AF TENCAP

The Air Force Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (AF TENCAP) program is a key line item in the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget, specifically under Operational Systems Development. The overarching goal of AF TENCAP is to increase warfighter effectiveness by leveraging and integrating national, global, and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities across air, space, and cyber domains. The program rapidly prototypes and demonstrates new capabilities, with the intent to transition successful projects to operational use by warfighters or national intelligence agencies, and to appropriate acquisition Programs of Record for sustainment and further development.

Exploitation Applications is a major component of AF TENCAP, focusing on exploiting existing ISR assets for operational and tactical applications. The specific objectives include rapidly prototyping and demonstrating innovative warfighting solutions that utilize national capabilities. These projects support a range of mission areas, such as Battlespace Awareness, Command and Control, support to Space operations, Special Operations Forces, and advanced combat applications. The program is designed to be agile, allowing for the rapid reprioritization of resources in response to emerging warfighter needs. It also aims to influence the design and operation of future ISR systems to better serve tactical users.

In FY 2025 and FY 2026, the Exploitation Applications line will continue to focus on rapid prototyping and demonstration of capabilities, with an emphasis on supporting Air Force and Joint warfighter requirements. The program will allocate resources based on mission investment areas, prioritizing projects that enhance Battlespace Awareness, Command and Control, and support to Special Operations and ISR. The intent is to deliver rapid, cost-effective solutions that can be transitioned to operational use. This approach seeks to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of Air Force and joint operations.

Moving Target Engagement (MTE) is another critical portfolio within AF TENCAP, aimed at enhancing the Air Force's ability to identify, track, and engage moving or mobile targets in contested, multi-domain environments. The MTE initiative supports the long-range kill chain (LRKC) by providing scalable moving target engagement capabilities. It is structured around three lines of effort: data acquisition and conditioning of signals of interest (SOIs), enhancement of data processing capabilities, and development of supporting infrastructure. These efforts are designed to optimize data flows and provide actionable intelligence to the warfighter in time-compressed scenarios.

The MTE portfolio's objectives for FY 2025 and FY 2026 include expanding development, demonstration, and transition activities across all three lines of effort. This involves improving the acquisition and conditioning of adversary SOI data, advancing enterprise data processing technologies, and strengthening the infrastructure necessary to support large-scale moving target engagement. The ultimate goal is to enable rapid, effective processing and dissemination of critical intelligence, thereby increasing the Air Force's ability to conduct timely and effective operations against mobile threats.

AF TENCAP projects are selected based on requirements identified by Department of Defense customers, including Combatant Commands and Major Commands (MAJCOMs). The program employs an incremental acquisition strategy, using a disciplined systems engineering approach to mitigate cost and schedule risks. Projects are executed primarily through single-award, multi-performer Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts or existing contracts managed by other agencies. After successful demonstration, the sponsoring government organization assumes responsibility for acquisition, deployment, logistics, and sustainment.