Counterproliferation Advanced Development

Abstract

This program supports the Department's initiatives to Deter Aggression, Defend the Homeland, Provide Nuclear Deterrence, and Build Sustainable and Long-Term Advantage. The Counterproliferation Advanced Development (formerly, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Systems) research and development activities (RDAs) enhance DoD’s capabilities to campaign across the domains of threats and spectrums of conflict by: “improving our understanding of the operational environment – including in the information domain; sowing doubt among competitors that they would be able to achieve their objectives and conduct unattributed coercive actions; disrupting competitor actions that would afford them warfighting advantages; reinforcing our own warfighting advantages; and enhancing our interoperability and access to address acute forms of coercion.” (2022 National Defense Strategy) RDAs provide enhanced offensive counterproliferation capabilities. The Counterproliferation Advanced Development portfolio enables DoD to prevent adversary development, acquisition, transfer, deployment, and use of weapons of mass destruction. Likewise, the portfolio’s investments deliver capabilities to “take action against actors of concern and reduce access to WMD development pathways” and, “delays further development, degrades capabilities where possible, and, if necessary, prevents WMD use”. (2023 DoD Strategy to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction) The Counterproliferation Advanced Development portfolio is executing along cohesive lines of effort (LOEs) designed to prepare the Joint Force for a Future Operating Environment in which adversary pursuit or possession of WMDs pose threats ranging from existential to tactical, and limit U.S. strategic choices. These LOEs create unique options across the continuum of conflict, including exquisite tactical situational awareness, the ability to rapidly generate options, low visibility methods of maneuver, and the capability to employ immediate effects without diminishing future capabilities. These LOEs enable active campaigning to support Integrated Deterrence that mitigate risk to mission and risk to force. The Office of the Secretary of Defense uses the Counterproliferation Advanced Development portfolio to invest strategically in projects across the Military Services, Combatant Commands, and Defense Agencies. Funding is prioritized for projects that close Joint Force warfighter capability gaps. An annual investment strategy is used to meet emergent operational and capability needs validated by the Joint Force, yielding new fielded capabilities within one to two years. The Counterproliferation Advanced Development program invests in maturation of prototypes; integration of technologies, systems, and components; developmental and operational test and evaluation; and transition to fielded capabilities that counter WMD proliferation. This program accelerates and enables transition of mature technologies to fielded capabilities by leveraging significant science and technology (S&T) investments made by the Department of Defense, other Federal agencies, and industry. This program funds labor, materials, and travel to support the requirements of this program, performed by a government agency or by private individuals or organizations under a contract with the government, for activities and acquisitions including Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E), assessments and analyses, research studies, education, and other activities related to capability development and fielding.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2025
• Source ID: 0305310D8Z_5_0400_PB_2025
• Change Summary Explanation: The FY 2024 to FY 2025 funding decrease represents program adjustments directed by OUSD(A&S) to align with higher priority National Defense Strategy requirements and will result in 1-2 fewer new counter WMD capabilities delivered to the Joint Force.
• Service Agency Name: Office of the Secretary Of Defense

Entities

Organizations

• Office of the Secretary of Defense

Tags

Readers

• Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Strategic Security Studies