(a) In general.—This Act may be cited as the “Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025”.

(b) Reference.—Any reference in this or any other Act to the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025” shall be deemed to be a reference to the “Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025”.

(a) Divisions.—This Act is organized into four divisions as follows:

(1) Division A—Department of Defense Authorizations.

(2) Division B—Military Construction Authorizations.

(3) Division C—Department of Energy National Security Authorizations and Other Authorizations.

(4) Division D—Funding Tables.

(b) Table of contents.—The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Organization of Act into divisions; table of contents.
Sec. 3. Congressional defense committees.

In this Act, the term “congressional defense committees” has the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code.

Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2025 for procurement for the Army, the Navy and the Marine Corps, the Air Force and the Space Force, and Defense-wide activities, as specified in the funding table in section 4101.

(a) Establishment.—The Secretary of the Army shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary incorporates the use of moving robotic target systems into live fire training provided to select infantry units of the reserve and National Guard components of the Army.

(b) Designation.—The pilot program under subsection (a) shall be known as the “Lethality and Warfighting Enhancement Program”.

(c) Locations.—The Secretary of the Army shall select not fewer than three military installations at which to conduct the pilot program under subsection (a).

(d) Objectives.—The objectives of the pilot program under subsection (a) shall be—

(1) to increase the lethality of the combined fighting force of the Army by providing reserve component and National Guard infantry units with the opportunity to conduct realistic live fire training on state-of-the-art moving robotic target systems; and

(2) to demonstrate the effect of such training on small arms proficiency and lethality in ground combat operations.

(e) Selection of participating units.—The Secretary of the Army shall select infantry units of the reserve components of the Army to participate in the pilot program under subsection (a) taking into consideration—

(1) the past performance of the unit;

(2) the readiness status of the unit, with an emphasis on providing training to those units designated as preparing to deploy or at a similarly designated readiness status; and

(3) the likelihood that a unit would be actively deployed or commanded to conduct decisive action.

(f) Commencement.—The Secretary of the Army shall commence the pilot program under subsection (a) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(g) Termination.—The pilot program under subsection (a) shall terminate five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(h) Briefings.—Not later than 90 days after concluding activities under the pilot program at a military installation selected under subsection (c), the Secretary of the Army shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing that includes a description of—

(1) the manner in which the program was conducted at such installation; and

(2) any results achieved under the program at such installation.

(i) Contract authority.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Army is authorized to enter into one or more contracts for the procurement of moving robotic target systems for use in the pilot program under subsection (a).

(2) REQUIRED CAPABILITIES.—Robotic target systems procured under paragraph (1) shall be capable of—

(A) conducting multiple realistic offensive and defensive scenarios in a single training session that are consistent with combat operations;

(B) operating in an unpredictable, realistic, and reactionary fashion;

(C) objectively scoring trainee performance;

(D) maneuvering across diverse geographic landscapes, including snow, ice, soft soils, extreme heat, extreme cold, wooded terrain and offroad areas;

(E) operating at distances greater than 100 yards from the range operator;

(F) surviving live fire from 6.8 mm rounds and the Next Generation Squad Weapon of the Army; and

(G) fully functioning in all reasonably expected weather conditions.

(a) Limitation.—The Secretary of the Army may not procure, from a covered source, an end item containing energetic materials that are in production at a Federal Government-owned production facility until the date on which the Secretary submits to the congressional defense committees—

(1) a certification from the Secretary indicating that Federal Government-owned production facilities for such materials in the United States have reached production capacity;

(2) a summary of the information on which such certification is based.

(b) Waiver.—The Secretary of the Army may waive the limitation under subsection (a) with respect to an end item for a period of up to one fiscal year if the Secretary determines that the waiver is necessary for reasons of national security. Whenever the Secretary makes such a waiver, the Secretary shall notify the congressional defense committees of the waiver and the reasons for the waiver.

(c) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “covered source” means any provider of energetic materials outside of the United States.

(2) The term “end item” has the meaning given that term in section 4863(m) of title 10, United States Code.

(3) The term “energetic materials” means critical chemicals and formulations that—

(A) release large amounts of stored chemical energy; and

(B) are capable of being used as explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, and reactive materials that create lethal effects in warheads in kinetic weapons components and systems.

(a) In general.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which the budget of the President for fiscal year 2026 is submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on Modernization of the Black Hawk helicopter program of the Army.

(b) Elements.—The report required under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) Identification of the program elements and level of funding requested for the Black Hawk Modernization program for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 set forth separately by fiscal year and appropriations account.

(2) Requirements for the program that are sufficient to ensure the Black Hawk helicopters of the Army are systematically modernized to address obsolescence, improve performance, and provide capabilities that ensure relevance in the joint all domain operational environment.

(3) A program acquisition strategy for Black Hawk Modernization.

(a) Plan required.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the congressional defense committees a plan for providing the aircraft described in subsection (b) to relevant aviation units of the Army National Guard in a manner that is concurrent with and in proportion to the manner in which such aircraft are provided to active duty Army aviation units.

(b) Aircraft described.—The aircraft described in this subsection are the following:

(1) AH–64E aircraft.

(2) MQ–1C M25 aircraft.

(3) CH–47 aircraft.

(4) UH–60M aircraft.

(5) Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.

(a) Findings.—Congress finds the following:

(1) House Report 118–301 accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31) directed the Secretary of the Army, in coordination with the Commanding General, Army Materiel Command and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology to provide a briefing on the costs and estimated funding profile as it relates to the organic industrial base modernization strategy, and facility efforts required to support opportunities for organic industrial base augmentation at Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky.

(2) The briefing was directed to explore Blue Grass Army Depot as a potential site for the production of metal shipping containers.

(3) Limited domestic production, coupled with the concentration of global shipping container manufacturing in and around China, is a strategic deployment and sustainment risk for United States forces.

(4) China produces most shipping containers and the Department of Defense sources nearly all containers from Asia or assembles container kits in the United States from foreign-producers.

(5) Establishing a domestic source for metal shipping containers would reduce reliance on foreign sources.

(b) Shipping container requirement.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of the Army, the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, shall develop a requirement for the establishment of a shipping container production facility within the United States at an Army installation found to meet feasibility and readiness goals.

Section 126(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2035) is amended—

(1) in the subsection heading, by striking “and CVN–81”; and inserting “CVN–81, and subsequent carriers”;

(2) in paragraph (1) by striking “and the CVN–81” and inserting “the CVN–81, and each subsequent Ford-class aircraft carrier”;

(3) in paragraph (2)—

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “and the CVN–81” and inserting “the CVN–81, and each subsequent Ford-class aircraft carrier”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

“(H) A comparison of the ship cost baseline to the most recent budget estimate available as of the date of the report, set forth separately for costs related to—

“(i) development;

“(ii) procurement; and

“(iii) operations and sustainment.

“(I) For each contract that requires the production of a contract performance report, estimates from the contractor and program manager of—

“(i) the total cost of the ship at completion, taking into account any changes in costs known or anticipated as of the date of the report; and

“(ii) the schedule for completion of the ship, taking into account any variances to such schedule known or anticipated as of the date of the report.”; and

(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION OF REPORTING.—The requirement to submit a report with respect to a Ford-class aircraft carrier under paragraph (1) shall—

“(A) begin in the year following the first fiscal year for which funds are appropriated for the procurement of the carrier; and

“(B) end on the date the carrier reaches its obligation work limiting date.”.

Section 129(c) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263) is amended by inserting “across programs” after “advance procurement”.

