Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology

PE 0603466A: Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology is a key Army research and development program focused on maturing and demonstrating advanced air and missile defense technologies. The overarching goal is to support Army Modernization Priority for Air and Missile Defense by developing capabilities that reduce the cost curve of missile defense, restore overmatch, survive volley-fire attacks, and operate effectively in contested and Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) environments. The program is executed by several Army agencies, including Army Futures Command (AFC), Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), and the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO).

AE3: Unconventional Countermeasures-Survivability A Tech aims to increase the survivability of personnel and critical assets by maturing and demonstrating integrated unconventional countermeasures. Specific objectives include developing novel materials for signature management, rapidly deployable multispectral survivability enhancement technologies, and intuitive decision support tools for non-kinetic protective measures. The program will optimize and validate physical prototype survivability enhancement kits for Fires assets and demonstrate field-expedient technical effects to support multi-domain operations. The Assured Protection of Layered Logistics Operations (APoLLO) sub-effort focuses on protecting joint logistical assets using both active and passive countermeasures, with plans to validate these systems for fixed logistics assets.

BN7: Weapons Components Advanced Technology (CA) is a congressional interest item supporting a range of advanced technology projects. Funding targets threat detection for 5G-enabled drones, SHORAD integration and evaluation, counter-UAS silent passive radar systems, and C-UAS for 5G-enabled drones. Additional objectives include developing physics-based hardware/software algorithms, silicon carbide electronics, distributed gain laser weapon systems, future interceptors, HEL power and thermal subsystems, and advanced multilayered mobile force protection. New efforts such as RAPID C-sUAS Missile and continued work on mobile force protection are prioritized, reflecting congressional direction to address emerging threats and enhance force protection.

CV6: Optimized High Energy Laser Source Advanced Technology focuses on maturing and demonstrating affordable high energy laser sources for Army directed energy weapon systems. The objective is to deliver ruggedized, lower-cost laser modules that meet the dimensions required for Counter-UAS systems, specifically targeting a 30 kW-class laser subsystem with improved efficiency and reduced logistics requirements. Efforts include integrating and validating semiconductor high energy laser subsystem modules, risk reduction through prototype system integration, and demonstrating a 30-kW class laser prior to hardware acceptance. Successful demonstration will inform future improvements in size, weight, and power for Army directed energy systems.

DB3: Radar Survivability through Distributed Sensing Advanced Technology is designed to enhance radar capabilities for multi-domain operations by maturing distributed and collaborative engagement decision-making technologies. The program develops Artificial Intelligence (AI) decision aids to support Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) deployments and engagement options. Plans include modeling and simulation demonstrations for sensor communication, maturing software for multi-static radar operations, and refining AI-enabled decision aids for future Air Defense Command and Control systems. The effort also includes proof-of-concept development for mission planning software and modeling, with a focus on integrating multiple sensors and effectors on the battlefield.

IB1: Integrated Beam Control Systems Demo for Counter-Cruise Missile (C-CM) seeks to mature and demonstrate advanced beam control technologies to extend the effective range of high energy laser weapon systems. The program integrates large-aperture, off-axis telescopes with advanced adaptive optics and tracking into government testbeds. Activities include developing and optimizing beam expanders, adaptive optics, and laser-quality tracking subsystems, with a focus on validating and optimizing algorithms to increase range capabilities for multi-domain missions, including counter-cruise missile operations. The goal is to transition these technologies to a program of record for block upgrades to current system architectures.