Major T&E Investment

The Major T&E Investment program (PE 0604759A) is a critical Army Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget line that funds the development, modernization, and acquisition of major test and evaluation (T&E) instrumentation across multiple Army test centers. The overarching goal is to ensure that Army weapon systems and technologies are rigorously and realistically tested, supporting Army modernization priorities and readiness for current and future operational environments. This program supports the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) and its subordinate test centers, as well as the Reagan Test Site (RTS) at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, managed by the Space and Missile Defense Command. The program also includes cyber certification activities and supports integration with synthetic training environments and multi-domain operations.

Reagan Test Site (RTS) T&E Investments focus on the improvement and modernization of the unique instrumentation systems at the remote RTS facility. The objectives include upgrading radar, telemetry, optics, communications, and command/control equipment to support the testing of advanced technologies such as hypersonics and missile defense systems. Specific projects include the Radar Reliability Improvement Program (RRI) to enhance sensor reliability and address obsolescence, transmitter/receiver and optics improvements for high-speed and infrared imaging, and infrastructure refreshes for aging radar components. Additional efforts support hypersonic vehicle testing, multi-level security upgrades, and telemetry refresh to meet cybersecurity and data classification requirements. These investments ensure RTS remains a strategic asset for Army, Navy, Air Force, STRATCOM, MDA, DARPA, NASA, and other DoD customers.

Major Developmental Testing Instrumentation provides for the development and acquisition of advanced instrumentation to support developmental testing at ATEC's test centers, including Yuma, Aberdeen, White Sands, Redstone, Electronic Proving Ground, and Cold Regions Test Center. The goals are to address technology shortfalls and support high-visibility, high-risk test programs. Key initiatives include Test Enterprise Network Modernization (TENM) to upgrade test data networks and fiber infrastructure, Applied Environments Modernization (AEM) to enhance environmental testing capabilities, and Telemetry Systems Modernization (TSM) to update telemetry equipment for improved technical and spectral performance. These efforts support Army Cross Functional Teams (CFTs) such as Long Range Precision Fires, Next Generation Combat Vehicle, Future Vertical Lift, and Air and Missile Defense.

Major Operational Test Instrumentation funds the development, acquisition, and integration of operational test instrumentation for the Army's Operational Test Command and supporting ranges. The primary objective is to address realism shortfalls identified by the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), and to enable realistic multi-domain operational environments. The flagship project, Expeditionary Live Virtual Constructive Command Center (XLCC), aims to deliver a system-of-systems for test monitoring, real-time casualty assessment, and high-fidelity data collection in both live and simulated environments. Congressional adds in FY25 support advancing operational test infrastructure and developing advanced sensing capabilities for AI-enabled systems. These investments are essential for testing current and future weapon systems against near-peer threats and supporting Army modernization.

Range Radar Replacement Program (RRRP) is designed to recapitalize and develop modern instrumentation radars to replace obsolete tracking and surveillance radars at ATEC test centers. The program is structured in three blocks: Block I replaces existing radars, Block II develops a new Long Range Radar (LRR), and Block III develops additional LRRs and Medium Range Radars (MRRs). The goal is to provide improved radar resolution, sensitivity, accuracy, and reliability for developmental testing, while reducing sustainment costs. FY26 funding supports acceptance testing and continued development of Block II and III prototypes, with a focus on delivering Modified Commercial Off-the-Shelf (MCOTS) radar solutions.

Cyber Blue Team funding supports the establishment and management of certification standards for Army Acquisition Modernization Cyber Assessment Teams (AAMCATs), under the oversight of the Program Manager for Cyber and Training (PM CT2). The objective is to ensure that acquisition programs incorporate certified blue teams early in the lifecycle to assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks. Activities include certifying teams, maintaining a central repository and web portal for lessons learned, and supporting trend analysis from vulnerability assessments. This effort is critical for ensuring cyber resiliency across Army acquisition programs and aligns with broader Army digital engineering and software modernization strategies.