Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0604706F/ — built September 26, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Life Support Systems
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 | $37.6M |
| FY25 | $24.5M |
| FY26 | $20.5M |
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 | $14.7M | $7.90M | $8.71M | $10.3M | $10.3M | $14.1M | $27.7M | $22.3M | $32.8M | $37.6M | ||
| Enacted | $8.19M | $7.52M | $9.06M | $8.92M | $14.6M | $28.6M | $25.4M | $50.0M | $39.3M | $24.5M | ||
| Request | $7.52M | $9.06M | $8.92M | $8.62M | $23.7M | $25.4M | $47.4M | $39.3M | $25.5M | $20.5M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2023 book requested $47.4M for FY2023; the PB2025 book reported $32.8M as actual total obligation authority — $14.6M below the request. 32.8 − 47.4 = -14.6 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 — Life Support Systems
This program develops aircrew flight equipment and other combat support equipment required for safe effective execution. Air Force acquisition teams lead the upgrade and fielding of new equipment and systems by assessing deficiencies in existing equipment, identifying and assessing existing products or developing new technology, and conducting required Safe-to-Fly tests, certifications, and studies. Program efforts include, but are not limited to, the following projects: directed energy protective equipment; flight helmets and visors; oxygen breathing systems for aircrew; radios and locator beacons; support equipment; nuclear flash blindness protection; night vision devices; noise reduction devices; all types of flight suits and ensembles to protect aircrew against environmental threats; anti-gravity (anti-G) suits; flame resistant, retardant and blast/ballistic protective gear; aircraft seating; impact protection equipment; flotation devices; parachutes; ejection systems; post-ejection survival systems; physiological monitoring devices and other aircrew, life support, and ground crew systems required by the warfighter. 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 FY24 1.5M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY25 2.4M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $.509M 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.
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)
Aircrew Performance Studies/Technology Projects, Minor Development Efforts and Aircrew Accommodation Efforts
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Aircrew Performance Branch is the single USAF focal point for Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) Safe-to-Fly (STF) testing certification, addressing Safety Investigation Board (SIB) recommendations, along with studies and analysis. Aircrew Accommodation Efforts develop and sustain Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) & Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Airmen to enhance mission performance while improving safety and survival. Anthropometric data collection ensures that these programs produce the OCIE and PPE that will allow Airmen to perform their best in the missions they are assigned. OCIE and PPE for aircrew includes, but is not limited to, the development and refinement of flight suits, bladder relief systems, helmets, ejection seats, post ejection survival system, G-suits, aircrew body armor, oxygen masks, Modular Aircrew Restraint Back and Leg Support (MARBLES), radio upgrades and feedback mechanisms. Aircrew Laser Eye Protection - Technical Insertion (ALEP-TI), Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet (NGFWH), BA-X Low Profile Parachute (LPP) and Nuclear Flash Blindness Goggles (NFBG) are currently the active programs within Life Support Systems (LSS). In addition, funding addresses real-time capability gaps identified by the warfighter which may be satisfied by testing and qualifying commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and/or performing minor development efforts totaling less than 10M per year. Previous successful efforts may evolve into enduring capabilities as other users and MAJCOMs seek to incorporate these STF assets into their inventory. Funds may be used to address associated emerging aircrew, ground crew, and egress requirements, and for program management activities.
Next Generation Ejection Seat
This effort includes the qualification, procurement, fielding and sustainment of an upgraded ejection seat escape system for ACES II-equipped aircraft. The new ejection seat escape system safely accommodates greater variation in aircrew minimum and maximum weights at minimum aircrew sitting height of 31 inches, including 59% of the female pilot population, and the use of Helmet Mounted Displays. It reduces the risk of injuries to the arms and legs (especially due to limb flail), neck, and spinal column throughout all ejection phases.
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 | $37.6M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY25 Enacted | $24.5M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY25 Total | $24.5M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY26 Disc. Request | $20.5M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | F | FY26 Total | $20.5M |
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 | $37.6M | $24.5M | $20.5M | $20.5M |
| 65412A: Life Support Systems | $0 | $37.6M | $24.5M | $20.5M | $20.5M |
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 Life Support Systems. 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 · J594
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 · J518
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 · J568
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 · J588
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 · J594
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 · J617
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 · J579
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 · J565
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 · J559
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 · J574
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 15