application and Integration Adv Tech
This Project matures, integrates, and demonstrates lightweight novel materials, integrated computational materials engineering methods, and new manufacturing processes and methodologies. These materials and technologies enable the Army to address critical areas of survivability, mobility, and transportability within the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV). This Project also continues the efforts originally started under Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance (AVPTA) between the Department of Energy and the Department of the Army with a focus on developing advanced materials technologies that enable military ground vehicles to become significantly more energy efficient. The AVPTA, though no longer chartered, has developed a relationship between DoE and DA that continues to accelerate the conceptualization and transition to deployment of inventive and creative energy-saving concepts that the Nation needs to achieve energy security. In support of lighter military vehicles which are more fuel-efficient and capable in expeditionary scenarios, this project will mature and integrate lightweight materials and joining technologies to provide superior mobility and protection of both vehicles and occupants. Research in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology). The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC)
Mission — Autonomous Mobility Adv Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates data-based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) technologies to increase autonomy and mobility and perform teamed operations with manned and unmanned air and ground vehicles in a military relevant environment through data collection on relevant platforms. Data collection will involve both simulation and live collection. Simulation will provide a baseline to correctly collect, clean, and analyze data that meets the need for improving algorithms for both formation control and unmanned aerial vehicle map input for unmanned ground vehicle mobility, while reducing costs. Live data will start with Surrogate platforms in local areas. The Project will use AI/ML techniques to mature and demonstrate intelligent formation control to be used in complex, off-road terrain without the need for a global positioning system (GPS). Data will be collected from mounted platforms utilizing sensors to improve algorithms for relative and absolute positioning, undistributed formation control, and increased speeds of unmanned platforms. The utility of the military-relevant data will be demonstrated through a datahub which is designed specifically for robotic data types, formats and sizes. The datahub infrastructure is a unique solution to handle such ground vehicle data needs and will be able to optimize the outcome of the collected data. Also, the Project will use AI/ML techniques to optimize intelligent autonomous ground platform planning team with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Data collected from air vehicles will be converted to maneuverable information for unmanned ground platforms with the identification of obstacles, go/no-go areas, terrain classification, and optimal suggested paths. Research in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Projects BF3 (Combat Vehicle Robotics Tech) and BF4 (Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech) The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC)
Mission — Ground Systems Active Defense (GSAD) Advanced Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates protection and survivability technologies to increase the survivability of ground vehicles and the protection of the Soldiers who depend on them. The tasks will focus on component maturation and demonstration and transfer products for demonstration as holistic (vehicle level) solutions. The Project will mature and demonstrate technologies to defeat threats throughout the timeline of a threat engagement; from obscuring a target, to actively defeat a threat and through mitigating its effects after engagement. These technologies include the active employment of smoke, physical and electronic active protection, advanced and adaptive armors, advanced and active blast mitigation systems and adaptive interior protection. This Project will be coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) and transitions to PE 0604852A (Suite of Vehicle Protection Systems - EMD). The cited research 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 Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC) and Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center
Mission — Modeling and Simulation for MUMT Advanced Tech
This Project matures and demonstrates modeling and simulation (M&S) tools/technologies to assess and improve freedom of movement for ground forces and supports vehicle developers by addressing challenges for robotic and ground vehicles. This Project matures and demonstrates obstacle detection capabilities for autonomous systems operating in complex environments. This Project also matures and demonstrates real-time mobility decision support tools, vehicle-terrain interaction models for autonomous convoy operations, simulation tools for vehicle mobility in highly altered terrain, and M&S tools for predicting the performance of autonomous vehicles. These M&S technologies can be integrated across Army vehicle platforms as required. Work in this Project is coordinated with Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) / Project BG2 (Modeling and Simulation for MUMT Technology). The work cited is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army Modernization Strategy. Work in this Project is performed by the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.
