Used by United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force
Type
Defense acquisition program
Role
Reduce time to field improved technology, incorporate user into development process
Military unit
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.[1]
The follow-on Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program was initiated by the deputy under-secretary in 2005.[2] 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.[3] All remaining ACTDs continued to be funded, though, and were expected to conclude by 2008.[2]
Lists of selected programs
The following lists of ACTDs are separated into which year they were selected and approved during.
Although not represented in this section, additional ACTDs indeed followed those listed above (during FY 1999–2006).[2][4]
Congressional Budget Office assessments
Some of the Congressional Budget Office assessments, such as the CBO 1998 Memorandum,[1] 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:
The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) – An international defense science and technology collaboration between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Notes
^FY07 ACTD planning had happened two years in advance, from candidacy in Dec. 2005 to Sept 2006 approval, in time for activation just before FY07 (i.e. Oct. 2006 to Sept 2007).
^Includes $5.2 million added from fiscal year 1996 funds, i.e. the next year.
^Excludes an additional $4.6 million to be provided by the United Kingdom.
^Excludes an additional $64.7 million to be provided by Israel.
^Excludes an additional $2.4 million to be provided by the United Kingdom.
^ abcd"OSD RDT&E Budget item justification (R2 Exhibit)"(PDF). apps.dtic.mil (Defense Technical Information Center = DTIC). February 2008. p. 1. Archived from the original on 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025. It is anticipated that all ongoing ACTDs will be complete by FY09.
^Peterson, Mark (18 April 2006). "Microsoft PowerPoint - Peterson NDIA ACTD Brief April 2006-Public.ppt"(PDF). ndia.dtic.mil (National Defense Industrial Association = NDIA | Defense Technical Information Center = DTIC). Director, Program Resources & Integration, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), DDR&E/AS&C (Advanced Systems & Concepts). pp. 7, 9. Archived(PDF) from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2025. JCTD First introduced in the FY 2006 President's Budget"; "FY07 ACTD Candidates Submitted [in] Dec [2005] (__Note__): FY08 programs are referred to as ACTDs instead of JCTDs due to pending nature of the JCTD program, circa April 2006. Presumably once approved, it would have been updated to match. (__Editor Note__)
