Fuzes

The LI 356120 - Fuzes program is a critical component of the Air Force's ammunition procurement budget, supporting the acquisition and modernization of advanced fuze and sensor systems. The primary goal of this line item is to ensure the availability of reliable, effective, and modernized weapon safing, arming, sensing, and attack capabilities for U.S. and allied warfighters. These systems are essential for maintaining operational readiness, enhancing lethality, and supporting the commander's intent across a range of mission profiles.

The program also addresses the characterization of fuzing impacts on survivability, producibility, and lethality, including internal pressures, warhead effects, and ignition characteristics.

The FMU-139D/B General Purpose Fuze is a Navy-led Engineering Change Proposal program designed to replace legacy fuzes in both Navy and Air Force inventories. The objective is to provide a joint-service solution that meets both services' requirements while maximizing buying power and addressing aging inventory concerns. The Air Force monitors weapon expenditure rates and adjusts inventory objectives accordingly. Manufacturing capacity is established to meet Navy, Foreign Military Sales, and Air Force requirements, with surge capacity available as needed.

The FMU-167 Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze (HTVSF) is an advanced system developed to enable penetration and destruction of hardened, deeply buried targets. Its objectives include providing in-flight cockpit programmability, safing and arming, multi-function time delay and void sensing, and multi-delay arming capabilities. The HTVSF is intended for use in penetrator warheads, enhancing the ability to strike and defeat high-value targets. The Air Force leads procurement and sustainment efforts, with inventory objectives subject to change based on operational requirements and sustainment needs.

The DSU-43/B Cockpit Selectable Height-of-Burst Sensor (C-HOBS) replaces the DSU-33D/B proximity sensor, addressing obsolescence and enhancing operational flexibility. C-HOBS introduces multiple height-of-burst options selectable via manual switch or cockpit interface, allowing warfighters to tailor effects to a wide array of targets during flight. The system combines a sensor and cable kit, optimizing the effects of next-generation attack weapons. The Air Force plans to meet inventory objectives, with full-rate production anticipated following resolution of prior production delays.

The ULAG (FZU-65/B) Power Supply is designed to support multiple fuze types, including FMU-139D/B, FMU-152A/B, FMU-167/B, and FSU-32. ULAG's mechanical design enables integration into next-generation penetration weapon systems, consolidating the need for multiple power supplies into a single unit for specific weapon platforms. This streamlining supports modernization and efficiency objectives, with the Air Force serving as the lead agency for procurement and sustainment.

Items Less Than Five Million Dollars include various fuzes and inert training items with annual procurement values below a specified threshold. Funding for these items addresses production challenges such as diminishing manufacturing sources, material shortages, and obsolescence through studies, bridge buys, and qualification activities. The program leverages digital acquisition principles and invests in analytical, information management, and security infrastructure upgrades, supporting both development and sustainment of capabilities.

The LI 356120 - Fuzes program supports the Air Force's need to maintain appropriate quantities in War Reserve Materiel munitions and test/training stockpiles. Funding levels and procurement quantities are influenced by operational requirements, negotiated pricing, and available resources, in alignment with Title 10, U.S. Code Section 2308 (Buy-to-Budget Acquisition). The program also ensures compliance with statutory requirements for homeland defense, emergency response, and military support to civil authorities, while advancing digital acquisition and efficiency initiatives as directed by Executive Order 14222.