Mission — Sensors for Auto Oper and Survivability Adv Tech
This Project matures, optimizes, and demonstrates automated, advanced multi-function sensors and integrates threat cueing capabilities for operations in full spectrum, complex environments, for next generation manned, optionally manned, and robotic platform applications. This Project will deliver sensor payloads which provide greatly increased situational awareness (e.g., pre-shot and hostile fire detection, threat classification) in all environments for manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems. The cited research is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Research in this Project supports the Army Science and Technology modernization priorities. Work in this Project is performed by the Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center
Mission — Crew Augmentation and Optimization Adv Tech
This Project rapidly matures and demonstrates advanced commercial technologies to enhance crew performance and enable crew augmentation and optimization for closed hatch operations of ground vehicle platforms in a complex multi-domain operations environment. This includes rapid integration of intelligent systems, leveraging machine learning, to improve dynamic tasking, full crew interactions, decision aids, early warnings, command and control, crew use of UAS/Counter-UAS capabilities, to reduce response times and shorten task durations, and to optimize tasking and function. Mature technologies are incorporated onto existing or prototype Army-owned technology demonstrators so that performance of the enabling technologies can be evaluated and the delivery of critical capabilities that optimize crew performance can be accelerated . Work in this Project is also coordinated with work in Program Element (PE) 0602145A (Next Generation Combat Vehicle Technology) and PE 0602143 (Soldier Lethality Technology). The cited work is consistent with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering priority focus areas and the Army modernization strategy. Work in this Project supports the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Army Modernization Priority. Work in this Project is performed by the Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC)
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (84)
Collaborative Defense
This effort expands the capability to protect ground vehicles by developing and demonstrating technologies that can enable the sharing of protection resources across multiple platforms in real time to expand the zone of protection on the battlefield beyond a single vehicle and its protection system. These technologies include sensors to identify and track incoming threats, networks to allow local communication of threat detection and tracking information, and effectors that interdict to disrupt or destroy threats before terminal engagement with the platform. This effort will optimize a system-level integration of the aforementioned technologies within the survivability framework to enable collaboration across multiple vehicles in a small unit, including integration factors such as size, weight, power consumption, and cost impacts to the platform. This effort will provide a demonstration of the collaborative defense capability in an operationally relevant environment.
APS Residuals Protection Maturation and Complex Threat Attack Protection (CTAP)
This effort contributes to the Army's ground vehicle survivability by maturing, integrating, and demonstrating advanced technologies which physically defeat incoming threats. These technologies involve passive and reactive mechanisms that work seamlessly with active protection systems in order to increase the overall efficiency of the system. This effort will mature and demonstrate armor components that defeat residual blast and fragmentation from hard-kill active protection systems engagements with kinetic threats in order to protect vehicle occupants and critical subsystems. This effort also matures and demonstrates armor and occupant protection components that provide threat defeat for advanced and emerging threats with complex defeat mechanisms.
Survivability Capability Characterization and Demonstration
This effort evaluates, validates, and demonstrates emerging protection technologies to characterize and assess their performance and maturity and potential for transition to Product Manager (PdM) Vehicle Protection System (VPS).
Soft-Kill System Development
This effort matures and demonstrates soft-kill system technologies to protect combat vehicles from current and emerging ATGM threats at increased stand-off distances with an unlimited magazine and low collateral hazard. This capability will also improve situational awareness to vehicle occupants by detecting and alerting when threats have been fired. Technologies will be optimized and integrated on combat vehicles using the Modular Active Protection System (MAPS) Framework and Controller. They will be demonstrated in a relevant environment.
Integrated Signature Management
This effort provides the capability for ground vehicle systems to achieve increased standoff from threat system detection and targeting, enabling freedom of maneuver and the option to strike first, through the use of novel technology. This effort matures and demonstrates signature management technology that is integrated into the vehicle system, as opposed to ad hoc appliques that do not consider all other vehicle requirements. This effort will optimize a system level solution that considers size, weight, power consumption, and cost impacts to the platform. This effort will provide a demonstration of the improvement in signature management capability in an operationally-relevant environment.
Next Generation Adaptive Armor
This effort will integrate products developed in PE 0602145A/BG6 - Adaptive and Cooperative Protection and sensors from the 0603462A/BG7 - Sensor for Adaptive Armor to develop an Adaptive Armor System to defeat pacing and emerging threats. Throughout this effort, trade analysis will be completed to examine new countermeasures and integration; design and build hardware and conduct component and system level demonstrations. At the end of the effort the final deliverables are a survivability framework compliant adaptive armor solution that is complimentary with a layered survivability architecture.
Advanced Radar and Soft-Kill (A-RASK) Suite
This effort matures and demonstrates next generation vehicle radar technologies and holistic electronic warning and soft-kill countermeasure techniques to support a layered modular active protection suite and ensure the survivability of ground combat platforms in all-weather day or night conditions with 360 degree situational awareness and threat Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) defeat.
Hard Kill Active Protection System (HK APS) Development, Integration, and Demonstration
This effort matures, integrates, and demonstrates a HK APS capable of defeating Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, and Recoilless Rifles ensuring the platform's ability to shoot, move and communicate after an engagement. The system will be compliant to the Modular APS Framework (MAF). This effort will optimize an HK APS that includes the following subsystems; counter-measure, launcher, and sensors (active/passive). Will demonstrate HK APS capabilities in a virtual and live fire demonstration in a relevant operational environment. Counter-measure (CM): Matures and demonstrates CM designs that includes the following aspects: blast size, time of flight, velocity, engagement distance, accuracy, and SWaP-C. Analysis will be conducted for each counter-measure component as well as at the sub-system level. Demonstrations will be performed in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. Launcher: Matures and demonstrates launcher designs that considers the following aspects: SWaP-C, engagement speed and accuracy, number of launchers, material composition and reliability. The most mature and suitable launcher for the project will be demonstrated in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. Sensors: Matures and demonstrates overall sensor suite design (active/passive) that considers the following aspects; radar frequency, power, weight, volume, algorithms, accuracy, search range, tracking and identification time, and passive cueing integration and optimization. The most mature and suitable sensor suite (active/passive) for the project will be demonstrated in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. Integration: Demonstrate the matured HK APS sub-systems on a platform in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. This will also analyze subsystem and system performance characteristics against Integrated Product Team (IPT) stakeholder requirements. Develop a performance baseline for future hard kill system evaluations.
