Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0603788F/ — built September 26, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Battlespace Knowledge Development and Demonstration
Budget figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USAspending reports awards on a rolling basis, and this corpus runs through 2026-09-04. why partial FY2026 data? →
Budget trajectory
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY24 | $59.6M |
| FY25 | $53.7M |
| FY26 | $30.8M |
All series figures: R-1 TOA · PB2026
Decade view
P-1/R-1 workbook TOA basis, shown compact in $B/$M (the workbook records USD thousands); each figure cites its own President's Budget edition
The vertical scale does not start at zero: the baseline sits just below this program’s smallest year, so a low point on this line is not a small amount. Read the shape for direction and the grid below for the figures.
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY15 | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $34.3M | $41.6M | $52.3M | $45.5M | $58.4M | $53.0M | $59.6M | $67.8M | $50.1M | $59.6M | ||
| Enacted | $46.2M | $58.1M | $49.0M | $60.0M | $56.4M | $63.1M | $72.1M | $55.9M | $37.8M | $53.7M | ||
| Request | $58.1M | $49.0M | $51.1M | $56.4M | $0 | $56.8M | $51.8M | $37.8M | $26.2M | $30.8M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2021 book requested $0 for FY2021; the PB2023 book reported $59.6M as actual total obligation authority — $59.6M above the request. 59.6 − 0.0 = 59.6 USD millions — the compact figures above are rounded for reading.
Program lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Mission — Battlespace Knowledge Development and Demonstration
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is focused on high-impact, multi-domain science & technology (S&T) solutions that drive innovation now while laying the groundwork for the Air and Space Force to win the future fight. AFRL effectively synchronizes the Department of the Air Force (DAF) S&T enterprise and workforce to align towards the most consequential DAF priorities and accelerate the delivery of game-changing S&T. This program executes advanced development and demonstration of information technologies for the Department of the Air Force to address warfighter requirement gaps and accelerate the delivery of capabilities for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (C5ISRT). These technologies are required to advance current capabilities in C5ISRT for integrated systems and processes, used by the Department of the Air Force and its joint & coalition partners, to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate information to achieve decision-making superiority for warfighter operations. The C4I Battlespace Dev and Demo Project provides technology enabling the Air Force (a) to perform combined joint all-domain command & control (CJADC2) across the full spectrum of operations; (b) to field assured communications and networks in support of persistent, global, and survivable kinetic and non-kinetic military operations; (c) to process, fuse, and exploit data & information from multiple sources for rapid decision making and situational awareness. C4I is defined as Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence. The Cyber Battlespace Dev & Demo Project develops the ability to deliver cyber-offense capabilities (access, stealth, persistence, intelligence, and non-kinetic weapons), cyber defense capabilities (attack detection, attack attribution, and response) and cyber resilience (adaptation, recovery, survivability). In order to manage, execute, and deliver science and technology capabilities, this program element may include: necessary civilian pay expenses; expenses to support the operation and maintenance of facilities; as well as expenses related to travel, supplies, IT hardware, software and support, administrative contractor services, etc. This program is in Budget Activity 3, Advanced Technology Development because this budget activity includes development of subsystems and components and efforts to integrate subsystems and components into system prototypes for field experiments and/or tests in a simulated environment.
Mission — C4I Battlespace Dev and Demo
This project supports the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) strategic objectives by advancing cutting-edge research technologies critical for achieving multi-domain superiority and operational agility across the full spectrum of military operations. Specifically, it enables the DAF and DoD to: (1) develop and implement Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) capabilities, ensuring seamless integration across land, air, space, and cyber domains for effective joint decision making, command, and operational execution; (2) field and sustain assured, resilient, and high-capacity communications and networks, providing enduring support for global, persistent, and survivable military operations—both kinetic and non-kinetic—critical to maintaining a strategic advantage and operational continuity in contested environments; and 3) design and deploy advanced systems to process, fuse, and exploit real-time data from diverse sources, empowering decision-makers with enhanced situational awareness and enabling rapid, data-driven decisions to outpace adversaries.
Mission — Cyber Battlespace Dev & Demo
This project supports the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) strategic objectives by advancing cutting-edge research technologies critical for achieving The Department of the Air Force (DAF) requires the development and deployment of advanced cyber capabilities to ensure superiority in both offensive and defensive operations, as well as to maintain resilience in contested cyber environments. This includes: 1) Cyber offense capabilities - enabling access, stealth, and persistence within adversary networks, while leveraging advanced intelligence collection and non-kinetic weapons to disrupt, degrade, or destroy enemy capabilities, ensuring strategic advantage in both peacetime and conflict scenarios. 2) Cyber defense capabilities - establishing robust defenses to detect, attribute, and respond to cyberattacks, ensuring the integrity of critical systems, networks, and data, while actively mitigating threats and neutralizing adversary attempts to compromise U.S. cyber infrastructure. 3) Cyber resilience - developing systems and protocols for rapid adaptation, recovery, and sustained survivability of critical assets and operations, ensuring the DAF can continue to function effectively even in the face of sophisticated and persistent cyber threats. The efforts in this Project directly support the DAF's and DoD's imperative to secure and maintain dominance in the cyber domain, ensuring the operational continuity and effectiveness of military forces across all domains, both in peacetime and in conflict.
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (8)
Combined Joint All-Domain Command & Control
In FY 2026, the "Multi-Domain Command and Control" effort will be renamed to the "Combined Joint All-Domain Command & Control" effort to more accurately capture its focus on enhancing support for joint operations. Develop and demonstrate technologies that enable faster and more informed decision-making in contested environments across all domains (air, land, maritime, space, cyber). Artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy, and machine learning (ML) are leveraged when advantageous for enhanced planning and battle management capabilities for optimized situational awareness; seamlessly integrating with joint forces in real-world operations creating a comprehensive battlespace picture that will enable rapid assessment of threats and opportunities.
