Advanced Enabling Technologies

The Resilient Software Systems Capstones (RSS Capstones) program will demonstrate formal methods-based software system development techniques that result in significant and measurable reductions in relevant cyber vulnerabilities on actual Defense of Defense (DoD) systems and will document the techniques in best practices guides that facilitate the adoption of formal methods by the DoD and Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Experience in commercial industry has shown that formal methods provide the basis for high assurance software development, sustainment, upgrade, and authority to operate (ATO) capabilities for new and legacy software systems. For new software systems, proof artifacts created using formal methods facilitate the creation of high assurance software systems free of high consequence vulnerabilities. For legacy software systems, formal methods enable a granular ATO process and the rapid insertion of formally attested patches and other modifications and improvements. To operationalize these capabilities, the RSS Capstones program will harden and systematize formal methods-based tools and demonstrate their utility on actual DoD platforms across operational domains to include air, land, sea, and space. Cybersecurity sustainment is a particular focus for the program, including capabilities to produce targeted patches for known security flaws along with proofs that the patches preserve the original baseline functionality and quality attributes of the system - these proofs are the actual enablers of granular ATO and rapid patch deployment. The RSS Capstones program will enable formal methods-based development and sustainment of mission-critical software systems that provides higher levels of assurance than the approaches currently in use by the DoD and DIB. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603760E, Project CCC-05.

The Carcosa program is developing and demonstrating cyber technologies for use by warfighters during tactical operations. Carcosa cyber technology aims to provide warfighters in the field with enhanced situational awareness of their immediate battlespace. Carcosa technologies are being integrated in prototype tools suitable for use by warfighters with a range of cyber knowledge and skills, including both cyber novices and advanced cyber practitioners. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603760E, Project CCC-05.

Efforts conducted under this thrust study and refine emerging opportunities and concepts in cyber systems, cyber security, and cyber operations. Cyber is now ubiquitous to warfighting. For non-kinetic operations in advance of lethal conflict, cyber can be a powerful enabler of information operations that limit adversary options and deter adversary actions. For kinetic operations during lethal conflict, cyber can be a force multiplier and provide an asymmetric advantage. Improved capabilities are developed to prevent adversary access to U.S. networks and systems and to promptly discover and remediate adversaries who do achieve access to U.S systems. Conversely, cyber access capabilities for the U.S. on adversary networks and systems can undermine adversary confidence in their information and weapon systems. Artificial intelligence-based cybersecurity, formal methods, binary analysis, reverse engineering, and other advanced software development, sustainment, generation, and analysis technologies are explored to ensure resilience of U.S. cyber systems. This thrust creates the new concepts and approaches required for the U.S. to achieve and maintain superior cyber warfighting capabilities. The FY 2026 request for a Golden Dome Cybersecurity study includes $0 thousand of discretionary and $10,000 thousand of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of $10,000 thousand. The mandatory funds will be utilized to conduct vulnerability research aligned to Information Technology prevalent in Golden Dome C2 and data processing nodes. Further information for this reconciliation request is provided in Section 20003 (Missile Defense) of the Reconciliation Exhibit.

The Constellation program is comprised of multiple projects that are developing technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems to enable full spectrum military cyberspace operations to defend the U.S. and deter, disrupt, and defeat adversary cyber actors. Technologies of interest include but are not limited to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data science (DS); resilient software, networking, and computing systems; formal methods and program analysis; data and information assurance; and cyber threat intelligence. High relevance is achieved through close coordination with U.S. cyber operators and the use of development, security, and operations (DevSecOps) and other collaborative development processes. High velocity is achieved through streamlined acquisition, assessment, approval, and deployment processes. Constellation development and deployment pipelines enable the rapid and continuous delivery of cyber technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems into operational use for the Department of Defense (DoD). The Constellation program is also funded in PE 0602025E, Project MSL-04 to facilitate rapid transition of cyber technologies and laboratory prototypes from applied research to operational prototypes. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603760E, Project CCC-05, and PE 0602303E, Project IT-03.

The Generating Communications Channels to Operate (GeCCO) program will enable secure communications for military operations in contested environments by creating communications paths that assure privacy and availability. This effort will develop advanced and flexible communication architectures that employ new virtual network services. GeCCO will enable communications by leveraging commercial networks. Future distributed operations across the globe will require a small logistical footprint and the flexibility to adapt to the available communication environments (commercial and military). GeCCO will address the secure use of already widespread advanced cellular networks to preserve privacy of communications by preventing pattern-of-life analysis. Technology developed under this program will transition to the Services. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603760E, Project CCC-02.

