Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/4048/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Sonobuoys - All Types
Budget Figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
- FY24
- $311.0M
- FY26
- $329.9M
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $296.9M | $303.5M | $311.0M | ||
| Enacted | – | $303.5M | $311.2M | $353.4M | |
| Request | – | – | $311.2M | $323.4M | $329.9M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $311.2M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reports $311.0M actually spent — $205.0K below the request.
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
Description — Sonobuoys - All Types
Sonobuoys are air launched expendable, electro-mechanical sensors designed to relay underwater sounds associated with ships and submarines to remote processors, critical to U.S. Navy Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission to achieve maritime supremacy against near peer threats. Sonobuoys, by type, are procured in quantity based on Fleet demand and to support combat stock levels set by modeling conducted as part of the annual Navy's Munitions Requirements Process (NMRP). The Sonobuoy program buys-to-budget based on actual fleet usage, forecasted usage and best negotiated pricing across each sonobuoy type. The annual NMRP model estimates inventory requirements for combat stock and all usage requirements for readiness, current operations and squadron training/test. Sonobuoys currently support the P-8, P-3 and H-60 platforms. [P5 / Sonobuoys, All Types]: In FY24, the sonobuoy industrial base transitioned from a sole source to a competitive environment with multiple vendors. Unit costs are estimated based on a Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) that uses historical unit prices adjusted for vendor base standup, learning curves, inflation, establishment of new supply chains germane to independent company designs, and economical impact of splitting USG annual procurements across multiple vendors. [P5 / AN/SSQ-36 (BT) QZ001]: The AN/SSQ-36 Bathythermograph (BT) is a bathythermograph sonobuoy used to provide a vertical temperature profile of the ocean with respect to depth. The data is transmitted to aircraft to assist in the selection of hydrophone depths and tactics for localizing and tracking submarines and long-range forecasts of acoustic conditions in the ocean. [P5 / AN/SSQ-53 (DIFAR) QZ002]: The AN/SSQ-53 Directional Frequency Analysis and Recording (DIFAR) is a passive directional sonobuoy which provides acoustic bearing and frequency information used to detect, classify, and localize undersea targets of interest. [P5 / AN/SSQ-62 (DICASS) QZ004]: The AN/SSQ-62F Directional Command Active Sonobuoy System (DICASS) is a commandable, active acoustic directional sonobuoy that provides target bearing and range information. [P5 / AN/SSQ-101 (Multi-static Coherent Receiver) QZ006]: The AN/SSQ-101B Air Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR) is a commandable passive acoustic sonobuoy with a horizontal planar array that receives reflected energy. It is part of the family of multi-static active sensor systems. [P5 / AN/SSQ-125/125A (Multi-static Coherent Source) QZ010]: The AN/SSQ-125/125A Multi-static Active Coherent (MAC) Source is a commandable coherent active search sensor. It is part of the family of multi-static active sensor systems. [P5 / AN/SSQ-125B (Multi-static Coherent Source)]: The AN/SSQ-125B Multi-static Active Coherent (MAC) Source is a very complex commandable coherent active search sensor with additional classified capabilities. It is part of the family of multi-static active sensor systems.
Justification
Justification — Sonobuoys - All Types
The level of sonobuoy procurement funding directly enables the Navy's overall Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) mission and wartime readiness. The Air ASW program buys-to-budget based on actual fleet usage, fleet forecasted usage, and best negotiated pricing across all sonobuoy types. This funding profile does not meet inventory requirements for the entire family of air delivered acoustic sensors. This is the result of an increase in actual operational expenditures, budget constraints, and an increase in the Total Munitions Requirement (TMR). The Air ASW community continues to use passive capability combined with an increase in the more capable Multi-static Active Coherent (MAC) wide area search Concept of Operations (CONOPS), which uses the AN/SSQ-101 and AN/SSQ-125 family of systems. While the transition to MAC requires the procurement of more sophisticated sonobuoys, the resulting wide area search capability is more efficient and effective. The MAC capability provides the foundational Air ASW acoustic search capability for the P-8 Poseidon, and increasing the inventory of MAC sonobuoys is required to support the combatant commander's ASW mission execution requirements. This funding profile allows the Navy to prioritize and meet current operational forward presence requirements while building fleet commander deployment readiness levels in the ASW mission area. The FY2026 request for Sonobuoys - All Types includes $249.908M of discretionary and $80.000M of mandatory (reconciliation) funds for a total of $329.908M. The mandatory (reconciliation) funds procure the following additional sonobuoy quantities: AN/SSQ-36 QTY 2,300 AN/SSQ-53 QTY 21,827 AN/SSQ-62 QTY 9,000 AN/SSQ-101 QTY 748 AN/SSQ-125B QTY 519 Further information for this reconciliation request is provided in Section 20004 (Munitions and Supply Chain) of the Reconciliation Exhibit. