Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration

The Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program was a Department of Defense research and evaluation initiative for mature, advanced technology for United States military usage. These demonstrations allowed for cheaper and earlier evaluation of technology and systems than the formal acquisition process.

An ACTD must be sponsored by an operational user, with approval and oversight from the now-terminated role of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Advanced Systems and Concepts, or DUSD(AS&C), previously titled the Deputy USD for Advanced Technology, or DUSD(AT).

The follow-on Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program was initiated by the deputy under-secretary in 2005. The new JCTD framework emphasized multiservice technology development and improvements in planning. ACTDs were replaced by JCTDs during about a three-year span from 2005 to 2008. During 2006, the final round of ACTDs were up for selection, and in September 2006 the winning projects received their formal approval. All remaining ACTDs continued to be funded, though, and were expected to conclude by 2008.

Lists of selected programs The following lists of ACTDs are separated into which year they were selected and approved during.

Fiscal year 1995 +ACTDs Selected in Fiscal Year 1995Fiscal Year#TitleClass*Total Expected Cost (1995–2003: mil, K)User/SponsorLead Service or AgencyOct. 1994 (FY 1995)1Advanced Joint PlanningI40.5mUS Atlantic CommandDefense Information Systems Agency2Cruise Missile Defense, Phase IIII74.2mUS Pacific CommandNavy3High-Altitude Endurance UAVII922.6mUS Atlantic CommandAir Force4Joint CountermineIII402.1mUS Atlantic CommandNavy5Kinetic Energy Boost- Phase InterceptII40.0mAir Combat CommandAir Force6Low-Life-Cycle-Cost Medium-Lift HelicopterII800KMilitary Sealift CommandNavy7Medium-Altitude Endurance UAV (Predator)II128.4mUS Atlantic CommandAir Force8Precision/Rapid Counter-MRLIII86.3mUS Forces KoreaArmy9Precision SIGINT Targeting SystemI45.4mUS Forces KoreaNavy10Rapid Force Projection InitiativeIII567.8mXVIIIth Airborne CorpsArmy11Synthetic Theater of WarI174.2mUS Atlantic CommandNone*Class I = software development projects; class II = traditional platforms; class III = systems-of-systems Abbreviations:

UAV - Unmanned aerial vehicle MRL - Multiple rocket launcher SIGINT - Signals intelligence

Fiscal year 1996 +ACTDs Selected in Fiscal Year 1996Fiscal Year#TitleClass*Total Expected Cost (1995–2003: mil, K)User/SponsorLead Service or AgencyOct. 1995 (FY 1996)1Air Base/Port Biological DetectionIII19.7mUS Central Command, US Pacific CommandArmy2Battlefield Awareness and Data DisseminationI113.4mUS Atlantic CommandDefense Information Systems Agency3Combat IdentificationII92.7mUS Atlantic CommandArmy4Combat Vehicle SurvivabilityII48.6mIII CorpsArmy5Counterproliferation IIII123.3mUS European CommandAir Force, Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA)6Counter SniperII1.0mUS Army Infantry SchoolArmy7Joint LogisticsI168.3mUS Atlantic Command, US European CommandNavy8Miniature Air-launched DecoyII45.0mAir Combat CommandAir Force9Navigation WarfareII83.4mUS Atlantic CommandAir Force10Semi-Automated IMINT ProcessingI123.2mUS Atlantic CommandArmy, Air Force, DARPA, National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA)11Tactical High-Energy LaserII117.1mIsraeli Ministry of DefenseIsrael12Tactical UAV programII131.3mArmy, Navy, Marine CorpsArmy*Class I = software development projects; class II = traditional platforms; class III = systems-of-systems Abbreviations:

UAV - Unmanned aerial vehicle IMINT - Imagery intelligence

Fiscal year 1997 +ACTDs Selected in Fiscal Year 1997Fiscal Year#TitleClass*Total Expected Cost (1995–2003: mil, K)User/SponsorLead Service or AgencyOct. 1996 (FY 1997)1Chemical Add-On to Air Base/Port Biological DetectionIII3.2mUS Central Command, US Pacific CommandArmy2Consequence ManagementII3.2mArmy, Marine CorpsArmy, Marine Corps3Counter- proliferation IIIII303.0mUS European CommandAir Force, Navy4Extending the Littoral BattlespaceIII137.7mUS Pacific CommandMarine Corps5Information Operations Planning ToolI55.1mUS Central CommandAir Force6Integrated Collection ManagementI12.2mUS Atlantic CommandDefense Intelligence Agency (DIA)7Joint Advanced Health and Usage Monitoring SystemII15.5mn.a.Navy8Military Operations in Urban TerrainIII71.9mUS Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)Army9Rapid Terrain VisualizationII54.6mXVIIIth Airborne CorpsArmy*Class I = software development projects; class II = traditional platforms; class III = systems-of-systems Abbreviations:

n.a. - not applicable

Fiscal year 1998 +ACTDs Selected in Fiscal Year 1998Fiscal Year#TitleClass*Total Expected Cost (1995–2003: mil, K)User/SponsorLead Service or AgencyOct. 1997 (FY 1998)1Adaptive Course of ActionI19.3mUS Atlantic Command, US Pacific CommandDefense Information Systems Agency2C4I for Coalition WarfareI20.0mUS European CommandArmy3High Power MicrowaveII2.0mUS European CommandArmy4Information Assur- ance: Automated Intrusion Detection EnvironmentI75.1mUS Strategic CommandDefense Information Systems Agency5Joint Biological Remote Early Warning SystemIII125.7mUS European CommandArmy6Joint Continuous Strike EnvironmentI15.9mUS European CommandDefense Information Systems Agency7Joint Modular Lighter SystemII26.5mUS Atlantic CommandNavy8Line-of-Sight Anti- tankII257.9mUS Central CommandArmy9Link 16 (tactical data network for NATO)I3.3mUS Atlantic CommandNavy10Migration Defense Intelligence Threat Data SystemI11.4mUS European CommandDefense Intelligence Agency (DIA)11Precision Targeting IdentificationII23.0mJIATF East (Joint Inter- agency Task Force East)Navy12Space-Based Space Surveillance OperationsI21.5mUS Space CommandAir Force13Theater Precision Strike OperationsI93.4mUS Forces KoreaArmy14Unattended Ground SensorsII20.8mUS Central Command, US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)Air Force*Class I = software development projects; class II = traditional platforms; class III = systems-of-systems Abbreviations:

C4I - command, control, communication, computers, and intelligence Although not represented in this section, additional ACTDs indeed followed those listed above (during FY 1999–2006).

Congressional Budget Office assessments Some of the Congressional Budget Office assessments, such as the CBO 1998 Memorandum, reviewed the ACTD program's progress since its initiation in 1994 up until the 1998 assessment. The memorandum summarized the results as "From 1995 through 1998, DoD has spent $3.2 billion on 46 ACTDs. The $3.2 billion represents about 2 percent of DoD’s entire budget for research and development during that time." The memorandum provided some details about the 46 ACTDs as of 1998, and highlighted the Medium-Altitude Endurance UAV (the Predator drone) as on its then successes, having transitioned into a formal DOD Acquisition Program.

Outcomes The following programs were completed under the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration framework: Global Hawk JSTOW ACTD as part of Joint Semi-Automated Forces DarkStar JPADS

Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration

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