(U) A. Mission Description and Budget Item Justification

The F-117A is the world's only operational low-observable (LO) combat aircraft. Its combination of stealth and precision weapons delivery capability allows the United States Air Force to hold even the most highly defended targets at risk. This program provides funds to develop improved systems for the F-117A aircraft. These improvements will enhance combat capability while maintaining a safe, reliable, and supportable aircraft. The F-117A is currently planned to be in service at least through the year 2015. The major research budget activity category is operational systems development; in addition, some research being performed is engineering and manufacturing development (EMD). The final F-117A delivery to the Air Force (number 59) was July 1990. The program is well past production; currently the single operational F-117A unit is stationed at Holloman AFB. The program uses Aircraft Procurement Air Force (APAF) modification (BA-5) money for an extensive modification program to keep the F-117A current with operational system and reliability/maintainability upgrades. Some of the modification projects require development efforts before they are integrated into the fleet (RDT&E money). In addition, small amounts of F-117A RDT&E funding, support quick look integration, threat system, and technology quick look studies as required by the user. This program is in budget activity 7, Operational System Development, because all aircraft have been delivered and program is now in its deployment phase.

This project currently provides research and development for multiple modifications for the F-117A weapons system. The first FY 98 RDT&E effort continues the development work for the MIL-STD-1760 Stores Management Processor. This modification will enable the platform to integrate advanced weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) & the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD). The second FY 98 RDT&E subproject will continue development of new spray coating application techniques and panel access technologies to improve the reliability and maintainability of the weapon system. This modification will allow the weapon system to move towards a single configuration for all F-117 airframes. This subproject will also include efforts to move the weapon system towards a single configuration of leading edges compatible with the overall Low Observable aircraft system. The next modification will develop a new fuel tank inerting system which will conform to environmental standards. The current aircraft inerting system uses halon, an ozone layer depleting chemical which is being withdrawn from service.

(U) A. Mission Description and Budget Item Justification - Continued

(U) FY 1996 ($ in Thousands):

(U) $1,839	Development work on Stores Management system Processor (SMP) (formerly known as MIL-STD-1760)
(U) $1,808	Development work on Single Configuration Fleet (SCF) (formerly known as RAM recoating)
(U) $3,647	Total

(U) FY 1997 ($ in Thousands):

(U) $5,227	Continue development work on SMP
(U) $4,420	Continue development work on SCF
(U) $2,150	Development work on Ozone Depleting Chemical
(U) $11,797	Total

(U) FY 1998 ($ in Thousands):

(U) $4,958	Continue development work on SMP
(U) $4,264	Continue development work on SCF
(U) $298	Smart weapons integration
(U) $9,520	Total

(U) FY 1999 ($ in Thousands):

(U) $4,855	Continue development work on SMP
(U) $396	Continue smart weapons integration
(U) $5,251	Total

(U) B. Program Change Summary ($ in Thousands)

	FY 1996	FY 1997	FY 1998	FY 1999	Total Cost
(U) Previous President's Budget	3,881	12,050	5,001	0	TBD
(U) Appropriated Value	3,881	12,050
(U) Adjustments to Appropriated Value
a. Cong Gen Reductions	-82	-253
b. SBIR	-81
c. Omnibus or Other Above Threshold Reprogram	30
d. Below Threshold Reprogramming	-3
e. Recissions	-38
(U) Adjustments to Budget Years Since FY 1997 PB			4,519	5,251
(U) Current Budget Submit/FY98 PB	3,647	11,797	9,520	5,251	TBD

(U) Change Summary Explanation:

Funding: See Technical Summary below.

Schedule:

Technical: Additional funds ($4.6M) were provided in FY98 for the continuation of the Single Configuration Fleet modification ($4.3M) and the initiation of Smart Weapons Integration effort ($.3M). Additional funds ($5.3M) were also provided in FY99 for the continuation of the Smart Weapons Integration effort ($.4M) and the continuation of the Stores Management system Processor modification ($4.9M).