War Reserve Materiel - Ammunition

The War Reserve Materiel - Ammunition program, as outlined in Program Element (PE) 0208030F, is a key Air Force research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) initiative focused on advancing modeling and simulation (M&S) tools and analytical software to support munitions effectiveness and targeting. The program's primary objective is to provide mission-critical, classified software and analytical capabilities that directly enable the Air Combat Command (ACC) targeting mission and align with broader Department of Defense (DoD) National Defense Strategy objectives. This program is managed under Budget Activity 4: Advanced Component Development & Prototypes (ACD&P), reflecting its emphasis on developing and integrating advanced technologies in realistic operational environments.

The core project within this program element is the Operational Weaponeering and Analysis (OWA) initiative. OWA delivers weapons effectiveness data and M&S tools that are essential for the Air Force Requirements Process, Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and Major Commands (MAJCOMs). The goal is to create a digital engineering pipeline that supports weapon and target integration from early research and development through to operational warfighting. OWA's tools are designed to meet the requirements outlined in key DoD and Air Force directives, ensuring that weapons employment decisions are informed by comprehensive target and weapon analysis.

A significant component of OWA is the Integrated Munitions Effects Assessment (IMEA) software, which the Air Force assumed operational support for from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in FY22. IMEA is a classified, mission-critical analytical tool that provides unique capabilities for assessing the effects of munitions on hard, deeply buried targets (HDBTs), nuclear weapons, and weapons of counter-mass destruction (C-WMD). It also supports analysis for strategic site defeat and is the primary tool for estimating the lethality of specialized munitions such as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) and Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB).

Another major line within the program is the Air Force Targeting and Effects Software (AFTES). AFTES is designed to provide an all-domain weapon and target capability, supporting both advanced and intermediate target development within ACC and joint environments. The software is built to be digital, agile, and open, with a focus on integrating capabilities from the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) into the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) environment. This integration aims to deliver modeling and simulation capabilities to the tactical edge and support the objectives of the Air Force Chief of Staff's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) initiatives.

The program's objectives also include continuous improvement and validation of software tools through agile development processes. This involves expanding user working groups, conducting regular technical product previews, and integrating verification, validation, and accreditation (VV&A) as well as independent verification and validation (IV&V) into the development lifecycle. The focus is on ensuring that evolving weapon phenomenology including kinetic, directed energy, cyber, and hypersonic effects are accurately modeled and available for operational use.

Collaboration is a key aspect of this program, with ongoing partnerships between the Air Force, DTRA, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to create a robust R&D pipeline. The program leverages digital acquisition principles and utilizes a variety of contract vehicles, including performance-based and competitive awards, to maximize innovation and efficiency. Investments are also made in information management, digital environments, and security infrastructure to support the development and sustainment of these capabilities.