Controls and Architecture
This effort provides the basis for holistic (vehicle level) active defense by ensuring compatibility of active defense subsystems and systems. This effort matures and demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the controls and architecture for active defense systems. The focus will be to enable the integration of multiple emerging survivability technologies into safe and secure configurations. This effort will optimize size, weight, and power - cooling (SWaP-C) performance for the system components.
Small Targeting Environment for Lower Level Assets (STELLA )
This effort matures and demonstrates integrated target search and electronic warfare data dissemination algorithms to speed the overall targeting process. This improved process will utilize automated target search algorithms based on mission parameters to reduce processing time and interface with systems for detecting concealed targets and setting target priority. It will fuse local data processing and payload data to increase accuracy for target engagement, optimize data dissemination algorithms based on local network conditions, and streamline interfaces for small units to access joint strike assets.
Next Generation Intelligent Fire Control
This effort will deliver armament specific hardware, algorithms and architectures to support the Next Generation Combat Vehicle with the necessary fire control on future manned and unmanned platforms.
Machine Learning Data Collection
This effort matures and demonstrates techniques and technologies for mass unmanned ground vehicle data collection to be used towards Army research in autonomy and mobility with machine learning efforts.
Formation Control
This effort uses ML techniques to develop intelligent formation control for manned and unmanned ground vehicles to be used on maintained roads and in contested environments under electronic warfare (EW) and GPS-denied conditions. Data will be collected from mounted platforms utilizing special internal and external sensors to develop and demonstrate algorithms for exact positioning, undistributed formation control, and increased speed.
Integration Compliant Fire Control Lethality Architecture
This effort will deliver armament fire control hardware and software that will be compliant to integrate with Next Generation Combat Vehicle architecture for direct fire platforms.
Large Caliber Armament System (LCAS)
This effort matures and demonstrates a next generation, automated, lightweight 120-mm armament system design for Next Generation Combat Vehicle, providing tank-like lethality for light to medium-weight optionally manned platforms.
Advanced Lethality Armament System for Large Caliber Advanced Tech
This effort demonstrates increased lethality solutions for current and future large caliber direct fire armament systems focused on exceeding performance of current 120mm direct fire weapons.
Breaching Technology for Combat Engineering Operations (AT-CEO)
This effort matures and demonstrates remote and automated combat engineering technologies with assured safety & security across various delivery platforms and mechanisms to enhance effectiveness of complex maneuver support functions for resilient operations in contested environments.
Advanced Sensors with Embedded Processing
Matures and demonstrates advanced, multi-spectral and multi-function sensors, and image processing capabilities with improved performance in all environments and against all threats to include low-contrast targets in camouflage or in degraded conditions. Matures and demonstrates rapid detection of concealed enemy optical threat systems (visible, midwave infrared, longwave infrared) and real-time hostile fire detection (HFD) for anti-armor threats while on the move, exploiting multi-functional imaging components and embedded processing. Enables enhanced situational awareness and targeting capabilities in complex environments via manned, optionally manned, and robotic platform applications.
Platform Electrification Technologies
This effort matures and integrates components and sub-systems in order to demonstrate a modular electrification architecture that scales across light to heavy weight classes of combat vehicles.
Multi-Mission Payload
Matures and demonstrates sensor payloads for ground vehicle based unmanned aerial systems to detect line of sight, and beyond line of sight threats and complex obstacles such as personnel and vehicles in all environments.
System/Vehicle Integration and Test
This effort integrates advanced mobility, platform electrification components and electrification architecture technologies into surrogate platforms and demonstrates the performance, scalability and modularity of the system approach which will provide the capabilities of silent mobility, improved mobility performance, improved operational duration without re-supply, and provides power to enable integration of advanced protection, lethality and network capabilities.
Battery Technologies for Supply Chain Security
This effort researches technologies that mitigate battery supply chain security issues as it relates to common military form factors that are critical to military ground vehicle hybridization and other Army battery applications. This effort is part of a coordinated effort to conduct assessments of technologies across the Defense Advanced Battery Supply Chain along with DoD battery technology projects in PEs 0603342D8Z, 0605798D8Z, 0603680D8Z, 0607210D8Z, 0605805Z, 0603724N, and 0901212N. This effort matures and demonstrates an import/export power capability that will allow combat vehicles to interface with the existing electrical grid in a compact, highly efficient package that is installed and carried in the vehicle. It will also support interfacing to microgrid hardware for dispersed operations and flexible power on the battlefield. This investment would reduce fuel consumption and increase operational range, furthering the enhancement of improved vehicle operation within a contested environment and towed power generation.
