Armament/Ordnance Development

Mission — Armament/Ordnance Development source

The Armament Ordnance Development program funds open standards development and maturation for adoption by USAF, Joint, and Coalition weapon systems for rapid integration, support, and operational use of the full range of armament capabilities. Weapons and weapon systems implementation of open armament interface standards provides rapid integration of software-defined capabilities, reduces development timelines, lowers life-cycle cost, and ensures interoperability with emerging capabilities. This budget funds the Universal Armament Interface (UAI), a matured DAF-owned standard, that provides the continuous development, characterization, and improvements required to ensure integration for current, future, and legacy munitions, ammunitions, delivery systems, and subsystems. The UAI delivers the standards needed to integrate new weapon capabilities on platforms at the speed of software, independent of aircraft Operational Flight Program (OFPs) cycles; thus, reducing costly regression testing for flight safety critical aircraft software. Planned implementations include Joint Strike Fighter (JSF/F-35), F-15EX, F-16 F-47, CCA, B-21, B-1, B-2, B-52, MQ-9, Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile - Extended Range (AARGM-ER), Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), SDB I & II, Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Grey Wolf, Select Precision Effects At Range Capability 3 (SPEAR3), Joint Strike Missile (JSM), and Next-Generation Open Mission Services (NOMS) for mission planning. Funding directly supports the development, enhancement, and sustainment of open armament standards to support the emerging needs of the above adopting platforms. That ensures technical currency, support to coalition/joint interoperability efforts for weapons-platform interface, certification tools, and implementation support to aircraft and weapons. Funding also supports innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. 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. The FY2026 request was reduced by $.061 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. 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.

Mission — Bombs & Fuzes source

The Bombs & Fuzes project improves conventional weapons/munitions (kinetic and non-kinetic), fuzes, and height-of-burst sensors (HOBS), and develops and integrates complementary common weapon components, data links, position, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities (i.e. GPS, non-GPS, optical, passive, active, etc.) using modern acquisition best practices, to include digital acquisition practices (e.g. government-owned open system architectures, Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and agile software development). It also provides for the development and testing necessary for a suitable manufacturing base of conventional warheads, fuzes, HOBS, and munitions materiel handling equipment (MMHE). Bombs & Fuzes also provides research, development, testing, and guidance of conventional warheads, fuzing, HOBS modifications, and anti-personnel anti-materiel (APAM) weapons to improve lethality and survivability against area, mobile, hard and deeply buried, and fixed targets. Finally, this project provides an opportunity to quickly insert emerging technologies into existing and developing aircraft munitions and fuzes and supports strategic planning to achieve compliance of AF munitions with Department of Defense insensitive munitions (IM) standards. - Munitions Materiel Handling Equipment (MMHE): MMHE is a continuing project to develop and improve the standardization and commonality of munitions handling and armament equipment to preclude duplication. Efforts are primarily the study, design, and development of MMHE and armament control systems; however, support may be provided to other functional areas as requested. Procurement will be performed and funded by the applicable weapons system project. - Medium Caliber Ammunition project assesses, refines, and develops medium caliber ammunition, to include, but not limited to, conducting 25mm (F-35) qualification testing, comparative testing, and mitigating ammunition inventory health issues. - Insensitive Munitions (IM) and Emerging Technologies: IM projects support AF IM strategic planning to achieve IM compliance IAW U.S. Code, Title 10, Subtitle A, Part N, Chapter 141, Section 2389, ensuring safety regarding insensitive munitions. Develops and validates IM models against current munition performance, addresses IM explosive fill deficiencies and develops munition modifications to improve the response of conventional weapons to unplanned stimuli. This project also explores and develops Emerging Technology by analyzing and evaluating current systems to integrate new technologies for both future and existing munitions. New technologies include but are not limited to improve guidance kits, case materials, new weapon designs, energetics and fuze capabilities to improve lethality, survivability, penetration, accuracy, and reliability in accordance with the National Defense Strategy roadmap. - DSU-43/B Cockpit-selectable Height-Of-Burst Sensor (C-HOBS): The C-HOBS will be a replacement for the current DSU-33D/B proximity sensor. C-HOBS will replace the single factory height-of-burst setting with the addition of multiple height-of-burst options selectable via both manual switches and a cockpit interface. These selection options allow flexibility during flight to address a wide array of targets. The C-HOBS is intended to interface with Combat Air Forces (CAF) aircraft and provide proximity height-of-burst functionality to general and special purpose weapons (to include NGAAWs). Implements Digital Acquisition tenants of Open, Agile, and Digital; builds and establishes industrial base innovation around the program's enterprise for modularity and adaptability for the life cycle of the weapons system. Leverages common component development, in collaboration with other weapon systems, to reduce redundant costs between systems with similar subsystems requirements. Invests in analytical, information management, data management, digital environments, networks, facilities, and security infrastructure upgrades directly supporting development and sustainment of this program's capabilities, while leveraging DoD and DAF enterprise IT solutions. Expands program office staff, facilities, and security infrastructure to support the required classification levels for this program's activities. Engages with DoD, DAF, and industry stakeholders to refine threat analysis, refine inventory requirements, and plan upgrade requirements. Capitalizes on and incorporates successful laboratory research and development efforts applicable to this program's capability. 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 relevant Open System Architecture (OSA) standards. 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 programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605831F. In FY24 0.255M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY25 0.406M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.

Mission — Stores-Aircraft Interface source

The Armament Ordnance Development program funds open standards development and maturation for adoption by USAF, Joint, and Coalition weapon systems for rapid integration, support, and operational use of the full range of armament capabilities. Weapons and weapon systems implementation of open armament interface standards provides rapid integration of software-defined capabilities, reduces development timelines, lowers life-cycle cost, and ensures interoperability with emerging capabilities. The Stores-Aircraft Interface project conducts stores-aircraft interface upgrades and standards development to include the Universal Armament Interface (UAI). This budget funds the Universal Armament Interface (UAI), a matured DAF-owned standard, that provides the continuous development, characterization, and improvements required to ensure integration for current, future, and legacy munitions, ammunitions, delivery systems, and subsystems. The UAI delivers the standards needed to integrate new weapon capabilities on platforms at the speed of software, independent of aircraft Operational Flight Program (OFPs) cycles; thus, reducing costly regression testing for flight safety critical aircraft software. Planned implementations include Joint Strike Fighter (JSF/F-35), F-15EX, F-16 F-47, CCA, B-21, B-1, B-2, B-52, MQ-9, Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile - Extended Range (AARGM-ER), Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), SDB I & II, Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Grey Wolf, Select Precision Effects At Range Capability 3 (SPEAR3), Joint Strike Missile (JSM), and Next-Generation Open Mission Services (NOMS) for mission planning. Funding directly supports the development, enhancement, and sustainment of open armament standards to support the emerging needs of the above adopting platforms and more. That ensures technical currency, support to coalition/joint interoperability efforts for weapons-platform interface, certification tools, and implementation support to aircraft and weapons. Funding also supports the integration of the Common Flexible Weapon Interface (CFWI), providing a unified interface standard for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. Additionally, funding supports innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. In October 2024, the Armament Ordnance Development program that managed this funding transitioned to the Architecture and Systems Engineering (ASE) group, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Wright Patterson AFB. In addition to this PE, the ASE group will continue execution of these related activities under the following PEs: 0305206F / Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (672003 / Sensor Open Systems Architecture) 0605056F / Open Architecture Management (656060 / Standards Management) 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.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)