(a) Authority for multiyear procurement.—Subject to section 3501 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of the Navy may enter into one or more multiyear contracts, beginning with the fiscal year 2025 program year, for the procurement of the following:

(1) CH–53K aircraft.

(2) T408 engines for such aircraft.

(b) Condition for out-year contract payments.—A contract entered into under subsection (a) shall provide that any obligation of the United States to make a payment under the contract for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2025 is subject to the availability of appropriations or funds for that purpose for such later fiscal year.

(c) Authority for advance procurement.—The Secretary of the Navy may enter into one or more contracts, beginning in fiscal year 2025, for advance procurement associated with the aircraft and engines for which authorization to enter into a multiyear procurement contract is provided under subsection (a), which may include procurement of economic order quantities of material and equipment for such aircraft or engines when cost savings are achievable.

(a) In general.—The Secretary of the Navy shall ensure that all covered F–18 aircraft are—

(1) provided only to the Navy Reserve; and

(2) used only to recapitalize and maintain, within the Navy Reserve—

(A) a deployable tactical strike-fighter capability; and

(B) a threat representative adversary support capability that may be used in support of training activities of the Department of Defense.

(b) Covered F–18 aircraft defined.—In this section, the term “covered F–18 aircraft” means any F/A–18E/F Super Hornet aircraft procured using funds appropriated for the Navy for fiscal year 2022 or fiscal year 2023.

(a) Designation required.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall designate an appropriate official within the Department of the Navy to have primary responsibility for the development and acquisition of dual-modality, advanced autonomous vehicles, consistent with warfighter requirements.

(b) Program element.—The Secretary of the Navy shall ensure, within budget program elements for the Navy, that there is a dedicated program element for the development and acquisition of dual-modality, advanced autonomous vehicles.

None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2025 for the Navy may be obligated or expended to procure a Medium Landing Ship until the date on which the Secretary of the Navy submits to the congressional defense committees—

(1) a certification from the Secretary confirming that not more than 35 percent of the design requirements for the Medium Landing Ship are based on military specifications (as determined based on the capabilities development document for the ship); and

(2) a report that includes a comparison of the difference in construction costs and delivery timelines, on a per vessel basis, between—

(A) constructing the Medium Landing Ship using military specifications; and

(B) constructing such ship using commercial standards and commercial design elements.

(a) Limitation.—The Secretary of the Navy may not carry out covered upgrades to AH–1Z Viper and UH–1Y Venom helicopters at a location other than a facility owned by the original equipment manufacturer for such helicopters until the date on which the Secretary certifies to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives that the plan for carrying out covered upgrades at location other than a facility owned by the original equipment manufacturer is expected—

(1) to result in greater performance, survivability, lethality, interoperability, mission execution, and overall safety of the helicopter platform than would otherwise be achievable by completing such upgrades at a facility owned by the original equipment manufacturer for the model of helicopter involved;

(2) to provide improved onboard electrical power capacity and ensure adequate power margin for integrating future capabilities;

(3) to improve and expand future weapons interfaces; and

(4) to allow for improved ease of maintenance.

(b) Covered upgrades.—In this section, the term “covered upgrades” means any structural improvements or electrical power upgrades for AH–1Z viper or UH–1Y venom helicopters.

(a) Findings.—Congress finds the following:

(1) The aircraft carriers of the Navy are a cornerstone of the Nation’s ability to project its power and strength.

(2) Construction of Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers represents a national effort which requires predictable and stable build schedules and alignment of purpose between the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, and the aircraft carrier industrial base.

(3) The aircraft carrier industrial base includes more than 2,000 companies in 44 states that contribute to the construction and maintenance of these complex and technologically advanced ships.

(4) The benefits of stable, executable aircraft carrier procurement plans extend throughout the aircraft carrier industrial base, promoting the development and retention of highly-skilled workforces and capital investments in world-class manufacturing and shipbuilding facilities throughout the Nation.

(5) Aircraft carrier procurement plans accompanying the President’s budget request for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 forecast procurement of CVN–82 in fiscal year 2028, however, the fiscal year 2025 plan defers procurement until fiscal year 2030, creating a significant and destabilizing production gap for the aircraft carrier industrial base.

(b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy should implement aircraft carrier acquisition strategies that maximize benefits to operational commanders while simultaneously protecting the interests of the taxpayer and supporting the national nuclear shipbuilding industrial base;

(2) the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy should review and revise the acquisition strategy, including a two-ship buy of CVN–82 and CVN–83, for Ford-class aircraft carriers in the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 to ensure it is consistent with accepted shipbuilding industrial base analyses, prior Department recommendations, reports to Congress, congressional resolutions, section 8062 of title 10, United States Code, and national security interests; and

(3) the Secretary of Defense should request procurement of the CVN–82 carrier not later than fiscal year 2028.

(a) Minimum inventory requirement.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 9062(j) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking “466” each place it appears and inserting “474”.

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on October 1, 2024.

(b) Prohibition on reduction of KC–135 aircraft in PMAI of the reserve components.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2025 for the Air Force may be obligated or expended to reduce the number of KC–135 aircraft designated as primary mission aircraft inventory within the reserve components of the Air Force.

(2) PRIMARY MISSION AIRCRAFT INVENTORY DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term “primary mission aircraft inventory” has the meaning given that term in section 9062(i)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code.

(a) Fighter aircraft minimum inventory requirement.—Subsection (i)(1) of section 9062 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking “1,145 fighter aircraft” and inserting “1,106 fighter aircraft”.

(b) A-10 aircraft minimum inventory requirement.—Section 134(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2038) is amended by striking “135 A–10 aircraft” and inserting “96 A–10 aircraft”.

(a) Extension of minimum inventory requirement.—Section 146(a)(3)(B) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 2455), as amended by section 134(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31), is amended by striking “2024” and inserting “2025”.

(b) Extension of prohibition on reduction of C-130 aircraft assigned to National Guard.—Section 146(b)(1) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 2455), as amended by section 134(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31), is amended by striking “During fiscal years 2023 and 2024” and inserting “During the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2025”.

(a) Limitation on retirement of F–15E aircraft.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Air Force may not retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage or on backup aircraft inventory status any F–15E aircraft until a period of 180 days has elapsed following the date on which the Secretary of Defense provides to the congressional defense committees the reports and briefing required under subsection (b)(3).

(2) EXCEPTION.—The prohibition under paragraph (1) of shall not apply to individual F–15E aircraft that the Secretary of the Air Force determines, on a case by case basis, to be no longer mission capable and uneconomical to repair because of aircraft accidents, mishaps, or excessive material degradation and non-airworthiness status of certain aircraft.

(3) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Section 9062 of title 10, United States Code, as most recently amended by sections 131 and 132 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31), is amended—

(A) by striking subsection (l); and

(B) by redesignating subsection (m) as subsection (l).

(b) Fighter aircraft capabilities and requirements study.—

(1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall seek to enter into a contract or other agreement with a federally funded research and development center pursuant to which the center shall carry out—

(A) an analysis of the fighter aircraft procurement, fielding, and divestment plan of the Department of the Air Force, as submitted to Congress in accordance with section 148 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 178); and

(B) a fighter aircraft capability and requirements study that estimates the number of fighter aircraft needed by the Air Force to meet the requirements of combatant commanders.

(2) REPORT TO SECRETARY.—The federally funded research and development center that carries out the study and analysis under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report on the results of such study and analysis.