Tactical and Wheeled Vehicles Hybrid Electric System
This effort is part of the climate change initiative to reduce vehicle platform carbon emissions through development of hybrid electric, anti-idle and multi-vehicle power networking capabilities for tactical and wheeled platforms.
Combat Vehicle Hybrid Electric Capability Demonstration
This effort is part of the climate change initiative to reduce vehicle platform carbon emissions through development and demonstration of hybrid electric and battery dominant vehicles. This effort matures technology to perform rapid recharging of electric vehicles in battlefield environments. This effort demonstrates capabilities applicable to both wheeled tactical vehicles and tracked combat vehicles.
Advanced Running Gear and Suspension System Technology
This effort matures, integrates, and demonstrates an advanced track and suspension system for heavy combat vehicle applications which offers significantly reduced system weight, maintenance, noise and vibration over conventional systems as well as increased operational effectiveness on- and off-road for improved mobility in austere environments with reduced power requirements.
Advanced Mobility Technologies
This effort matures and demonstrates a reduced weight composite running gear system for medium combat vehicle applications which increases operational effectiveness and reduces fuel consumption.
Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance - Electrification Technology
This effort matures and develops advanced energy storage technologies to improve power and energy performance and safety for vehicles. Higher energy stored with less space and weight increases vehicle efficiency and range. Ensures electrified ground vehicles have enough power for mobility, silent watch, and enables capabilities such as advanced protection, lethality and network capabilities. This effort is a partnership with the Department of Energy.
Scalable Electrification & Control Architecture Technology
This effort validates component-level performance and integrates the power distribution and control components to implement a common, scalable, electrified vehicle power architecture to enable analyze layered survivability technologies, high voltage batteries, fast vehicle charging from the grid, and silent mobility on combat platforms from 15 to 50 tons.
Robotic Combat Vehicle Silent Watch and Mobility Range Extension Advanced Technology
This effort matures and demonstrates JP8 reformer components and sub-systems that provide extended silent watch and mobility as part of a modular electrification architecture supporting robotic combat vehicles. The Army's robotic combat vehicles are expected to have increased silent watch and silent mobility requirements that are not met by current technologies.
Enhanced - Vehicle Electronics (E-Vetronics)
This effort addressed technical and integration challenges in the areas of vehicle architecture and systems integration. Specifically, this effort focused on maturing and demonstrating a common ground vehicle open architecture with distributed display processing architecture, computing hardware capable of being re-configured to adapt to changes in Input/ Output (1/0) needs, advanced network video distribution, advancements in slip ring technology, tactical situational awareness (SA), cooperative engagement and mission package integration through open architecture components and software. These efforts enabled future vehicle capabilities, reduced dependencies on proprietary solutions, and supported increased market competition through open architecture components and software. This effort created the electronics architecture for future ground combat vehicles to enable software and hardware commonality and reduce system integration timing and cost.
Sensor Protection Advanced Technology
This effort will mature and demonstrate sensor protection and signature reduction capabilities which better ensure sensors are difficult to detect, dazzle, and damage by current and future laser threats.
System Design Optimization for Lightweighting
This effort improves technologies, tools, and advanced manufacturing techniques in support of the Army's mission to increase mobility, protection, and transportability while reducing weight. This effort focuses on maturing and demonstrating technologies to decrease ground vehicle weight while optimizing performances and enabling the Army trade space for enhanced capabilities. The technologies being demonstrated are in the fields of material maturation, design optimization, operational metrics, joining technologies, and additive manufacturing.
Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance - Materials
This effort matures and demonstrates lightweight materials and joining technologies in support of lighter military vehicles which are more fuel-efficient and expeditionary with superior mobility and protection of both vehicles and occupants. Lighter materials/constructions and advances in joining technologies such as multi-material and dissimilar material joining will lead to lightweight military vehicle structures.
Crew Augmentation and Optimization Advanced Technology
This effort focuses on optimizing crew station technologies while reducing crew sizes that will provide the same overall performance by exploiting human-machine interaction technologies, automation, machine intelligence and customization to permit soldiers to achieve performance beyond today's constrained ground vehicle environment. This effort focuses on the down-selection, integration, optimization, and demonstration of crew interaction technologies. It enables universal crew interfaces across multiple platforms that enhance crew interactions while reducing crew size.
Rapid Fielding of Supply Chain Secure Type 1B-90 Li-ion 6T Batteries (1B90 6Ts)
This effort rapidly fields a Type 1B-90 battery which has the highest safety and performance of any Li-ion 6T variant. Li-ion 6Ts provide increased energy, significantly extended cycle life, and faster recharge enabling improved vehicle performance, but there is a need to ensure a secure supply chain for these batteries.
Unmanned Maneuver Demonstration.