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.327 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." The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.364 million for civilian personnel to optimize the workforce in compliance with Executive Order 14210, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative." Note: at the discretionary funding level, decreased production deliveries will negatively impact operational readiness and ability to sustain a multi-vendor industrial base. NOTES: 1. In FY 2024, the program transitioned from a sole source environment with ERAPSCO Joint Venture to a competitive environment where previous ERAPSCO partners (Sparton and Ultra-Undersea Sensor Systems, Inc (USSI)) will each produce fully independent designs vice partnering with each building only the upper or lower assembly. Sparton, USSI and LM will compete annually for USG orders via a competitive multiple award delivery order contract (MADOC). In the event only one vendor is qualified, the USG will use sole source contracts as necessary as bridge efforts to full competition. Future unit costs are estimated using an Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) derived from FY24/FY25 proposals and contract awards, new vendor base establishment, sonobuoy re-qualification efforts, future production learning curves, supply chain changes, and splitting quantities across multiple vendors. USG independent cost estimate utilizes split awards in order to preserve the health of the industrial base. Actual split will be dependent on company proposals for each annual delivery order. Additionally, production acceptance costs have increased based on increased effort associated with testing product from multiple vendors. Funding also supports product acceptance test infrastructure at various locations and may be used to procure strategic critical parts, material and tooling to enable industry base surge during wartime/contingency operations and mitigate supply chain risks. FY24 AN/SSQ-36 sonobuoy order is combined with the FY25 order to achieve greater economies of scale. In FY24, the program restarted the baseline AN/SSQ-125 production line while vendors continued to qualify an increasingly complex AN/SSQ-125B independent design. In FY25, the program increased procurement quantities of legacy AN/SSQ-125 sonobuoys to replenish and grow USN inventory toward peacetime/wartime objectives and achieve AN/SSQ-101 and AN/SSQ-125 inventory balance as the 2 buoy types are deployed in pairs. 2. Program buys-to-budget. New MADOC does not have maximum quantity limitations, maximizing industry capacity; ceiling is based on number of available vendors per buoy variant and price points based on quantity procured. Program seeks to achieve economies of scale by utilizing both Other Procurement Navy (OPN) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds. Under the MADOC, production quantities will be split amongst qualified vendors for the health of the industrial base, reducing economic ordering quantities. 3. FY 2025 assumes two vendors will be qualified and compete for orders for AN/SSQ-36 and AN/SSQ-53 sonobuoys. Unit costs assume a split between two vendors to ensure health/viability of the industrial base, leading to loss of economical ordering quantities, and higher unit prices. FY25 AN/SSQ-62 and legacy AN/SSQ-125 orders will be contracted as sole source as vendors continue to qualify independent buoy designs. FY25 quantity and unit cost adjustments are a result of extensive qualification costs, learning curve reset for independent buoy designs and independent production lines. Program plans to defer AN/SSQ-101 buoy order to FY26 to better align AN/SSQ-101 and AN/SSQ-125 inventory levels and avoid demil expenditures; FY26 AN/SSQ-101 order will utilize FY24, FY25 and FY26 funds to optimize procurement strategy and gain economies of scale. 4. FY 2026 assumes competitive awards for AN/SSQ-36B and AN/SSQ-53 sonobuoys; MADOC/OTA contract vehicles for AN/SSQ-62 and AN/SSQ-101 sonobuoy awards. As of FY26, AN/SSQ-125 production plans to shift solely to AN/SSQ-125B with only one vendor assumed in FY26 with an escalated unit cost between $11K and $15K as a result of vendor provided Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) received from 2 vendors. OOC: FY 2024 includes $10.206M for the OOC budget request. FY 2025 includes $28.616M for the OOC budget request. FY 2026 includes $5.050M for the OOC budget request to replenish FY23 operational expenditures. Sonobuoy inventory is depleted and falls short of the Total Munitions Requirement adversely affecting overseas operations.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit P-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Procurement, Navy | N | FY24 Actuals | $311.0M |
| Other Procurement, Navy | N | FY25 Enacted | $353.4M |
| Other Procurement, Navy | N | FY26 Disc. Request | $249.9M |
| Other Procurement, Navy | N | FY26 Reconciliation | $80.0M |
| Other Procurement, Navy | N | FY26 Total | $329.9M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $3.34B | $311.0M | $353.4M | $249.9M | $249.9M |
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1741 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high 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.
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →