Tech Transition Program

Mission — Prototyping source

The prototyping project enables demonstration of emerging technologies in an operational environment to determine and evaluate the competitive advantage against our adversaries, how the technology is integrated into the future fight, and acquisition pathways to deliver warfighter capabilities. Lifecycle prototyping investments focus on three major thrusts: (1) advancing capabilities of legacy weapon systems, (2) militarizing novel, mature commercial technologies, and (3) exploring partnerships with Department of the Air Force Program Executive Officers to rapidly transition technologies. Prototype project investments that advance capabilities of legacy weapon systems focus on kinetic energy effectors for base defense and expeditionary employment operations, and software-defined electronic warfare and communication capabilities. Prototype projects that seek to militarize novel, mature commercial technologies will focus on artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber warfare capabilities, digital engineering, and novel weapon and aircraft technologies. Other areas may be pursued as the technology landscape evolves. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver emerging technologies. 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 2025 $0.997 million was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2026 $2.504 million is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.

Mission — Architecture Design and Evaluation source

In September 2022, the Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF) directed the standup of the DAF Integrating Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communication and Battle Management (DAF PEO C3BM). The construct emerged out of the Operational Imperatives (OI) analysis that identified a significant need for C3BM integration and a greater level of systems engineering and technical discipline across the enterprise to ensure the effectiveness of ABMS in supporting DAF operations. Notably, DAF PEO C3BM combines the previous efforts of the DAF Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) ABMS program and the DAF Chief Architect Office (CAO). Furthermore, DAF PEO C3BM works in a federated manner with other PEOs across the DAF with C3BM equity to orchestrate end-to-end capability delivery. By bringing the ABMS and CAO portfolio of programs and authorities under a single PEO and then conferring unto that PEO the responsibility to integrate broader DAF battle management and C2 capabilities, one organization now has the architectural authorities to direct technical integration activities across the DAF while also having the acquisition authorities of a PEO to execute organic materiel solutions to field a survivable, distributable command and control capability into the integrated DAF BATTLE NETWORK. Architecture Design and Evaluation is directed by the DAF PEO C3BM with oversight by the Secretary of the Air Force along with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of Space Operations, and Senior Acquisition Executive. This activity is supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver Department of the Air Force Tech Architecture. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F, 0605831F and/or 0604858F. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Mission — Tech Maturation and Risk Reduct/Development source

The DoD requires counter small, unmanned aircraft system (C-sUAS) defeat options with minimal collateral damage in situations where friendly forces and/or civilians are in close proximity to the threat, or where local regulation does not allow for electronic attack or kinetic effectors that have broad down range impact. Specifically existing solutions poorly equipped to be effective against higher speed and multiple targets (e.g salvos or swarms). The funding will directly support Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Replicator 2 Commerical Solutions Opening (CSO) effort to onboard additional low collateral defeat (LCD) options into the Department of the Air Force (DAF) C-sUAS system. Potential options could fall under localized directed energy, kinetic with low-collateral risks, capture/entanglement, localized electronic attack, and/or other novel effectors.

Mission — Tech Transition Program source

Capability development provides the analytic, technical, and programmatic rigor necessary to address capability gaps and opportunities to refine and mature future programs of record, prioritizing and accelerating transition of capabilities in collaboration with operational stakeholders. The Capability Development Enterprise is focused on maturing and transitioning high-impact warfighting capabilities aligned to Air Force Future Force Design through robust capability development. The Tech Transition Program addresses the gap between initial system-level technology or concept development and demonstration, and successful acquisition and operational capability implementation. The Tech Transition Program matures new warfighting concepts, rapidly develops fieldable prototypes, and performs operational experimentation to assess military utility innovative concepts. This program utilizes multiple approaches and integrated activities to field technology for the warfighter focusing on efforts that are directly tied the USAF Force Design and OSD's Joint Warfighting Concept. The Tech Transition Program allows acquisition program managers (the capability developers) and warfighters (the capability recipients and end users) to prototype, integrate, and demonstrate candidate technologies and assess them in an operational system of systems environment in partnership with ICC, Warfighter & Combatant Commanders, Major and Field Commands, Program Executive Officers, schoolhouses, simulation facilities, and development planning organizations. Operational experimentation activities explore new concepts and their applications in relevant operating environments within a system-of-systems context taking risks early in the acquisition process to drive optimized and efficient acquisition approach warfighter capability delivery to fully assess operationalization requirements, to include but not limited to suitability, supportability, maintainability, and logistics. Prototyping enables integration and demonstration of emerging technologies to quickly move them into warfighting capability, allowing for iterative development and increased use of commercial technology. Tech Maturation and Risk Reduction/Development competitively assesses commercial solutions to identify transitionable system components for rapid insertion and delivery. Architecture Design and Evaluation is executed by the Department of the Air Force (DAF) Program Executive Office (PEO), and Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (C3BM) with oversight by the Secretary of the Air Force along with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of Space Operations, and Senior Acquisition Executive. This activity is supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The rapidly evolving technology landscape requires this program to pivot technical areas and solutions as requirements and the warfighting and resource environments change. 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 FY 2026 request for the Tech Transition Program includes $134.833 million of discretionary and $164.000 million of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of $298.833 million. The mandatory funds focuses efforts on low-cost munitions and supply chain. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Mission — Experimentation source

The Experimentation project funds experimentation campaigns to explore new concepts and their applications in operationally relevant environments and within a system-of-systems warfighting context. Operational Experimentation Campaigns are directly aligned and integrated with the OSD and DAF priorities. Concepts and enabling technologies explored in this activity inlcude but are not limited to target custody; counter-targeting; airborne targeting and tracking; autonomy; spectrum warfare; artificial intelligence; machine learning; expeditionary base defense; agile combat operations; position, navigation, and timing; and joint all-domain operations. These technologies hold great promise; yet their transition to acquisition programs and fielded capabilities is typically hampered due to uncertainties regarding their military utility and organizational adoption. Experimentation campaigns assess hypotheses that new capabilities will deliver decisive competitive advantage against our adversaries in a dynamic threat environment. These campaigns dramatically shorten and reduce the overall cost of the acquisition process by delivering robust information including operational utility assessments, training, tactics, and procedures (TTPs), total life cycle cost estimates, preliminary product support strategy, reliability and maintainability metrics, operational utility assessments and Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, Facilities and Policy implications. Campaigns reduce follow-on acquisition and implentation risk thru early accomplishment of key learning objectives. A key element of the experimentation campaigns is strong stakeholder partnerships and buy-in from senior DAF leadership including the Secretary of the Air Force, HAF/A5/7, HAF/A8, US Space Force Futures and Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, warfighting Major Commands and Combatants Commands (capability recipients/end users), Space and Missile Systems Center, and Air Force Material Command (capability developers) that enables rapid transition of capabilities when operational utility, affordability, sustainability, and industrial capacity meet the Department of Air Force needs. Experimentation campaigns are centered on an operational level warfighting concept to provide context for assessment. They use wargaming, simulation, demonstrations, and field/flight experimentation to evolve, refine, and validate the warfighting concepts leading to solid, evidence-based materiel and non-materiel capability development approaches with associated recommendations. Experimentation campaigns improve the effectiveness of operations by refining concepts and generating new information to address challenging threats of the future which aids the fielding of advanced technologies by providing the credible evidence needed to make sound strategic decisions and investment choices. Warfighting concepts evolve based on the latest threat assessments and the Experimentation Campaigns are likewise modified to ensure the Department of the Air Force retains a competitive advantage. Much of the Operational Experimentation efforts are more thoroughly described at higher classification levels. Experimentation is focused on rapid learning and then pivoting existing or future capability development efforts based on that knowledge to ensure the most pressing operational gaps are addressed and our warfighting advantages are preserved. Further details can be provided in the appropriate forum. These funds may be used for program management support costs, but are not limited to, hardware, software, travel, contractor support services, civilian pay, supplies, facilities, infrastructure.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (9)