This effort integrates and demonstrates the advanced mobility performance of industry partner autonomous systems within complex, combat scenarios to allow for the completion of mission goals in individual and teaming configurations at various levels of autonomy.
Human - Machine Integrated Formations (H-MIF)
This effort matures and demonstrates technologies for autonomous platforms and autonomous platform subsystems.
Small UGV as Deployable Sensor
This effort improves the long range autonomy, mobility and sensing capabilities of small UGVs to expand reconnaissance in terrains and environments large systems cannot reach (i.e. culverts, underground, dense urban) and to serve as unmanned listening & observation posts. The small UGVs will deploy out of NGCV systems to enhance battlespace awareness and reduce the risk to the systems.
Soldier-Robotic Interface Integration
This effort is a focused approach to optimize control of the unmanned systems with improved performance incorporating Manned-Unmanned Teaming enabled formations and is measured against multiple phases of the combat scenario for improved operational effectiveness and overall system performance.
Unmanned Maneuver
This effort integrates and demonstrates the advanced mobility performance of autonomous systems within complex, combat scenarios to allow for the completion of mission goals in individual and teaming configurations at various levels of autonomy.
Platform Electronic Control
This effort optimizes the electronic, closed loop control of by-wire vehicle systems to provide stable, reliable, and predictable control in the presence of potential malicious or unintended commands for both wheeled and tracked unmanned vehicles.
Autonomous Vehicle/Terrain Interactions Demonstration
This effort matures and demonstrates the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment (VANE) to robustly simulate multiple vehicles/teaming behaviors operating in complex formations and complex, unstructured environments. This effort provides the capabilities to computationally assess manned/unmanned vehicle maneuvering through cross-country environments ensuring battlefield overmatch.
Breaching Technology for Combat Engineering Operations (AT-CEO)
This effort matures and demonstrates remote and automated combat engineering technologies with assured safety & security across various delivery platforms and mechanisms to enhance effectiveness of complex maneuver support functions for resilient operations in contested environments.
Human - Machine Integrated Formations (H-MIF)
This effort matures and demonstrates technologies for autonomous platforms and autonomous platform subsystems.
Advanced Lethality Armament System for Large Caliber Advanced Tech
This effort demonstrates increased lethality solutions for current and future large caliber direct fire armament systems focused on exceeding performance of current 120mm direct fire weapons.
Advanced Radar and Soft-Kill (A-RASK) Suite
This effort matures and demonstrates next generation vehicle radar technologies and holistic electronic warning and soft-kill countermeasure techniques to support a layered modular active protection suite and ensure the survivability of ground combat platforms in all-weather day or night conditions with 360 degree situational awareness and threat Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) defeat.
System/Vehicle Integration and Test
This effort integrates advanced mobility, platform electrification components and electrification architecture technologies into surrogate platforms and demonstrates the performance, scalability and modularity of the system approach which will provide the capabilities of silent mobility, improved mobility performance, improved operational duration without re-supply, and provides power to enable integration of advanced protection, lethality and network capabilities.
Next Generation Intelligent Fire Control
This effort will deliver armament specific hardware, algorithms and architectures to support the Next Generation Combat Vehicle with the necessary fire control on future manned and unmanned platforms.
Integration Compliant Fire Control Lethality Architecture
This effort will deliver armament fire control hardware and software that will be compliant to integrate with Next Generation Combat Vehicle architecture for direct fire platforms.
Soldier-Robotic Interface Integration
This effort is a focused approach to optimize control of the unmanned systems with improved performance incorporating Manned-Unmanned Teaming enabled formations and is measured against multiple phases of the combat scenario for improved operational effectiveness and overall system performance.
Unmanned Maneuver Demonstration.
This effort integrates and demonstrates the advanced mobility performance of industry partner autonomous systems within complex, combat scenarios to allow for the completion of mission goals in individual and teaming configurations at various levels of autonomy.
Small UGV as Deployable Sensor
This effort improves the long range autonomy, mobility and sensing capabilities of small UGVs to expand reconnaissance in terrains and environments large systems cannot reach (i.e. culverts, underground, dense urban) and to serve as unmanned listening & observation posts. The small UGVs will deploy out of NGCV systems to enhance battlespace awareness and reduce the risk to the systems.
Platform Electronic Control
This effort optimizes the electronic, closed loop control of by-wire vehicle systems to provide stable, reliable, and predictable control in the presence of potential malicious or unintended commands for both wheeled and tracked unmanned vehicles.
Unmanned Maneuver
This effort integrates and demonstrates the advanced mobility performance of autonomous systems within complex, combat scenarios to allow for the completion of mission goals in individual and teaming configurations at various levels of autonomy.
Large Caliber Armament System (LCAS)
This effort matures and demonstrates a next generation, automated, lightweight 120-mm armament system design for Next Generation Combat Vehicle, providing tank-like lethality for light to medium-weight optionally manned platforms.