(3) REPORTS AND BRIEFING TO CONGRESS.—Not later than December 31, 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall—

(A) submit to the congressional defense committees an unaltered copy of the report received by the Secretary under paragraph (2);

(B) submit to such committees a separate report on the views of the Secretary with respect to the results of the study and analysis carried out under paragraph (1), which shall include—

(i) a detailed explanation of the strategy and methodology used to conduct the study and analysis, including any force sizing and shaping constructs, scenarios, and assumptions used as part of such study and analysis; and

(ii) assessed operational risk based on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff risk management classifications set forth the most recent version of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Manual 3105.01A, titled “Joint Risk Analysis Methodology”; and

(C) provide a briefing to the committees on such results.

(c) Definitions.—In this section, the term “fighter aircraft” means—

(1) F–15, F–16, F–22, and F–35 aircraft; and

(2) the Next Generation Air Dominance piloted combat aircraft.

Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2025 for the Secretary of the Air Force for official travel, not more than 75 percent may be obligated or expended until the date on which the Secretary of the Air Force submits to the congressional defense committees the report required under section 148(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31).

(a) In general.—The Secretary of the Air Force shall replace each covered reserve tanker aircraft with an aircraft that has capabilities equivalent to or exceeding the capabilities of the aircraft being replaced.

(b) Waiver.—The Secretary of the Air Force may waive the requirement to replace an air refueling tanker aircraft under subsection (a), on a case by case basis, if the Secretary determines that such replacement would degrade the readiness of the air refueling capability of the Air Force.

(c) Sunset.—This section shall terminate on October 1, 2025.

(d) Covered reserve tanker aircraft defined.—The term “covered reserve tanker aircraft” means an air refueling tanker aircraft of the reserve components of the Air Force.

(a) In general.—The Secretary of the Air Force shall transfer to the Air Force Sustainment Center supply chain management, item management, and delegated engineering authorities for landing gear systems of F–15EX, F–22, F–35, and T–7A aircraft.

(b) Implementation plan.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall develop and initiate an implementation plan for the transfers required under subsection (a).

(c) Report.—Not later than 30 days after completing the development of the implementation plan required under subsection (b), the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report that includes a description of—

(1) the planned milestones for execution of the implementation plan;

(2) any data, staff, and funding needed to effectively carry out such plan; and

(3) the progress of the Secretary in meeting such milestones as of the date of the report.

(a) Notice required.—Not later than 30 days after becoming aware of an expected delay in the delivery date of an MH–139 aircraft, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives written notice of such delay together with an explanation of the reasons for such delay.

(b) Delivery date defined.—In this section, the term “delivery date”, when used with respect to an MH–139 aircraft, means the date on which such aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Air Force under the most recent schedule for such delivery in effect as of the date of the enactment of this Act.

(a) In general.—The Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Director of the Air National Guard, shall develop and implement a plan to fully fund the establishment and maintenance of F–16 simulators at training centers of the Air National Guard as described in subsection (b).

(b) Elements.—The plan under subsection (a) shall include—

(1) an estimate of the costs of maintaining F–16 simulators at Air National Guard training centers that have such simulators as of the date of the plan;

(2) an estimate of the costs of establishing F–16 simulators at all Air National Guard training centers that are required to, but do not, have such simulators as of the date of the plan, including training centers for Air National Guard units converting from the A–10 aircraft to the F–16 aircraft; and

(3) a plan for allocating funding to pay the costs described in paragraphs (1) and (2), including the proportion of such funding expected to be provided by the Air Force and the Air National Guard, respectively.

(c) Report.—Not later than March 1, 2025, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes—

(1) the plan developed under subsection (a); and

(2) an assessment from the Secretary and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau evaluating how the readiness of Air National Guard Units requiring F–16 simulators may be affected if such simulators are not established and maintained at mission training centers as required under the plan.

(d) Deadline for implementation.—Not later than June 1, 2025, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Director of the Air National Guard shall commence implementation of the plan developed under subsection (a).

(a) Increase.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized to be appropriated in section 101 for aircraft procurement, Air Force, as specified in the corresponding funding table in section 4101, for other aircraft, C-130, line 049, is hereby increased by $20,000,000 (with the amount of such increase to be used for the modular airborne firefighting system).

(b) Offset.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized to be appropriated in section 201 for research, development, test and evaluation, Air Force, as specified in the corresponding funding table in section 4201, for system development and demonstration, VC–25B, line 114, is hereby reduced by $20,000,000.

Section 9062 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 154(a)(3) of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(m) The Secretary of the Air Force shall continuously operate not fewer than three air logistics complexes. For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘air logistics complex’ means an air logistics complex operated by the Air Force as of January 1, 2024.”.

Section 161 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 10 U.S.C. 3453 note) is amended—

(1) in the section heading, by striking “used”;

(2) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting “new,” before “used”; and

(3) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting “, or from a certified production approval holder pursuant to part 21 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations” before the period at the end.

(a) Establishment of policy.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency shall develop and implement a policy that establishes factors for determining the qualifications of fixed-based operators bidding on contracts to provide into-plane fuel deliveries for heavy-lift aircraft at airports with weight-bearing capacity to serve such aircraft.

(b) Factors.—With respect to the policy required under subsection (a), the factors for determining whether a fixed-based operator is qualified to provide into-plane fuel deliveries for heavy-lift aircraft may include the following:

(1) The fixed-base operator is able to maintain a minimum onsite fuel storage capacity equal to twice the preceding year’s peak day of fuel demand at the airport, at least half of which is comprised of fixed tanks.

(2) Evidence that the fixed-base operator’s total number of employees is sufficient to service military customers 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year.

(3) The fixed-based operator is capable of performing a full range of cargo on-load, off-load, and handling operations, including for dangerous goods and cargo, for military aircraft of all sizes.

(4) The fixed-base operator possesses an onsite, certified maintenance and repair station.

(5) The fixed-based operator has an operational history of providing services to heavy-lift aircraft at the airport involved for at least three years preceding the operator’s bid to perform into-plane fuel deliveries.

(6) Any other factors the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency determines appropriate.

(c) Heavy-lift aircraft defined.—In this section, the term “heavy-lift aircraft” means aircraft larger than 107,000-pound maximum gross takeoff weight.

(d) Consultation.—The Director of the Defense Logistics Agency shall consult with relevant heavy-lift aircraft mission planners in developing and implementing the policy required under this section.

(a) Prohibition on agency operation or procurement.—The Secretary of Defense shall not operate or enter into or renew a contract for the procurement of—

(1) a covered light detection and ranging technology (referred to in this section as “LiDAR technology”) that—

(A) is manufactured in a covered foreign country or by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country;

(B) uses operating software developed in a covered foreign country or by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country; or

(C) uses network connectivity or data storage located in or administered by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country; or

(2) a system or systems that incorporates, interfaces with, or otherwise uses LiDAR technology as described in paragraph (1).

(b) Exemption.—The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not apply if the operation, procurement, or contracting action is for the purposes of intelligence, electronic warfare, and information warfare operations, testing, analysis, and training.

(c) Waiver.—The Secretary of Defense may waive the prohibition under subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis if the Secretary certifies, in writing, to the congressional defense committees that the operation, procurement, or contracting action is required in the national interest of the United States.

(d) Effective date.—The prohibition under section (a) shall take effect on June 30, 2026.

(e) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “covered foreign country” means any of the following:

(A) The People’s Republic of China.

(B) The Islamic Republic of Iran.

(C) The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.

(D) The Russian Federation.

(2) The term “covered LiDAR company” means any of the following:

(A) Hesai Technology (or any subsidiary or affiliate of Hesai Technology).

