Elodie Collins 
- The DAF’s FY27 budget allocates funding for ABMS, Kronos, FORGE and Protected Tactical SATCOM
- The department also plans to spend $44 million in RTD&E funding to harden the cybersecurity of its weapon systems
- Air Force and Space Force leaders will discuss technology investments in FY27 and beyond at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30
The Department of the Air Force’s historic $338.8 billion budget request for fiscal 2027 offers a blueprint of how the department will deliver high-tech tools and capabilities to maintain dominance in the air and space domain. While DAF is allocating billions of dollars on the development and acquisition of advanced aircraft, satellites, weapons and other major defense platforms, the department is also making major investments on cybersecurity, IT and modernization.
Hear about how DAF plans to spend its $338.8 billion FY27 budget request directly from acquisition leaders like Acting Air Force Assistant Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration Tom Ainsworth at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. The event will feature high-ranking officials who are making investment decisions at the Air Force and the Space Force. Tickets are available here.
What Are DAF’s IT Investment Priorities in FY27?
ABMS
The Air Force has requested $1.04 billion in research, development, test and evaluation funding for its Advanced Battle Management System, or ABMS, a command-and-control modernization effort to enable seamless sharing of data for faster decision making. The request represents a significant increase from the over $871 million allocated to the program in FY26.
ABMS is a critical part of the DAF Battle Network, the Air Force’s contribution to the Department of War’s Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2.
In early June, SAIC secured a position on a potential $192 million contract to support the development of the ABMS digital infrastructure. The company said it will lead the design, development and deployment of key system components to enable data delivery to warfighters across domains.
Col. John Ohlund, head of the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System Cross-Functional Team, is one of the speakers at the 2026 Air and Space Summit. The event will bring together Air Force and Space Force decision-makers and industry innovators to explore the cutting-edge technologies that support defense missions. Be part of the conversation — register today.
FORGE
The Space Force is allocating $97.7 million for the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution, also known as FORGE, a ground system intended to provide command and control capabilities and support daily operations of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared constellation and the legacy Space-Based Infrared System.
FORGE is divided into four programs: FORGE framework, FORGE Mission Data Processing Application Framework, FORGE C2 and Relay Ground Stations. DefenseScoop reported that the Space Systems Command has already delivered the Forge framework to the OPIR Battlespace Awareness Center, or OBAC, in 2024. FORGE Processing, developed by SciTech, secured operational acceptance and was delivered to the Space Operations Command and OBAC in September 2025.
A Space Systems Command official told Breaking Defense that the FORGE system is expected to be fully functional in 2028.
Kronos
The Space Force is developing a command and control software suite for space operations and intelligence integration, and the service is asking $260.4 million for the effort.
Kronos is a modernization program that covers operational C2, battle management and space intelligence. In November, the Space Force issued a commercial solutions opening seeking cloud services, artificial intelligence-powered decision tools and other technologies for the program.
MapLarge and Leidos secured the first prototype contracts under the CSO to build a capability that can enhance how joint and coalition forces process, integrate and exploit intelligence data to achieve decision advantage.
Kronos is not a new effort. According to Air and Space Forces Magazine, the Space Force has been consolidating legacy systems to support decision-making and address threats in orbit. A spokesperson for the Space Systems Command told the site in November that the Kronos suite is used by Space Force component commands, the National Space Defense Center and the Combined Space Operations Center.
Weapon Systems Cybersecurity
The service has earmarked $44 million in RDT&E funding to harden the cybersecurity of its weapon systems.
The Air Force is in the process of applying zero trust to its systems. While the service’s IT and operational technology are on track to meet the Department of War’s 2027 zero trust compliance deadline, Dennis D’Angelo, executive director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, shared at a conference in May that implementing the cybersecurity model on military platforms, such as weapons and missiles, will be more complex.
According to the official, IT systems can tolerate errors, delays and occasional system crashes during workload spikes, but a weapon system is a real-time system that must demonstrate “deterministic behavior and predictable response times” and remain operational under any conditions.
“Implementing Zero Trust in the weapon system involves carefully weighing the risks and the trade-offs, [including] the potential impacts on performance, on interoperability, on mission effectiveness,” he stated.
The 2026 Air and Space Summit will host a dedicated panel on securing data on the battlefield. The From Data to Decision: Advancing Multi-Level Security With AI/ML for the Modern Warfighter panel will feature Col. Ohlund, Steven Butow of the Defense Innovation Unit, Joseph Fraier and Dr. Merrick Watchorn of the U.S. Air Force, Randy Fields of Ultra I&C, and Ilya Levtov of Craft. Secure your tickets here.
Protected Tactical Service Program
The Space Force’s FY27 budget request includes $449 million in RDT&E funding for the Protected Tactical Service, or PTS, a program that aims to develop anti-jam satellite communications capabilities.
The requested funding is divided into two efforts: $299 million will go toward the Protected Tactical SATCOM, while $150 million was allocated to Protected Tactical SATCOM Global, or PTS-G.
Protected Tactical SATCOM is a family of systems that is intended to replace the Advanced Extremely High Frequency, a joint service satellite communications system that provides continuous connectivity to support strategic nuclear operations, theater missile defense, space operations and other mission areas.
PTS-G is one of the efforts under the Protected Tactical SATCOM family of systems.
The Space Force has already selected Intelsat General and Viasat to develop the first two operational satellites under PTS-G, Air and Space Forces Magazine reported. Known as Swarm 1, the satellites are expected to launch to geosynchronous orbit in 2028.
The $150 million budget earmarked for the effort in FY27 is expected to support the fielding of satellites in Ka and X bands. Per budget documents, Space Force also plans to acquire four Swarm 1 satellites and joint hubs as part of the program’s ground infrastructure.
Why Should GovCons Attend the 2026 Air and Space Summit?
The 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 will examine DAF initiatives that aim to strengthen the capability of airmen and guardians to fight adversaries in any domain.
At the event, attendees will:
- Hear about ABMS and other Air and Space Forces initiatives directly from the people who oversee them
- Gain insights from keynote speakers NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Lamontagne, Acting Air Force Assistant Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration Tom Ainsworth, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics Anthony Baity and Integrated Capabilities Office Director Dr. Eliahu Niewood (pending confirmation)
- Engage with officials from the Air Force and Space Force, Defense Innovation Unit, and National Reconnaissance Office
- Network with executives from leading defense companies
Do not miss the opportunity to connect with and learn from the people revolutionizing how fights are won in the air and space domains. Get your tickets today!