Small Targeting Environment for Lower Level Assets (STELLA )
This effort matures and demonstrates integrated target search and electronic warfare data dissemination algorithms to speed the overall targeting process. This improved process will utilize automated target search algorithms based on mission parameters to reduce processing time and interface with systems for detecting concealed targets and setting target priority. It will fuse local data processing and payload data to increase accuracy for target engagement, optimize data dissemination algorithms based on local network conditions, and streamline interfaces for small units to access joint strike assets.
Survivability Capability Characterization and Demonstration
This effort evaluates, validates, and demonstrates emerging protection technologies to characterize and assess their performance and maturity and potential for transition to Product Manager (PdM) Vehicle Protection System (VPS).
Rapid Fielding of Supply Chain Secure Type 1B-90 Li-ion 6T Batteries (1B90 6Ts)
This effort rapidly fields a Type 1B-90 battery which has the highest safety and performance of any Li-ion 6T variant. Li-ion 6Ts provide increased energy, significantly extended cycle life, and faster recharge enabling improved vehicle performance, but there is a need to ensure a secure supply chain for these batteries.
Platform Electrification Technologies
This effort matures and integrates components and sub-systems in order to demonstrate a modular electrification architecture that scales across light to heavy weight classes of combat vehicles.
Battery Technologies for Supply Chain Security
This effort researches technologies that mitigate battery supply chain security issues as it relates to common military form factors that are critical to military ground vehicle hybridization and other Army battery applications. This effort is part of a coordinated effort to conduct assessments of technologies across the Defense Advanced Battery Supply Chain along with DoD battery technology projects in PEs 0603342D8Z, 0605798D8Z, 0603680D8Z, 0607210D8Z, 0605805Z, 0603724N, and 0901212N. This effort matures and demonstrates an import/export power capability that will allow combat vehicles to interface with the existing electrical grid in a compact, highly efficient package that is installed and carried in the vehicle. It will also support interfacing to microgrid hardware for dispersed operations and flexible power on the battlefield. This investment would reduce fuel consumption and increase operational range, furthering the enhancement of improved vehicle operation within a contested environment and towed power generation.
Tactical and Wheeled Vehicles Hybrid Electric System
This effort is part of the climate change initiative to reduce vehicle platform carbon emissions through development of hybrid electric, anti-idle and multi-vehicle power networking capabilities for tactical and wheeled platforms.
Combat Vehicle Hybrid Electric Capability Demonstration
This effort is part of the climate change initiative to reduce vehicle platform carbon emissions through development and demonstration of hybrid electric and battery dominant vehicles. This effort matures technology to perform rapid recharging of electric vehicles in battlefield environments. This effort demonstrates capabilities applicable to both wheeled tactical vehicles and tracked combat vehicles.
Advanced Running Gear and Suspension System Technology
This effort matures, integrates, and demonstrates an advanced track and suspension system for heavy combat vehicle applications which offers significantly reduced system weight, maintenance, noise and vibration over conventional systems as well as increased operational effectiveness on- and off-road for improved mobility in austere environments with reduced power requirements.
Advanced Mobility Technologies
This effort matures and demonstrates a reduced weight composite running gear system for medium combat vehicle applications which increases operational effectiveness and reduces fuel consumption.
Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance - Electrification Technology
This effort matures and develops advanced energy storage technologies to improve power and energy performance and safety for vehicles. Higher energy stored with less space and weight increases vehicle efficiency and range. Ensures electrified ground vehicles have enough power for mobility, silent watch, and enables capabilities such as advanced protection, lethality and network capabilities. This effort is a partnership with the Department of Energy.
Scalable Electrification & Control Architecture Technology
This effort validates component-level performance and integrates the power distribution and control components to implement a common, scalable, electrified vehicle power architecture to enable analyze layered survivability technologies, high voltage batteries, fast vehicle charging from the grid, and silent mobility on combat platforms from 15 to 50 tons.
Robotic Combat Vehicle Silent Watch and Mobility Range Extension Advanced Technology
This effort matures and demonstrates JP8 reformer components and sub-systems that provide extended silent watch and mobility as part of a modular electrification architecture supporting robotic combat vehicles. The Army's robotic combat vehicles are expected to have increased silent watch and silent mobility requirements that are not met by current technologies.
Formation Control
This effort uses ML techniques to develop intelligent formation control for manned and unmanned ground vehicles to be used on maintained roads and in contested environments under electronic warfare (EW) and GPS-denied conditions. Data will be collected from mounted platforms utilizing special internal and external sensors to develop and demonstrate algorithms for exact positioning, undistributed formation control, and increased speed.
