GAO Weapon Systems Acquisitions Mid-year 2026 Update
DOD currently plans to invest over $2.4 trillion to develop and acquire weapon systems. For almost 25 years, our GAO team has been providing you with an annual overview of the status of DOD’s weapon systems portfolio, along with in-depth 1- or 2-page analyses (aka Quick Looks) of the cost, schedule, and performance of DOD's costliest individual programs.
Our 2027 overview, now underway, will address the following questions:
01
What are the characteristics of DOD's portfolio of its costliest weapon programs, how have selected programs performed over time in terms of cost and schedule, and what are the reasons for this performance?
02
To what extent does DOD have practices in place to attain knowledge and deliver capability with speed?
03
To what extent have selected programs implemented modern software development approaches and recommended cybersecurity practices?
We are currently conducting in-depth analyses of these programs:
| Service | Common Program Name | Full Name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | ARRW | AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon | MTA |
| Air Force | B-52 RMP | B-52 Radar Modernization Program | MDAP |
| Air Force | B-52J CERP | B-52J Commercial Engine Replacement Program | MDAP |
| Air Force | E-7A RP | E-7A Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Air Force | F-22 SeE | F-22 Sensor Enhancements | MTA |
| Air Force | FAMM | The Family of Affordable Mass Missile | MDAP |
| Air Force | HACM | Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile | MTA |
| Air Force | HLD-OTHR | Homeland Defense - Over the Horizon Radar | MTA |
| Air Force | LRSO | Long Range Stand Off Weapon | MDAP |
| Air Force | Sentinel | LGM-35A Sentinel | MDAP |
| Air Force | SiAW | Stand-in Attack Weapon | Pre-MDAP |
| Air Force | T-7 APT | T-7 Advanced Pilot Training | MDAP |
| Air Force | VC-25B | VC-25B Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization | MDAP |
| Army | Abrams Tank | Abrams Tank Engineering Change Program | MDAP |
| Army | CH-47F Block II MTA RP | CH-47F Block II Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Army | FLRAA | Future Long Range Assault Aircraft | MDAP |
| Army | ITEP | Improved Turbine Engine Program | MDAP |
| Army | IVAS 1.2 RP | Integrated Visual Augmentation System 1.2 Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Army | LRHW GSE MTA RP | Long Range Hypersonic Weapon Ground Support Equipment Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Army | LTAMDS | Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor | MDAP |
| Army | M-SHORAD Inc 3 | Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense Increment 3 | MTA |
| Army | PrSM Inc 2 | Precision Strike Missile Increments 1 and 2 | MTA |
| Army | SBMC RP | Soldier Borne Mission Command Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Army | XM30 MTA RP | XM30 Combat Vehicle Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Navy | AARGM-ER | Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile - Extended Range | MDAP |
| Navy | ALWT Inc 1 | MK 54 MOD 2 Increment 1 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo | MTA |
| Navy | BBGN(X) | Guided Missile Battleship | Pre-MDAP |
| Navy | CPS - Phase 2 RF | Conventional Prompt Strike - Phase 2 Rapid Fielding | MTA |
| Navy | CVN 78 | CVN 78 Gerald R. Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier | MDAP |
| Navy | DDG 51 | DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer | MDAP |
| Navy | E-130J | Take Charge and Move Out Modernization | MDAP |
| Navy | FF(X) | Small Surface Combatant | Pre-MTA |
| Navy | LSM | Medium Landing Ship | MTA |
| Navy | MACE | Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector | Pre-MTA |
| Navy | MK 48 MOD 9 RP | MK 48 MOD 9 Heavyweight Torpedo Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Navy | MQ-25 Stingray | MQ-25 Unmanned Aircraft System | MDAP |
| Navy | MQ-4C Triton | MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System | MDAP |
| Navy | MUSV | Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle | Pre- MTA |
| Navy | NGJ LB | Next Generation Jammer Low Band | MDAP |
| Navy | SLCM-N | Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile | Pre-MDAP |
| Navy | SSBN 826 | SSBN 826 Columbia Class Submarine | MDAP |
| Navy | SSN 774 | SSN 774 Virginia Class Submarine | MDAP |
| Navy | SSN(X) | Next Generation Attack Submarine | Pre-MDAP |
| Navy | T-AGOS 25 | T-AGOS 25 Explorer Class Ocean Surveillance Ship | MDAP |
| Navy | Trident II Missile | Trident II (D-5) Sea-Launched Ballistic Missile | MDAP |
| Space Force | DARC | Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability | MDAP |
| Space Force | Enhanced PTS-P | Enhanced Protected Tactical Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Prototype | MTA |
| Space Force | GPS IIIF | GPS III Follow-On Production | MDAP |
| Space Force | MGUE Inc 2 MSI RP | Military GPS User Equipment Increment 2 Miniature Serial Interface Rapid Prototyping | Software |
| Space Force | Next-Gen OPIR GEO | Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Geosynchronous Earth Orbit | MDAP |
| Space Force | Next-Gen OPIR Polar | Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar | MDAP |
| Space Force | NSSL | National Security Space Launch | MDAP |
| Space Force | OCS AEP-M | Operational Control System Architecture Evolution Plan-Modernization | Pre-MDAP |
| Space Force | PTS-G | Protected Tactical SATCOM - Global | MDAP |
| Space Force | PTS-R | Protected Tactical SATCOM – Resilient | MDAP |
| Space Force | Resilient MW/MT MEO | Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking Medium Earth Orbit Epoch 2 Rapid Prototyping | MTA |
| Space Force | T1/T2/T3 Tracking | Tranche 1 Tracking Layer / Tranche 2 Tracking Layer / Tranche 3 Tracking Layer | MTA |
| Space Force | T1/T2/T3 Transport | Tranche 1 Transport Layer/ Tranche 2 Tracking Layer/ Tranche 3 Transport Layer | MTA |
| Space Force | WSF | Weather System Follow-on | MDAP |
| Blue-shaded rows denote a new program to 2027 Quick Look. | |
| MDAP: major defense acquisition program. MTA: middle tier of acquisition. |
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