(B) Any entity that produces or provides LiDAR and that is included on—

(i) the Consolidated Screening List maintained by the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce; or

(ii) the civil-military fusion list maintained under section 1260h of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 10 U.S.C. 113 note).

(C) Any entity that produces or provides LiDAR and that—

(i) is domiciled in a covered foreign country; or

(ii) is subject to unmitigated foreign ownership, control or influence by a covered foreign country, as determined by the Secretary of Defense in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program or any successor to such program.

(3) The term “covered LiDAR technology” means LiDAR technology and any related services and equipment manufactured by a covered LiDAR company.

(4) The terms “light detection and ranging” and “LiDAR” mean a sensor that emits light, often in the form of a pulsed or modulated laser, and scans or flashes the environment to detect and measure the range of its surroundings.

(a) Limitation.—The Secretary of Defense may not accept or take delivery of covered F–35 aircraft in excess of the maximum quantities specified in subsection (c) until the date on which the Secretary certifies to the congressional defense committees that the Secretary is in compliance with each of the following requirements:

(1) The Secretary has developed and will implement an acquisition strategy, with appropriate actions and milestones, to develop and field F–35 aircraft and mission systems digital-twin models across the F–35 enterprise.

(2) The Secretary has developed and will implement an acquisition strategy, with appropriate actions and milestones, to procure at least one new cooperative avionics flying test bed aircraft for the F–35 enterprise.

(3) The Secretary has developed and will implement an acquisition strategy, with appropriate actions and milestones, to procure and construct a new F–35 mission software integration laboratory to enable concurrent testing of TR–2 and TR–3 mission system hardware, software, and any existing or new F–35 capabilities.

(4) The Secretary has developed and will implement a plan of corrective actions and milestones to resolve all deficiencies and recommendations identified in the 2024 F–35 Initial Operational Testing and Evaluation report submitted to Congress by the Director of Operational Testing and Evaluation.

(5) The Secretary has developed and will implement a plan of corrective actions and milestones to minimize F–35 new aircraft production interruptions and resolve all programmatic deficiencies with F–35 APG–85 radar hardware and software related to the development, testing, acceptance, certification, production, and fielding of the radar as identified by the Director of the F–35 Joint Program Office.

(6) The Secretary has developed and will implement a plan of corrective actions and milestones to resolve all deficiencies and recommendations identified in the report of the F–35 software Independent Review Team commissioned by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Director of the F–35 Joint Program Office.

(7) The Secretary has developed and will implement a corrective action plan with appropriate actions, milestones, necessary technical data and other resources, and metrics for measuring improvements, to address long-standing sustainment challenges and improve fleetwide mission capable and full mission capable rates for F–35 aircraft. At a minimum, such plan shall provide for—

(A) completing the set-up of military service depots and attaining the required production capacity;

(B) addressing and mitigating corrosion, particularly in the F–35B and F–35C variants, including the necessary parts, equipment, technical data, and any necessary adjustments to squadron staffing to effectively conduct corrosion inspections and work;

(C) improving the visibility and availability of assets and parts that detract from mission capable rates; and

(D) developing mechanisms to surge supply support for the air vehicle and engine and ensure continuity of F–35 logistics and operations in contested environments.

(8) The Secretary has submitted all acquisition strategies and corrective action plans described in paragraphs (1) through (7) to the congressional defense committees as required under subsection (b).

(9) The Secretary has met the requirements of subsections (b)(5) and (c) of section 226 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 196).

(b) Submittal of plans and strategies to Congress.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees all acquisition strategies and corrective action plans described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (a).

(2) ELEMENTS.—Each strategy and plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A) an estimate of the total amount of funds required to complete implementation of the strategy or plan;

(B) realistic, event-driven schedules to achieve the objectives of the strategy or plan; and

(C) a schedule risk assessment to a minimum of 80 percent confidence level.

(3) FORM.—Each strategy and plan described in paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.

(c) Maximum quantities.— The maximum quantities of covered F–35 aircraft specified in this subsection are the following:

(1) Thirty F–35A aircraft.

(2) Nine F–35B aircraft.

(3) Nine F–35C aircraft.

(d) Annual reports.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than April 1, 2025, and on an annual basis thereafter for the following five years, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes a comprehensive update on all corrective action plans and acquisition strategies that—

(A) were developed pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (a); and

(B) are being implemented by the Secretary as of the date of the report.

(2) FORM.—Each report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.

(e) Covered F–35 aircraft defined.—In this section, the term “covered F–35” aircraft means new production F–35 aircraft—

(1) that are authorized to be procured using funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2025 for the Department of Defense; and

(2) the procurement of which is fully funded by the United States.

(a) Assessment of air-to-air missile inventory.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Navy, in coordination with the commanders of the combatant commands, shall jointly conduct an assessment of the sufficiency of established inventory requirements for air-to-air missiles within the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretaries.

(2) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the assessment required under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall evaluate—

(A) for each year through the end of 2029—

(i) the numbers and types of air-to-air missiles expected to be delivered to the Department of the Air Force and the Department of the Navy in such year; and

(ii) the total inventory of air-to-air missiles expected to be available for use in such year, considered separately for each type of missile;

(B) the inventory levels of air-to-air missiles needed to support the operational plans of the United States Central Command, the United States Indo-Pacific Command, the United States Northern Command, and the United States European Command, assessed separately for each command at low, medium, and high risk levels;

(C) emerging requirements for surface-to-air defense and collaborative combat aircraft capabilities, and how such emerging requirements are expected to impact inventory requirements for air-to-air missiles;

(D) whether the numbers and types of missiles expected to be delivered through 2029, as determined under subparagraph (A), are sufficient to meet all testing, training, and operational requirements of the military departments and combatant commands;

(E) whether extending the AIM–120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile program of record through 2029 would enhance available inventories of air-to-air missiles during such period; and

(F) recommendations to adjust the planned missile mix, to include development and fielding of an AIM–120D Extended Range missile and procurement quantities to support combined combatant command requirements at a medium-level of operational risk.

(b) Assessment of AIM–120D extended range missile.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—In conjunction with the assessment required under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Air Force shall conduct a cost-benefit and technical risk assessment of developing and procuring an extended range AIM–120D missile.

(2) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the assessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Air Force shall—

(A) assess the costs, benefits, and technical risks presented by the potential development and procurement of an extended range AIM–120D missile as described in paragraph (1);

(B) evaluate how new propellants, binding agents, and other enhancements may increase the capabilities of such a missile;

(C) consider how the procurement of such a missile could hedge against current or future air-to-air missile inventory, capacity, capability or shortfall risks; and

(D) develop a budget profile and schedule that would support expedited fielding of such a missile.

(c) Report.—Following the completion of the assessments required under subsections (a) and (b), but not later than April 1, 2025—

(1) the Secretary of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Navy shall jointly submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the assessment conducted under subsection (a), which shall include a summary of the results of the assessment with respect to each element specified in subsection (a)(2); and

(2) the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the assessment conducted under subsection (b), which shall include a copy of the budget profile and schedule required under subsection (b)(2)(D).

Section 152 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 180; 50 U.S.C. 98e-2) is amended—

(1) in the heading, by inserting “strategic and” after “domestically processed”;

(2) in subsection (a), by striking “the procurement of” and all that follows and inserting the following: “the procurement of strategic and critical materials that are mined, processed, or produced in the United States.”;

(3) in subsection (c), by striking “the domestically processed critical minerals” and inserting “the strategic and critical materials”;

(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f);

(5) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection:

“(e) Priority.—In carrying out the activities described in this section, the Secretary may give priority to the procurement of strategic and critical materials that are derived from recycled and reused minerals and metals to the maximum extent practicable, and from terrestrial mines that do not cause harm to the natural or cultural resources of Tribal communities or sovereign nations or result in degraded ground or surface water.”; and

(6) in subsection (f), as so redesignated—

(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

“(1) The term ‘strategic and critical material’ means a material determined to be a strategic or critical material under section 3(a) of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98b(a)).”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(4) The term ‘produced’ means formed, assembled, manufactured, or systems integrated.”.

