Future Advanced Weapon Analysis & Programs

Mission — Armament Subsystems source

Future Advanced Weapon Analysis & Programs enables Air Force enterprise weapons capability planning through the generation and execution of new and emerging requirements and trade space analysis. Inclusively, this necessitates the studies of emerging weapons system gaps and technology insertion for legacy and future systems, responsive design and development engineering, and emerging weapon system gaps and technology insertion for legacy and future systems. These studies also support the determination, exploration, and execution of feasible solutions through advanced technology prototype development and rapid fielding. Additionally, projects in this program element implement the Digital Acquisition tenants of Open, Agile, and Digital in support of all Air Force weapons by conducting high fidelity Modeling, Simulation and Analysis (MS&A) to support the development, testing, and evaluation of future concept and legacy weapons. Efforts under this program element explore new and future concept developments and analyses in response to stakeholder engagements, technology transitions and common enterprise needs, experimentation, air to ground, ground to launch, and air to air fieldable demonstrations and solutions, and the delivery of quick reaction material solutions. The overall objective is to identify methods to improve weapon system performance, develop potential future designs, mitigate evolving threats, pursue low-cost/affordable weapons solutions, and reduce life cycle costs. These projects will also develop and expand MS&A and experimental platforms for weapon qualification activities, improve safety, identify technology gaps, and ensure viability and durability of future weapons programs. This effort includes design, development, test, integration, and implementation of appropriate modular open systems approach, related components, and efforts, such as, but not limited to electrical, logical, and physical interfaces defined in current and future updates to the Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA) standard. This approach allows modular and severable subsystems, to include those that are software-defined, at the appropriate level to be incrementally added, removed, or replaced throughout the life cycle. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F. In FY 2024 $101 thousand was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 $134 thousand is forecast for civilian pay expenses in this program element. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $570 thousand 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.” This requirement supports performance of a full financial audit as required by title 10 U.S.C. Chapter 9A, Sec 240-D. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)