Materiel Systems Analysis

The Materiel Systems Analysis program, funded under Program Element (PE) 0605706A, is a critical component of the U.S. Army's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) Management Support portfolio. This program specifically resources the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Analysis Center (DAC) to conduct integrated materiel performance analyses. The primary objective is to support Army decision-making in technology development, materiel acquisition, and the design, development, fielding, and sustainment of Army materiel systems. These analyses are essential for informing acquisition decisions and influencing the design and sustainment of weapon and materiel systems for both current and future Army forces.

The DEVCOM Analysis Center (DAC) serves as the Army's central hub for integrated materiel performance analysis. DAC provides timely, independent, and high-quality analysis to Army Futures Command (AFC) and other Army leadership, supporting complex decisions throughout the acquisition process. The DAC's mission is to deliver objective analysis and experimentation across the entire life cycle of Army systems, ensuring both current readiness and the development of a more capable future force.

The DAC's work spans priority areas such as Long-Range Precision Fires, Next Generation Combat Vehicles, Future Vertical Lift, Network/Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence, Air and Missile Defense, and Soldier Lethality. One of the program's key objectives is the development and certification of system-level and systems-of-systems level performance and effectiveness data. This includes a broad range of capabilities such as target acquisition, probability of inflicting catastrophic damage, survivability of personnel and vehicles, mobility, network performance, and system reliability.

The program funds the development of item-level performance methodologies and advanced Models and Simulations (M&S) to address current and future operational environments and emerging threats. These M&S capabilities support the development, linkage, and accreditation of live, virtual, and constructive simulations, providing unique tools for systems analysis at both the individual system and combined arms levels.

The Center for Reliability Growth (CRG) is another significant component funded by this program. The CRG develops critical tools, methodologies, policies, guidance, and educational materials to help acquisition programs achieve required reliability during the acquisition process. It applies engineering approaches to assess and improve the reliability of Army materiel, aiming to reduce logistics footprints, lower life cycle costs, and extend failure-free periods for Army systems.

The CRG's integrated set of skills and tools ensures that reliability growth is embedded throughout the life cycle of Army materiel, supporting both readiness and long-term sustainability. In fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the program will continue to develop methodologies, tools, and M&S to provide integrated materiel performance and engineering analyses for emerging domains such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber, and Electromagnetic Activities.

The program also supports data collection, management, and analysis, as well as the development and maintenance of analytic software applications and databases. These efforts are designed to serve as the analytic foundation for delivering the Army of 2030 and designing the Army of 2040, supporting AFC experimentation and providing a repository for the body of evidence concerning developmental Army technologies and systems.

Additionally, the program will analyze Army energy supply capacity and assess the gap between current supply and future energy demands. It will implement analytical capabilities to inform system cost/performance trades, technology development decisions, weapons/systems performance and effectiveness analyses, risk assessments, business case analyses, requirements definition, and reliability, availability, and maintainability studies.

The program also provides certified characteristics and performance data to AFC and DEVCOM Centers/Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to support technical studies and wargames, and delivers relevant data and results to prototype technology developers, evaluators, senior decision makers, and force-on-force modelers.

For FY 2026, the program's funding reflects a decrease due to workforce optimization and a reduced focus on climate-related efforts, in line with Executive Order 14210. Despite this reduction, the program remains focused on supporting the Army's transformation and readiness decisions across the entire life cycle, from concept development through science and technology research, acquisition, testing and evaluation, operations, and sustainment. The overarching goal is to enable the delivery of Army 2030 and design of Army 2040 through objective analytic support for Army priority systems and technologies.