(a) In general.—It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) researching, producing, and procuring defense articles for the AUKUS partnership from within the United States boosts local economies and improves national security by enhancing domestic defense article production capabilities; and

(2) therefore, the Secretary of Defense should promote and prioritize domestic manufacturing, supply chains, and research for defense articles intended for use by members of the AUKUS partnership.

(b) AUKUS partnership defined.—In this section, the term “AUKUS partnership” means the enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced in September 2021.

(a) Study.—The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall conduct a study to identify sources of secure parts for unmanned aircraft systems. For purposes of the study, a part shall be considered secure if it—

(1) is not produced or sold by a Chinese military company (as defined in section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 10 U.S.C. 113 note));

(2) will not be used for a sensitive platform, such as the F–35 aircraft;

(3) does not connect to wireless or other data networks; and

(4) meets such other criteria as may be established by the Under Secretary.

(b) Report.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).

Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2025 for the use of the Department of Defense for research, development, test, and evaluation, as specified in the funding table in section 4201.

(a) Increase.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized to be appropriated in section 201 for research, development, test, and evaluation, Defense-wide, as specified in the corresponding funding table in section 4201, for basic research, National Defense Education Program, line 6, is hereby increased by $5,000,000.

(b) Offset.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized to be appropriated in section 4301 for Operation and Maintenance, Defense-wide, for Washington Headquarters Services, line 480, as specified in the corresponding funding table in section 4301, is hereby reduced by $5,000,000.

Section 148 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and

(2) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following new subsections:

“(d) Budgeting and funding requirements.—

“(1) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Office is budgeted for and funded in a manner sufficient to ensure the Office has the staff and other resources necessary to effectively carry out the responsibilities specified in subsection (c).

“(2) In the budget justification materials submitted to Congress in support of the Department of Defense budget for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31), the Secretary of Defense shall include a dedicated budget line item for the implementation of subsection (a) and for the testing and evaluation of energetic materials and technologies by the Office.

“(e) Standards and best practices curriculum.—

“(1) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, shall include, within the program management and engineering curriculum of the Defense Acquisition University, instruction in standards and best practices for the development of energetic materials and ensuring the safety of explosives.

“(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Under Secretaries shall consult with—

“(A) the President of the Defense Acquisition University; and

“(B) individuals and organizations in academia and industry with relevant expertise in the field of energetics.”.

The second section 222e of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “the Secretary of Defense shall” and inserting “the Secretary of Defense, after coordinating with the Secretaries of the military departments, shall”; and

(2) in subsection (e)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” at the end;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) in the case of military construction project, has reached a stage of planning and design that is sufficient to support a reliable cost estimate.”.

Section 2194(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (6), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(a) In general.—Chapter 303 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(b) Conforming amendments.—Section 4124 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (f); and

(2) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively.

Section 4092 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking “5 scientific and engineering positions in the Office” and inserting “20 scientific and engineering positions in the Office, of which not more than 5 such positions may be positions of administration or management of the Office”;

(ii) in subparagraph (E) by striking “5 scientific and engineering positions in the Unit” and inserting “35 scientific and engineering positions in the Unit, of which not more than 5 such positions may be positions of administration or management of the Unit”’’; and

(iii) in subparagraph (H), by striking “15” and inserting “25”;

(iv) in subparagraph (I), by striking “and” at the end;

(v) in subparagraph (J), by adding “and” at the end; and

(vi) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(K) in the case of the Office of Strategic Capital, appoint and rescind appointments of individuals to a total of not more than 30 positions in the Office;”; and

(B) in paragraph (2), by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:

“(A) in the case of employees appointed pursuant to subparagraphs (B), (D), (E), (H), and (K) of paragraph (1), at a rate to be determined by the head of the organization concerned up to the amount of annual compensation specified in section 102 of title 3;”.

Section 223(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 10 U.S.C. 4841 note) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (5), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(7) develop a rapidly deployable additive manufacturing system that is capable of fabricating replacement safety-critical parts for military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in environments where access to traditionally manufactured replacement parts is severely restricted.”.

Section 225(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 195) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “designate two F–35A aircraft, two F–35B aircraft, and two F–35C aircraft” and inserting “designate a total of not fewer than nine F–35A, F–35B, or F–35C aircraft”; and

(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking “Lot 19” and inserting “Lot 18”.

Section 219 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 132 Stat. 1680) is amended by striking “shall” and all that follows and inserting “shall modify the compartments and infrastructure of the aircraft carrier designated CVN–73 to support the fielding of the MQ–25 unmanned aerial vehicle before the planned deployment date of such vehicle.”.

(a) Establishment.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, shall establish a working group to be known as the “Agility Prime Transition Working Group” (referred to in this section as the “Working Group”).

(b) Duties.—The duties of the Working Group shall include the following:

(1) To develop and implement a strategy to transition capabilities developed under the Agility Prime program of the Air Force to program executive offices of the covered Armed Forces, as appropriate.

(2) To provide a forum for members of the Working Group to coordinate activities relating to hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing capabilities developed under the Agility Prime program, including—

(A) research, development, testing, and evaluation activities;

(B) demonstration activities; and

(C) activities to transition such capabilities from the research and development phase into operational use within the covered Armed Forces, as appropriate.

(3) To identify programs, projects, activities, and requirements of the covered Armed Forces that may be supported by technologies and capabilities developed under the Agility Prime program, including hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, advanced air mobility platforms, autonomous flight capabilities, test and evaluation software, and related technologies.

(4) To identify requirements of the combatant commands and the covered Armed Forces relating to distributed and contested logistics, mobility and sustainment, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, strike, and other operational use cases that align with previous, ongoing, or planned efforts under the Agility Prime program.

(5) To assess whether previous, ongoing, or planned efforts under the Agility Prime program and other vertical take off and landing aircraft capability development efforts align with other current, planned, or future acquisition programs of the covered Armed Forces.

(6) Identify any changes to doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, facilities, and policy (commonly known as “DOTMLPF–P”) required to successfully integrate hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft platforms into future force design.

(7) To assess how the authorities and resources of the Department of Defense may be used to support the advanced air mobility and hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft industries, including support in the form of loans, loan guarantees, private investment matching programs, and other financial mechanisms.

(8) To assist the Secretary of the Air Force in preparing the briefing and reports required under subsection (g).

(c) Membership.—The Working Group shall be composed of the following members or their designees:

(1) The Secretary of the Air Force.

(2) Each Secretary of a military department.

(3) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(4) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

(5) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

(6) The Director of the Defense Innovation Unit.

(7) The Director of the Office of Strategic Capital.

(8) A representative from the United States Special Operations Command.

(9) A representative from the United States Transportation Command.

(10) Representatives of such other organizations and elements of the Department of Defense as the Chairperson of the Working Group determines appropriate.

(d) Chairperson.—The Secretary of the Air Force, or the designee of the Secretary, shall serve as the Chairperson of the Working Group.

(e) Meetings.—The Working Group shall meet not less frequently than twice each year at the call of the Chairperson.

(f) Termination.—The working group shall terminate on September 30, 2027.

