WASHINGTON D.C. – Led by Chairman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and the Ranking Member Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), the Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces today released its proposals for the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Subcommittee will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4, in Rayburn 2212. The markup will be webcast on the committee’s website. The Subcommittee's mark is available here.
The Tactical Air and Land Forces’ recommendation would support our military services by providing the necessary authorities and resources to equip, modernize, and manage risk across weapon systems and programs within the subcommittee’s jurisdiction. With respect to acquisition programs, the recommendation would continue oversight of major defense programs with emphasis on transparency and management to control cost and deliver needed capabilities on time.
Specifically, the subcommittee’s recommendation to the full committee includes provisions that would:
- Support economic order quantity and buy-to-budget authority for the F-35 program.
- Enhance congressional oversight and cost transparency associated with F-35 Block 4 development, F-35 reliability and maintainability goals, F-35 life-cycle costs, and addressing Autonomic Logistics Information System deficiencies and capability shortfalls.
- Enhance congressional oversight of the F-15EX fighter program.
- Continue oversight of the Department’s plans and efforts to mitigate physiological incidents in tactical aircraft.
- Enhance congressional oversight of the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter program.
- Require a strategic plan and modernization roadmap for Army aviation.
- Require specific program documentation related to the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System.
- Prohibit retirement of RC-135 aircraft unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that equivalent technology exists to meet the RC-135 ISR missions.
- Require the Army to provide quarterly briefings on the status and progress of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program
- Require Secretary of Defense provide a report on the integration of emerging long-range ground-based fires to counter land and maritime threats.
The subcommittee’s recommendation would also direct that the Department provide reports or briefings on issues related to:
Army
- Long-term sustainment for the UH-72A Lakota helicopter fleet.
- Plans for improving and mitigating rotorcraft safety issues.
- Progress on fielding an Iron Dome interim indirect fires protection capability (IFPC) system for cruise missile defense, as well as an update on the status of development of an enduring capability for IFPC Increment 2.
- Plans for development and fielding of the TOW 2B missile.
- Requirements and acquisition strategy for both near-term and long-term Vehicle-Active Protection Systems efforts.
- Vertical lift munition range and operating environment capabilities gaps.
- Plans for upgrading or replacing the M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) system.
- Strategy for development and replacement of the AN/PEQ-15 15 Pointer, Illuminator, Aiming Laser.
- Efforts to address U.S. munition capability gaps for longer range systems operating in GPS-denied or -degraded environments.
- Plans for the continued development and potential for production and fielding of new ammunition technology.
- Modernization of current and future Heavy Equipment Transport trailers needed for transport of M1A2 Abrams tanks.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine review of the Army’s technology approaches, policies, and concepts of operations related to the Strategic Long-Range Cannon (SLRC) program.
Navy
- Plans for MH-53E fleet modernization and sustainment.
Air Force
- Scope and plans for Phase 3 experimentation for the Light Attack and Armed Reconnaissance experimentation to include consultation with the Commander, Special Operations Command.
Defense-Wide
- Availability and feasibility of procuring physiological episode sensor devices in pilot helmets.
- Use of digital twinning technology across the F-35 system enterprise.
- Department-wide efforts to identify, develop, and procure capabilities related to the detection and avoidance of uncharted wires and obstacles, as well as efforts to mitigate excessive vibration in rotorcraft.
- Plans to ensure low probability of detection / low probability of intercept data sharing for 5th and 4th generation aircraft and platforms operating in a contested environment.