Multi-Domain Sensemaking
In FY 2026, the work and funding associated with the "Data to Decisions" effort and the "Game Changing Computing Power" effort within this project will be merged into the "Multi-Domain Sensemaking" effort to promote deeper integration of battlespace awareness and extreme computing technologies and accelerate technological development. Develop and demonstrate technologies to aggregate, fuse, exploit and analyze disparate data from all operational domains (land, sea, air, space, cyber) to generate a real-time understanding of the battlespace. When advantageous Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomy, and Machine Learning (ML) are leveraged to enable rapid identification of threats, opportunities, and emergent patterns that will provide actionable insights to decision-makers, ultimately enhancing situational awareness, accelerating decision cycles, and improving overall operational effectiveness in complex, multi-domain environments.
Data to Decisions
In FY 2026, the work and funding associated with the "Data to Decisions" effort within this Project will be merged into the "Multi-Domain Sensemaking" effort to promote deeper integration of data processing, fusion, exploitation, & analysis and accelerate technological development. Develop and demonstrate the collection, management, analysis, and exploitation of complex data for availability to Air Force and other stakeholders.
Game Changing Computing Power
In FY 2026, the work and funding associated with the "Game Changing Computing Power" effort within this project will be merged into the "Multi-Domain Sensemaking" effort to promote deeper integration of extreme computing and accelerate technological development. Develop and demonstrate computer architectures with greater capacity and sophistication to enable game-changing computing power to the warfighter anywhere, anytime.
Assured Communications & Networks
Develop and demonstrate secure and reliable communications to ensure the delivery of timely, reliable, and actionable information to warfighters and systems. Improve the understanding of operational impacts of compromised communications across various domains and platforms, using diverse network connections, strengthening resilience in contested environments. Strengthen situational awareness in austere or disaster-recovery environments by further developing and demonstrating a compact, deployable information management system capable of prioritizing, compressing, and caching data over limited bandwidth connections. Boost communications capability in contested/denied/degraded environments by providing resilient, high-performance programmable communications customizable to mission needs.
Cyber Defense Technologies
In FY 2025 and out, this research will be integrated into the "Cyber Offensive and Defensive Technologies" effort within this Project. Develop and demonstrate defensive cyber operations capabilities in a series of experimental technology demonstrations.
Cyber Offense Technologies
In FY 2025 and out, this research will be integrated into the "Cyber Offensive and Defensive Technologies" effort within this Project. Develop and demonstrate offensive cyber operations capabilities in a series of experimental technology demonstrations.
Cyber Offensive and Defensive Technologies
For FY 2024 and prior years, these activities were performed in the "Cyber Defense Technologies" and "Cyber Offense Technologies" efforts within this Project. Develop and demonstrate cyber warfighting, assurance, and electromagnetic (EM) convergence capabilities in a series of experiments in operationally relevant environments. Enhance situational awareness and operational effectiveness by automating Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum monitoring and analysis, enabling faster and more efficient identification of threats, friendly forces, and spectrum usage patterns. Advance 5G cyber capabilities through a modular and scalable tool suite, enabling flexible and adaptable cyber operations in 5G-enabled environments and demonstrating the exploitation of 5G signals for intelligence gathering and offensive cyber operations. Improve counter-small unmanned aerial system (C-sUAS) capabilities by developing an open architecture specification that fosters interoperability between diverse protection systems, enabling a more integrated and effective defense against C-sUAS threats.
Budget line items(workbook-cited)
P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY24 Actuals | $59.6M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY25 Enacted | $53.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY25 Total | $53.7M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY26 Disc. Request | $30.8M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY26 Total | $30.8M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
J-book detail basis (R-2/P-40, USD millions) · PB2026 — a different accounting basis from the P-1/R-1 workbook TOA above; where the two disagree, the reconciliation strip under Budget figures shows both.
Wider than this screen — swipe the table sideways for the remaining fiscal-year columns.
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $0 | $59.6M | $53.7M | $30.8M | $30.8M |
| 635321: C4I Battlespace Dev and Demo | $0 | $47.3M | $44.4M | $18.2M | $18.2M |
| 635329: Cyber Battlespace Dev & Demo | $0 | $12.3M | $9.25M | $12.7M | $12.7M |
Follow the dollar
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 312 of 1,938 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high or medium confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.
Lobbying mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
Oversight
Department-level designation (not specific to this program)
GAO lists 5 high-risk areas for DOD as a whole. That designation covers the department, not Battlespace Knowledge Development and Demonstration. No program-specific GAO finding for this line is in the ingested data. See the DOD oversight record.
Program dossier
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1,938 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →
Primary sources
Open any budget figure for its exact receipt. Verified line items lead with the highlighted government PDF; original spreadsheets download with their budget edition and exhibit in the filename.
Budget totals · TOA sources
FY2026 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J529
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2026_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2017 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J477
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2017_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2018 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J511
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2018_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2019 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J529
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2019_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2020 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J539
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2020_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2021 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J557
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2021_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2022 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J520
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2022_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2023 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J512
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2023_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2024 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J502
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2024_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2025 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J510
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2025_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
Detailed budget justification
The related TOA spreadsheets above use a different accounting basis from R-2/P-40 detail. Their amounts are not assumed to match these detailed sources.
FY2026 Air Force Research and Development Test and Evaluation, Vol. I · www.saffm.hq.af.mil
PDF page 493