RDT&E (Research, Development, Test And Evaluation)
RDT&E (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation) is the U.S. government budget category funding the design, development, and testing of military systems prior to production. In UAP research, RDT&E is alleged to serve as the primary financial vehicle through which clandestine non-human technology exploitation programs are funded and concealed — with classified RDT&E contracts awarded to defense contractors providing institutional cover for reverse engineering work on recovered non-human and derivative airframes.
RDT&E and Legacy Program Funding
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), which oversees the bulk of Air Force RDT&E activity, commands a budget portfolio of $82.9 billion in fiscal year 2025. UAP Gerb identifies AFMC as the single most significant institutional node within the Air Force for alleged legacy program activity, specifically because RDT&E contracts allow classified program work to be funded outside standard appropriations channels with minimal congressional visibility.
Three SAFAQ directorates are alleged to coordinate clandestine RDT&E special access programs: SAFAQR (Science, Technology and Engineering), which serves as Air Force Science and Technology Executive and coordinates RDT&E SAPs; SAFAQL (Science, Technology and Engineering Directorate), which manages deep-classified advanced technology development; and SAFAQX (Acquisition Integration Directorate), alleged to provide administrative support to clandestine RDT&E SAPs.
The contractors with classified RDT&E access to Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California — specifically Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing — are the organizations most frequently alleged by UAP whistleblowers to conduct reverse engineering of non-human and derivative airframes under RDT&E contract authority.
Alleged Unauthorized Transfers
The Dugway Proving Ground - UFO Legacy Programs video references alleged unauthorized transfers of $34–40 billion from Air Force RDT&E funds in fiscal years 2013–2014, cited as evidence that clandestine programs draw on RDT&E appropriations well beyond any acknowledged program portfolio. This claim is contextualized alongside broader allegations — including testimony from David Grusch — that legacy program funding has operated illegally outside congressional authorization for decades.