(g) Briefings and reports.—

(1) INITIAL BRIEFING.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the status of the Working Group, which shall include information on the organization, activities, plans, actions, and milestones of the Working Group as of the date of the briefing.

(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than September 30, 2025, and not later than September 30 of each year thereafter through 2027, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the efforts of the Working Group. Each report shall include, with respect to the year covered by the report, information on—

(A) any funding under the categories of research, development, test, and evaluation, procurement, or operation and maintenance that is expected to be used for further development or procurement of hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing capabilities in the fiscal year of the report and the in the following fiscal year;

(B) any planned transitions of hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing technologies to—

(i) acqusition programs of the covered Armed Forces; or

(ii) research, development, test, and evaluation programs of the covered Armed Forces.

(C) any actions taken by the Working Group;

(D) any milestones achieved by the Working Group; and

(E) such other matters as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(h) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “Agility Prime program” means the program of the Air Force under which the Air Force is developing hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing capabilities in collaboration with partners in commercial industry and other sectors.

(2) The term “covered Armed Forces” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.

(a) Strategic plan.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategic plan to guide the research, development, test, and evaluation, procurement, and implementation of quantum information science (referred to in this section as “QIS”) technologies within the Department of Defense, including the covered Armed Forces, over the period of five years following the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) ELEMENTS.—The plan required under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) Identification of—

(i) QIS technologies that have the potential to solve operational challenges faced by the Department of Defense; and

(ii) the technology readiness levels of those QIS technologies.

(B) Plans to transition technologies identified under subparagraph (A) from the research, development, and prototyping phases into operational use within the Department.

(C) Plans for allocating the resources of the Department to ensure such resources are focused on QIS technologies with the potential to solve operational challenges as identified under subparagraph (A).

(D) Plans for the continuous evaluation, development, and implementation of QIS technology solutions within the Department.

(E) Plans for the development, review, performance evaluation, and adoption of a fault-tolerant, utility-scale quantum computer and the transition of that capability to appropriate organizations and elements of the Department of Defense and such other departments and agencies of the Federal Government as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(3) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes—

(A) the strategic plan developed under paragraph (1); and

(B) an assessment of whether the budgets proposed for QIS-related activities of the Department of Defense and each of the covered Armed Forces appropriately balance the use of research, development, test, and evaluation funds designated as budget activity 1 (basic research), budget activity 2 (applied research), and budget activity 3 (advanced technology development) (as those budget activity classifications are set forth in volume 2B, chapter 5 of the Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation (DOD 7000.14–R)) to achieve the objectives of the strategic plan over near-, mid-, and long-term timeframes.

(b) Quantum Computing Center of Excellence.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish a Quantum Computing Center of Excellence (referred to in this subsection as the “Center”) at a research laboratory of a covered Armed Force with requisite experience in quantum computing, integrated photonics and photon qubits, superconducting and hybrid systems, and trapped ions.

(2) ACTIVITIES.—The Center shall carry out the following activities:

(A) Accelerate the transition of advanced quantum and quantum hybrid computing technology from the research and development phase into operational use.

(B) Facilitate quantum computing workforce development.

(C) Conduct outreach to enhance government, industry, and academia’s understanding of—

(i) national security-related use cases for quantum computing and quantum hybrid technology; and

(ii) operational challenges faced by the Department of Defense that may be addressed using such technology.

(D) Conduct prototyping of quantum computing and quantum hybrid applications.

(E) Undertake efforts to advance the technology readiness levels of quantum computing technologies.

(F) Carry out such other activities relating to quantum computing as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(3) PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.—For purposes of carrying out the activities of the Center under this subsection, the research laboratory selected under paragraph (1) may partner with one or more of the following:

(A) Other research laboratories of the covered Armed Forces.

(B) The Defense Innovation Unit.

(C) Federally funded research and development centers.

(D) University affiliated research centers.

(E) Private sector entities with expertise in quantum computing.

(F) Such other organizations as the Secretary of Defense determines appropriate.

(4) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—Subject to availability of appropriations, Secretary of Defense may make grants and enter into contracts or other agreements, on a competitive basis, to support the activities of the Center.

(5) TERMINATION.—The Center shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “covered Armed Force” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force.

(2) The term “quantum computing” means computing algorithms and applications that use quantum mechanics through quantum processing units, including—

(A) quantum-classical hybrid applications which are applications that use both quantum computing and classical computing hardware systems;

(B) annealing and gate systems; and

(C) all qubit modalities (including superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral atom, and photonics).

(3) The term “quantum information science” means the use of the laws of quantum physics for the storage, transmission, manipulation, computing, or measurement of information.

(a) Authorization.—Using the authority provided under section 1599g of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Office of Strategic capital, may carry out a program under which the Director arranges for the temporary assignment of an employee of the Office to a qualifying private-sector organization.

(b) Objectives.—The objectives of the program under subsection (a) shall be—

(1) to enable the Office of Strategic Capital and other organizations and elements of the Department of Defense to rapidly acquire industry-specific context and technical competence across high priority technology and industrial focus areas through immersion in highly relevant emerging technology and business ecosystems across the United States; and

(2) to enhance, among personnel of the Department—

(A) understanding of, connectivity with, and access to knowledge about critical and emerging defense industrial base capabilities; and

(B) understanding of the strategic role that venture capital and private equity operations have in shaping future sustainment and modernization requirements for the defense industrial base.

(c) Matching and tracking capabilities.—In carrying out program under subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Strategic Capital shall—

(1) use an information technology system to optimize the identification, assessment, and placement of participants within the program, which shall include the use of such system to match private-sector organizations with employees of the Office participating in the program in a manner that aligns the priorities, needs, and expertise of such employees, organizations, and the Office; and

(2) establish a database or other capability that—

(A) enables the Office to identify and track current and former participants in the program;

(B) documents the nature of the experience such participants had while in the program; and

(C) is suitable for further development and expansion to other organizations of Department of Defense in the event the Secretary of Defense determines such expansion is appropriate.

(d) Qualifying private-sector organization defined.—In this section, the term “qualifying private-sector organization” means a private-sector organization within the defense industrial base that has functions and expertise relevant to the responsibilities of the Office of Strategic Capital, which may include organization such as a venture capital firm, private equity firm, emerging technology company, or other such organizations as determined appropriated by the Director.

(a) Pilot program.—The Director of the Defense Innovation Unit shall carry out a pilot program under which the Director—

(1) develops an alternative testing and evaluation pathway to accelerate the testing and evaluation of technologies that have the potential to provide warfighting capabilities to the Department of Defense in the near-term and mid-term timeframes; and

(2) establishes a cell of dedicated personnel within the Unit to manage and implement the alternative testing and evaluation pathway developed under paragraph (1).

(b) Activities.—In carrying out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit shall—

(1) conduct continuous and iterative test and evaluation of technologies that have the potential to provide warfighting capabilities to the Department of Defense in the near-term and mid-term timeframes, including—

(A) commercial dual use technologies;

(B) technologies that are not integrated into an established program of record;

(C) technologies that have not been fully fielded;

(D) software-based technologies; and

(E) such other technologies as the Director determines appropriate;

(2) use tools and technologies to emulate operationally relevant threat scenarios and conditions; and

(3) integrate the development of concepts of operations and concepts of employment with testing and evaluation activities conducted under the program to ensure early alignment between capability development and future concepts of operations and concepts of employment.

