The Program Element (PE) defines a development effort with specific design, cost, schedule and capability parameters and is the primary data element in the Future Year Defense Program (FYDP) and is the foundation of the PPBE Process. Each program and entity within the defense portfolio has its own PE and is the specific allocation of resources for those entities from the Secretary of Defense. PEs are designed and quantified to be comprehensive and mutually exclusive and identifies the mission to be undertaken and the organizational entities to perform the mission. They may be aggregated in a variety of ways:
- To display the total resources assigned to a specific program
- To display weapons systems and support systems within a program
- To select specified resources
- To display logical groupings for analytical purposes
- To identify selected functional groupings of resources
Definition: A Program Element is an integrated combination of men, equipment, and facilities, constituting an identifiable military capability or support activity.
Program Element (PE) Semiology
The semiology of PEs consists of a seven-digit number with an alphabetical suffix that identifies a program, organization, or office. The first two digits identify the Major Force Program (MFP) that contains the PE (e.g., the PE “0203123A” would indicate an Army program within MFP 2 – General Purpose Forces). The alphabetical suffix identifies the Service or Defense Agency that has cognizance over a particular program element. For example, “A” indicates an Army program, “F” an Air Force program, “N” a Navy program, and “M” a Marine Corps program. This PE structure facilitates the compilation of the FYDP for different purposes, such as an appropriation review.
Program Element (PE) Example
How to read a Program Element Number: Example 0603502N
| DERIVATION | 06 | 03 | 5 | 02 | N |
| DoD PROGRAM | 06 | ||||
| R&D CATEGORY | 03 | ||||
| EQUIPMENT/ACTIVITY | 5 | ||||
| SERIAL NUMBER | 02 | ||||
| SERVICE | N |
| DoD Program | Service | ||
| 01 | Strategic Forces | A | Army |
| 02 | General Purpose Force | BB | U.S. Special Operations Command |
| 03 | Intelligence and Communication | BL | Defense Contract Management Agency |
| 04 | Mobility Forces | BP | Chemical & Biological Defense |
| 05 | Guard & Reserve Forces | BR | Defense Threat Reduction Agency |
| 06 | Research & Development | C | Missile Defense Agency |
| 07 | Central Supply & Maintenance | DZ | Office of Secretary of Defense |
| 08 | Training, Medical & Other | DO | Operational, Test & Evaluation Defense |
| 09 | Administrative & Associated Activities | E | DARPA |
| 10 | Support of Other Nations | F | Air Force |
| 11 | Special Operations Forces | J | Joint Staff |
| R&D Category | K | Defense Information Systems Agency | |
| BA-1 | Basic Research | M | Marine Corp |
| BA-2 | Applied Research | N | Navy |
| BA-3 | Advanced Technology Development | S | Defense Logistics Agency |
| BA-4 | Advance Component & Prototypes | T | Defense Security Cooperation Agency |
| BA-5 | System Development & Demonstration | SE | DoD Human Resources Activity |
| BA-6 | RDT&E Management Support | V | Defense Security Center |
| BA-7 | Operational System Development | KA | Defense Technical Information Center |
| B8W | Washington Headquarters | ||
| Equipment/Activity Type | |||
| 1 | Military Sciences | ||
| 2 | Aircraft & Related Equipment | ||
| 3 | Missiles & Related Equipment | ||
| 4 | Military Astronautics & Related Equipment | ||
| 5 | Ships, Small Craft & Related Equipment | ||
| 6 | Ordnance, Combat Vehicle & Related Equipment | ||
| 7 | Other Equipment | ||
| 8 | Program-wide Management & Support |
See DoD Financial Management Regulation 7000.14-R, Volume 2B, Chapter 5
AcqLinks and References:
- FYDP Structure Handbook, DoD 70450.7H, April 2004
- DoD Financial Management Regulation 7000.14-R, Volume 2B, Chapter 5
Updated: 9/26/2023
Rank: G1