Enhanced - Vehicle Electronics (E-Vetronics)
This effort addressed technical and integration challenges in the areas of vehicle architecture and systems integration. Specifically, this effort focused on maturing and demonstrating a common ground vehicle open architecture with distributed display processing architecture, computing hardware capable of being re-configured to adapt to changes in Input/ Output (1/0) needs, advanced network video distribution, advancements in slip ring technology, tactical situational awareness (SA), cooperative engagement and mission package integration through open architecture components and software. These efforts enabled future vehicle capabilities, reduced dependencies on proprietary solutions, and supported increased market competition through open architecture components and software. This effort created the electronics architecture for future ground combat vehicles to enable software and hardware commonality and reduce system integration timing and cost.
Sensor Protection Advanced Technology
This effort will mature and demonstrate sensor protection and signature reduction capabilities which better ensure sensors are difficult to detect, dazzle, and damage by current and future laser threats.
System Design Optimization for Lightweighting
This effort improves technologies, tools, and advanced manufacturing techniques in support of the Army's mission to increase mobility, protection, and transportability while reducing weight. This effort focuses on maturing and demonstrating technologies to decrease ground vehicle weight while optimizing performances and enabling the Army trade space for enhanced capabilities. The technologies being demonstrated are in the fields of material maturation, design optimization, operational metrics, joining technologies, and additive manufacturing.
Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance - Materials
This effort matures and demonstrates lightweight materials and joining technologies in support of lighter military vehicles which are more fuel-efficient and expeditionary with superior mobility and protection of both vehicles and occupants. Lighter materials/constructions and advances in joining technologies such as multi-material and dissimilar material joining will lead to lightweight military vehicle structures.
Machine Learning Data Collection
This effort matures and demonstrates techniques and technologies for mass unmanned ground vehicle data collection to be used towards Army research in autonomy and mobility with machine learning efforts.
APS Residuals Protection Maturation and Complex Threat Attack Protection (CTAP)
This effort contributes to the Army's ground vehicle survivability by maturing, integrating, and demonstrating advanced technologies which physically defeat incoming threats. These technologies involve passive and reactive mechanisms that work seamlessly with active protection systems in order to increase the overall efficiency of the system. This effort will mature and demonstrate armor components that defeat residual blast and fragmentation from hard-kill active protection systems engagements with kinetic threats in order to protect vehicle occupants and critical subsystems. This effort also matures and demonstrates armor and occupant protection components that provide threat defeat for advanced and emerging threats with complex defeat mechanisms.
Autonomous Vehicle/Terrain Interactions Demonstration
This effort matures and demonstrates the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment (VANE) to robustly simulate multiple vehicles/teaming behaviors operating in complex formations and complex, unstructured environments. This effort provides the capabilities to computationally assess manned/unmanned vehicle maneuvering through cross-country environments ensuring battlefield overmatch.
Multi-Mission Payload
Matures and demonstrates sensor payloads for ground vehicle based unmanned aerial systems to detect line of sight, and beyond line of sight threats and complex obstacles such as personnel and vehicles in all environments.
Advanced Sensors with Embedded Processing
Matures and demonstrates advanced, multi-spectral and multi-function sensors, and image processing capabilities with improved performance in all environments and against all threats to include low-contrast targets in camouflage or in degraded conditions. Matures and demonstrates rapid detection of concealed enemy optical threat systems (visible, midwave infrared, longwave infrared) and real-time hostile fire detection (HFD) for anti-armor threats while on the move, exploiting multi-functional imaging components and embedded processing. Enables enhanced situational awareness and targeting capabilities in complex environments via manned, optionally manned, and robotic platform applications.
Crew Augmentation and Optimization Advanced Technology
This effort focuses on optimizing crew station technologies while reducing crew sizes that will provide the same overall performance by exploiting human-machine interaction technologies, automation, machine intelligence and customization to permit soldiers to achieve performance beyond today's constrained ground vehicle environment. This effort focuses on the down-selection, integration, optimization, and demonstration of crew interaction technologies. It enables universal crew interfaces across multiple platforms that enhance crew interactions while reducing crew size.
Collaborative Defense
This effort expands the capability to protect ground vehicles by developing and demonstrating technologies that can enable the sharing of protection resources across multiple platforms in real time to expand the zone of protection on the battlefield beyond a single vehicle and its protection system. These technologies include sensors to identify and track incoming threats, networks to allow local communication of threat detection and tracking information, and effectors that interdict to disrupt or destroy threats before terminal engagement with the platform. This effort will optimize a system-level integration of the aforementioned technologies within the survivability framework to enable collaboration across multiple vehicles in a small unit, including integration factors such as size, weight, power consumption, and cost impacts to the platform. This effort will provide a demonstration of the collaborative defense capability in an operationally relevant environment.
Next Generation Adaptive Armor
This effort will integrate products developed in PE 0602145A/BG6 - Adaptive and Cooperative Protection and sensors from the 0603462A/BG7 - Sensor for Adaptive Armor to develop an Adaptive Armor System to defeat pacing and emerging threats. Throughout this effort, trade analysis will be completed to examine new countermeasures and integration; design and build hardware and conduct component and system level demonstrations. At the end of the effort the final deliverables are a survivability framework compliant adaptive armor solution that is complimentary with a layered survivability architecture.