(c) Consultation.—The Director of the Defense Innovation Unit shall carry out the pilot program under subsection (a), in consultation with—

(1) service-level innovation organizations;

(2) research laboratories of the Armed Forces;

(3) the combatant commands;

(4) the Joint Staff;

(5) the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment;

(6) the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering;

(7) the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation;

(8) the Director of the Test Resource Management Center;

(9) industry partners; and

(10) Federal, State, local, and international partners with test and evaluation infrastructure.

(d) Annual briefings.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on an annual basis thereafter through the termination date specified in subsection (e), the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the status of the pilot program under subsection (a).

(e) Termination.—The pilot program under subsection (a) shall terminate on December 31, 2028.

(a) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting through the head of the Defense Technology Security Administration and in coordination with the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit, shall—

(1) fully disassemble a drone aircraft made by the Chinese technology company Da Jiang Innovations (DJI); and

(2) determine the origin of each component of such drone aircraft.

(b) Report.—After completing the actions required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that includes—

(1) a list of each component found in the drone, including the origin of the component and manufacturer information;

(2) a description of any security vulnerabilities that were identified in the course of disassembling the drone.

(c) Form.—The report required under subsection (b) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

(a) In general.—The Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, acting through a partnership intermediary, shall establish a program—

(1) to carry out limited objective experiments in operationally relevant environments;

(2) to develop persistent instrumentation and infrastructure for field experimentation and other innovation activities supporting the Air Force and joint service multi-domain mission set; and

(3) to identify capabilities for the Air Force multi-domain operations enterprise that have the potential to generate life-cycle cost savings and provide data-driven approaches to resource allocation.

(b) Partnership intermediary defined.—In this section, term “partnership intermediary” has the meaning given that term in section 23(c) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3715(c)).

(a) In general.—None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for any fiscal year for the Department of Defense may be provided to a covered institution of higher education that fails to comply with the prohibition under subsection (b).

(b) Prohibition.—Beginning on January 1, 2026, a covered institution of higher education may not enter into a contract with a covered nation or a foreign entity of concern.

(c) Waivers.—

(1) SUBMISSION.—

(A) FIRST WAIVER REQUESTS.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—A covered institution of higher education that desires to enter into a contract with a foreign entity of concern or a covered nation may submit to the Secretary of Defense, not later than 120 days before the institution enters into such a contract, a request to waive the prohibition under subsection (b) with respect to such contract.

(ii) CONTENTS OF WAIVER REQUEST.—A waiver request submitted by a covered institution of higher education under clause (i) shall include—

(I) the complete and unredacted text of the proposed contract for which the waiver is being requested, and if such original contract is not in English, a translated copy of the text into English (in a manner that complies with subsection (f)); and

(II) a statement that—

(aa) is signed by the President or compliance officer of the institution designated in accordance with subsection (g); and

(bb) includes information that demonstrates that such contract is for the benefit of the institution’s mission and students and will promote the security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States.

(B) RENEWAL WAIVER REQUESTS.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—A covered institution of higher education that has entered into a contract pursuant to a waiver issued under this section, the term of which is longer than the 1-year waiver period and the terms and conditions of which remain the same as the proposed contract submitted as part of the request for such waiver, may submit, not later than 120 days before the expiration of such waiver period, a request for a renewal of such waiver for an additional 1-year period (which shall include any information requested by the Secretary).

(ii) TERMINATION.—If a covered institution of higher education fails to submit a request under clause (i) or is not granted a renewal under such clause, such institution shall terminate such contract on the last day of the original 1-year waiver period.

(2) WAIVER ISSUANCE.—The Secretary of Defense—

(A) not later than 60 days before a covered institution of higher education enters into a contract pursuant to a waiver request under paragraph (1)(A), or before a contract described in paragraph (1)(B)(i) is renewed pursuant to a renewal request under such paragraph, shall notify the institution—

(i) if the waiver or renewal will be issued by the Secretary; and

(ii) in a case in which the waiver or renewal will be issued, the date on which the 1-year waiver period starts; and

(B) may only issue a waiver under this section to an institution if the Secretary of Defense determines, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, that the contract for which the waiver is being requested is for the benefit of the institution’s mission and students and will promote the security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States.

(3) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 weeks prior to issuing a waiver under paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives written notice of the intent of the Secretary to issue such waiver together with a justification for such waiver.

(4) APPLICATION OF WAIVERS.—A waiver issued under this section to a covered institution of higher education with respect to a contract shall only—

(A) waive the prohibition under subsection (b) for a 1-year period; and

(B) apply to the terms and conditions of the proposed contract submitted as part of the request for such waiver.

(d) Contracts prior to date of enactment.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a covered institution of higher education that entered into contract with a covered nation or foreign entity of concern prior to January 1, 2026, and which contract remains in effect on such date—

(A) the institution shall, not later than 120 days before such date, submit to the Secretary a waiver request in accordance with subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii); and

(B) the Secretary shall, upon receipt of the request submitted under subparagraph (A), immediately issue a waiver to the institution for a period beginning on the date on which the waiver is issued and ending on the sooner of—

(i) January 1, 2027; or

(ii) the date on which the contract terminates.

(2) RENEWAL.—A covered institution of higher education that has entered into a contract described in paragraph (1), the term of which is longer than the waiver period described in subparagraph (B) of such paragraph and the terms and conditions of which remain the same as the contract submitted as part of the request required under subparagraph (A) of such paragraph, may submit a request for renewal of the waiver issued under such paragraph in accordance with subsection (c)(1)(B).

(e) Designation during contract term.—In the case of a covered institution of higher education that enters into a contract with a foreign source that is not a covered nation or a foreign entity of concern but which, during the term of such contract, is designated as a covered nation or foreign entity of concern, such institution shall terminate such contract not later than 60 days after the Secretary notifies the institution of such designation.

(f) Translation requirement.—Any information required to be disclosed under this section with respect to a contract that is not in English shall be translated, for purposes of such disclosure, by a person that is not an affiliated entity or agent of the covered nation or foreign entity of concern involved with such contract.

(g) Compliance officer.—Each covered institution of higher education applying for a waiver under subsection (c) or (d), shall identify a compliance officer, who shall—

(1) be a current employee or legally authorized agent of such institution; and

(2) be responsible, on behalf of such institution, for personally certifying—

(A) compliance with the prohibition under this section; and

(B) the truth and accuracy of any information contained in such a waiver request.

(h) Public database.—Not later than 90 days after issuing a waiver under subsection (c) or (d), the Secretary of Defense shall publish a copy of the order granting the waiver and the contents of the waiver request on a publicly available website of the Department of Defense. Such information shall be made available on such website in the form of a searchable database that includes links to the text of all contracts to which the waiver pertains.

(i) Annual reports.—Not later than June 1, 2026, and on an annual basis thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that includes a description of—

(1) the terms and contents of any waivers issued under this section in the period covered by the report;

(2) any trends in—

(A) the number of waivers issued under this section over time; and

(B) the types of contracts to which such waivers pertain; and

(3) the processes used by the Secretary to verify that covered institutions of higher education are in compliance with the requirements of this section.

(j) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “contract” means—

(A) any agreement or memorandum of understanding for the acquisition, by purchase, lease, or barter, of property or services by or from a covered nation or foreign entity of concern; or

(B) any affiliation, agreement, or similar transaction with a covered nation or foreign entity of concern that involves the use or exchange of the name, likeness, time, services, or resources of a covered institution of higher education.

(2) The term “covered institution of higher education” means an institution of higher education that conducts research funded by the Department of Defense.

(3) The term “foreign entity of concern” has the meaning given that term in section 10612(a) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19221(a)) and includes a foreign entity that is identified on the list published under section 1286(c)(9)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 10 U.S.C. 4001 note).