The Space domain Wide Area Tracking & Characterization (Space-WATCH) program will enable real-time persistent tracking of objects in low earth orbit (LEO) and provide actionable intelligence on tactical timescales. Space-WATCH will enable detection and tracking of objects orbiting the Earth on much faster timescales than current ground-based sensors are capable of by combining proliferated, on-orbit sensors with automated data fusion. By working with commercial companies operating in LEO to host low-cost sensors on their space platforms, Space-WATCH will employ thousands of sensors on orbit to continuously gather data. Space-WATCH will utilize automated algorithms to process and fuse all the collected data for anomaly detection and false alarm reduction, making the data useful and actionable to ground-based operators. This comprehensive data set of objects in LEO and real-time information on anomalies will greatly increase the accuracy of the Department of Defense's space situational awareness, as well as enable appropriate responses to anomalies, such as maneuvering space assets out of the way of orbital debris. Technology developed under this program will transition to the U.S. Space Force and Space Development Agency. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603760E, Project CCC-02.

The Advanced C4 Systems Studies and Concepts will design and demonstrate advanced communications systems and information systems technology to provide novel concepts and advanced capabilities to access challenging new environments and overcome contested domains. Emphasis will be on concepts and approaches that increase situational awareness, command and control, communications, information infrastructure, cyber operations, information operations, artificial intelligence, and autonomous capabilities at the tactical edge. Technology advancements will support interoperability, security, and resilience.

The Next Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing (NGMM) program is creating a domestic capability for research, development, and production of three-dimensional heterogeneously-integrated (3DHI) microelectronics, with the goal of sustaining U.S. leadership and innovation in microelectronics manufacturing. The NGMM program aims to advance the state of the art in 3DHI microelectronics through the formation of a domestic open-access prototyping and pilot line center accessible to users in academia, government, and industry. The center will offer equipment resources driving common manufacturing processes for R&D prototyping and a common three-dimensional assembly design kit (3D-ADK), 3DHI electronic design automation (EDA) workflows, simulation / emulation methodologies using digital twins, and test standards to simplify design and performance estimation of 3DHI prototypes. The center will foster a collaborative infrastructure between the foundry, packaging engineers, and EDA engineers to support 3D-ADK development and updates that track with foundry process design kits (PDKs). There will be shared, co-located fabrication, assembly, metrology, and test equipment with interface and process standardization to reduce prototyping cycle time aided by automation of 3DHI fabrication, assembly, and test processes. The center will also create roadmaps to define current and expected future capabilities and business practices. The end goal of the program is to establish a self-sustaining 3DHI manufacturing center at an existing facility that is owned and operated by a non-federal entity. Success will be measured by the ability to support the design, fabrication, assembly, and test of a wide range of high-performance 3DHI microsystems at reasonable cost with cycle times supporting fast-paced innovative research. Applied research associated with this effort is funded within PE 0602025E, Project MSL-02. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603739E, Project MT-16.

The Continuous-correctness On Opaque Processors (COOP) program will validate that continuous correctness of software enables adoption of the latest processors with low overhead. Instead of creating new threat-specific signatures to detect the threats, COOP detects the physical manifestations of software errors and continuously corrects the errors with mathematical guarantees. COOP intends to transition to commercial companies and DoD system designers. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603739E, Project MT-16.

The Modular Efficient Laser Technology (MELT) program will demonstrate the first compact, high-power laser tile as the key building block to enable the next generation of scalable high energy laser (HEL) sources for laser weapon systems (LWS). Today's LWS use fiber laser array HEL sources, complex optical benches, and beam directors. These systems are large and heavy, contain large numbers of individual components, and require skilled labor to fabricate and integrate. This makes current LWS difficult and costly to manufacture, limiting their deployment and application. MELT will leverage recent advances in coherent beam combining and photonic integrated circuits (PICs) fabrication techniques to develop tiled arrays integrated with semiconductor-based optical systems, low-loss waveguides, optical interconnects, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) into a compact laser tile that can be integrated with a supporting backplane to provide scalable HEL sources. This will provide the LWS developer a scalable HEL architecture that maintains excellent beam quality and allows LWS deployment on size, weight, and power (SWaP)-constrained platforms. MELT will leverage a mature industrial base for semiconductor manufacturing, as well as recent advances in photonic integrated circuits, coherent beam combining algorithms, semiconductor cooling techniques, and optical lithography to achieve its program goals. Technologies from this program are intended for transition to Army, Air Force, and Navy. Prior to FY 2026, this program was funded in PE 0603739E, Project MT-15.

The Advanced Disruptive Microtechnologies Studies and Concepts examines potential opportunities to enable and accelerate the transition of advanced microsystems. Potential topics include quantum circuits for computation and sensing; integrated photonic-electronic components for timing and data transfer; and developing new technologies and capabilities that intelligently leverage commercial scaling while still preserving advanced capabilities for the warfighter.