Integrated Signature Management
This effort provides the capability for ground vehicle systems to achieve increased standoff from threat system detection and targeting, enabling freedom of maneuver and the option to strike first, through the use of novel technology. This effort matures and demonstrates signature management technology that is integrated into the vehicle system, as opposed to ad hoc appliques that do not consider all other vehicle requirements. This effort will optimize a system level solution that considers size, weight, power consumption, and cost impacts to the platform. This effort will provide a demonstration of the improvement in signature management capability in an operationally-relevant environment.
Hard Kill Active Protection System (HK APS) Development, Integration, and Demonstration
This effort matures, integrates, and demonstrates a HK APS capable of defeating Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, and Recoilless Rifles ensuring the platform's ability to shoot, move and communicate after an engagement. The system will be compliant to the Modular APS Framework (MAF). This effort will optimize an HK APS that includes the following subsystems; counter-measure, launcher, and sensors (active/passive). Will demonstrate HK APS capabilities in a virtual and live fire demonstration in a relevant operational environment. Counter-measure (CM): Matures and demonstrates CM designs that includes the following aspects: blast size, time of flight, velocity, engagement distance, accuracy, and SWaP-C. Analysis will be conducted for each counter-measure component as well as at the sub-system level. Demonstrations will be performed in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. Launcher: Matures and demonstrates launcher designs that considers the following aspects: SWaP-C, engagement speed and accuracy, number of launchers, material composition and reliability. The most mature and suitable launcher for the project will be demonstrated in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. Sensors: Matures and demonstrates overall sensor suite design (active/passive) that considers the following aspects; radar frequency, power, weight, volume, algorithms, accuracy, search range, tracking and identification time, and passive cueing integration and optimization. The most mature and suitable sensor suite (active/passive) for the project will be demonstrated in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. Integration: Demonstrate the matured HK APS sub-systems on a platform in the following environments: virtual, hardware in the loop, and live fire. This will also analyze subsystem and system performance characteristics against Integrated Product Team (IPT) stakeholder requirements. Develop a performance baseline for future hard kill system evaluations.
Controls and Architecture
This effort provides the basis for holistic (vehicle level) active defense by ensuring compatibility of active defense subsystems and systems. This effort matures and demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the controls and architecture for active defense systems. The focus will be to enable the integration of multiple emerging survivability technologies into safe and secure configurations. This effort will optimize size, weight, and power - cooling (SWaP-C) performance for the system components.
Soft-Kill System Development
This effort matures and demonstrates soft-kill system technologies to protect combat vehicles from current and emerging ATGM threats at increased stand-off distances with an unlimited magazine and low collateral hazard. This capability will also improve situational awareness to vehicle occupants by detecting and alerting when threats have been fired. Technologies will be optimized and integrated on combat vehicles using the Modular Active Protection System (MAPS) Framework and Controller. They will be demonstrated in a relevant environment.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY24 Actuals | $433.3M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY25 Enacted | $254.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY25 Total | $254.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY26 Disc. Request | $141.3M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army | A | FY26 Total | $141.3M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI3: Sensor Protection Advanced Technology | $1.70M | $1.75M | $1.03M | $1.03M |
| BF7: Crew Augmentation and Optimization Adv Tech | $3.81M | $4.37M | $3.40M | $3.40M |
| BH8: Enhanced VETRONICS Advanced Technology | $10.3M | $13.9M | $5.04M | $5.04M |
| BG3: Modeling and Simulation for MUMT Advanced Tech | $6.11M | $6.46M | $5.13M | $5.13M |
| BH6: Platform Electrification and Mobility Adv Tech | $66.0M | $11.0M | $7.63M | $7.63M |
| BG1: Sensors for Auto Oper and Survivability Adv Tech | $11.7M | $9.59M | $8.93M | $8.93M |
| BK6: Adv Direct InDirect Armament Sys (ADIDAS) Adv Tech | $779.0K | $6.37M | $10.9M | $10.9M |
| BG7: Ground Systems Active Defense (GSAD) Advanced Tech | $56.2M | $52.0M | $42.0M | $42.0M |
| BF4: Combat Vehicle Robotics Adv Tech | $35.5M | $55.2M | $57.2M | $57.2M |
| Program Element | $433.3M | $254.7M | $141.3M | $141.3M |
| BK1: Autonomous Mobility Adv Tech | $5.30M | $3.86M | — | — |
| BZ9: Smart Targeting Environment for Lower Level Assets | $4.32M | $4.21M | — | — |
| BP6: Ground Vehicle Advanced Technology(CA) | $223.1M | $86.0M | — | — |
| BK4: Next Gen Intelligent Fire Control(NG-IFC) Adv Tech | $4.17M | — | — | — |
| BI5: Materials Application and Integration Adv Tech | $4.20M | — | — | — |
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? →