(4) The term “covered nation” has the meaning given that term in section 4872(d) of title 10, United States Code.

(5) The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given that term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).

(a) Limitation.—Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for any fiscal year for the Department of Defense may be provided to an institution of higher education for any principal investigator who conducts fundamental research in collaboration directly or indirectly with a covered nation or foreign entity of concern.

(b) Waiver.—The Secretary of Defense may waive the limitation under subsection (a), on a case-by-case basis, with respect to a principal investigator at an institution of higher education, if the Secretary of Defense determines that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.

(c) Certifications of compliance.—

(1) FUNDING CERTIFICATION.—As a condition of receiving funds from the Department of Defense, an institution of higher education shall certify to the Secretary of Defense that the principal investigator of the project of the institution that is applying for funding from the Department of Defense—

(A) is not conducting fundamental research in collaboration with an entity described in subsection (a) as of the date of the certification; and

(B) will not conduct fundamental research in collaboration with such an entity during the period for which such funding is received.

(2) CONTRACT CERTIFICATION.—As a condition of maintaining a contract with the Department of Defense, an institution of higher education shall—

(A) using publicly available information, perform due diligence on any academic institution or laboratory the institution is collaborating with, or intends to collaborate with, under the contract; and

(B) certify to the Secretary of Defense that the principal investigator of the project of the institution to which the contract pertains—

(i) has not conducted fundamental research in collaboration with an entity described in subsection (a) at any time during the period in which such contract was in effect, up to and including the date of the certification; and

(ii) will not conduct fundamental research in collaboration with such an entity during any period in which such contract is in effect.

(3) FREQUENCY.—An institution of higher education shall—

(A) submit the certification under paragraph (1) on an annual basis during each year in which the institution receives funds from the Department of Defense; and

(B) submit the certification under paragraph (2) on an annual basis during each year in which a contract is in effect between the institution and the Department.

(d) Report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—On an annual basis, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the compliance of the Department of Defense and institutions of higher education with the requirements of this section. Each report shall include, for each waiver issued under subsection (b) in the period covered by the report—

(A) a justification for the waiver; and

(B) a detailed description of the type and extent of any collaboration between an institution of higher education and an entity described in subsection (a) allowed pursuant to the waiver, including identification of the institution and entities involved, the type of technology involved, the duration of the collaboration and terms and conditions on intellectual property assignment, as applicable, under the collaboration agreement.

(2) FORM; PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Each report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall be made available on a publicly accessible website of the Department of Defense.

(e) Effective date.—The limitation under subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the first fiscal year that begins after the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act and to any subsequent fiscal year.

(f) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “foreign entity of concern” has the meaning given that term in section 10612(a) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19221(a)) and includes a foreign entity that is identified on the list published under section 1286(c)(9)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 10 U.S.C. 4001 note).

(2) The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given that term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002) and includes—

(A) any department, program, project, faculty, researcher, or other individual, entity, or activity of such institution; and

(B) any branch of such institution within or outside the United States.

(3) The term “fundamental research” means basic and applied research in science and engineering, the results of which are expected to be published and shared broadly within the scientific community. Such term does not include research that is proprietary or classified and subject to access restrictions under other provisions of Federal law.

(4) The term “collaboration” means any level of coordinated activity between an institution of higher education and an entity described in subsection (a), whether direct or indirect, formal or informal, and includes—

(A) sharing of research facilities, resources, or data;

(B) transfer, sharing, or dissemination of technology, information, or any technical know-how;

(C) any financial or in-kind contribution intended to produce a research product;

(D) sponsorship or facilitation of research fellowships, visas, or residence permits;

(E) joint ventures, partnerships, or other formalized agreements for the purpose of conducting research or sharing resources, data, or technology;

(F) inclusion of researchers as consultants, advisors, or members of advisory or review boards; and

(G) such other activities as may be determined by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of State and Director of National Intelligence.

(5) The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

(6) The term “covered nation” has the meaning given that term in section 4872(d) of title 10, United States Code.

(a) Research and development projects.—Section 4001 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(e) Disclosure requirements.—Whenever issuing a statement, press release, request for proposals, bid solicitation, or other document describing a project or program that is funded in whole or in part with Federal funding, a person performing a research or development project under paragraph (1) or (5) of subsection (b) shall clearly state the following:

“(1) The percentage of the total costs of the program or project financed with Federal funding.

“(2) The dollar amount of Federal funds obligated for the project or program.

“(3) The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed from nongovernmental sources.”.

(b) Cooperative research and development agreements under Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980.—Section 4026 of such title is amended—

(1) by striking “The Secretary of Defense” and inserting the following:

“(a) Authority.—The Secretary of Defense”;

(2) in subsection (a), as designated by paragraph (1), in the second sentence, by striking “Technology may” and inserting the following:

“(b) Technology transfer.—Technology may”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(c) Disclosure requirements.—Whenever issuing a statement, press release, request for proposals, bid solicitation, or other document describing a project or program that is funded in whole or in part with Federal funding, a person performing a research or development project pursuant to a cooperative research and development agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall clearly state the following:

“(1) The percentage of the total costs of the program or project financed with Federal funding.

“(2) The dollar amount of Federal funds obligated for the project or program.

“(3) The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed from nongovernmental sources.”.

(c) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should direct the operating divisions of the Department of Defense to design and implement processes to manage and administer grantees’ compliance with the requirements added by this section, including determining to what extent to provide guidance to grantees on calculations.

Section 220 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 10 U.S.C. 2364 note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by inserting “Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, Defense Innovation Unit, and” before “Defense Technical Information Center”;

(2) in subsection (b), by inserting “in accordance with subsection (e)” before the period at the end;

(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

“(1) be coordinated across the Department of Defense enterprise to focus on small business innovators that are small, independent United States businesses, including—

“(A) those participating in the Small Business Innovation Research program or the Small Business Technology Transfer program;

“(B) those participating in the Pilot Program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies and the Rapid Defense Enterprise Research program; and

“(C) nontraditional defense companies that are working with research, innovation, and advanced project entities;”; and

(B) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” at the end; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

“(E) the date of the initial award to the participant from the Department of Defense; and

“(F) the dates of any additional awards made to the participant, including the dates of any contracts or other agreements entered into between the participant the Department of Defense; and”; and

(4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(e) Updates required.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than once each fiscal quarter, the head of the Defense Technical Information Center, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, shall update the innovators information repository established under this section.

“(2) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days after making an update to the innovators information repository under paragraph (1), the head of the Defense Technical Information Center shall submit to the congressional defense committees notice of such update together with instructions for electronically accessing the updated repository.”.

(a) Prohibition.—None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense may be obligated or expended to conduct biomedical research or testing using canines or felines.

(b) Waiver.—The Secretary of Defense may waive the prohibition under subsection (a) if the Secretary—

(1) determines that the waiver is in the national security interest of the United States; and

(2) not later than the date on which the waiver is invoked, submits a notification of the waiver and a justification of the reason for seeking the waiver to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(a) In general.—The Secretary of Defense shall take such steps as may be necessary—

(1) to expand participation in the Digital On-Demand Program to—

(A) all organizations and elements of the Department of Defense; and

(B) all members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department; and

(2) to actively promote the Program throughout the Department.

(b) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on an annual basis thereafter through 2029, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the progress of the Secretary in expanding and promoting the Digital On-Demand Program as described in subsection (a).

(c) Digital on Demand Program defined.—In this section, the term “Digital On-Demand Program” means the program overseen by the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer pursuant to which educational resources on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, data literacy, and related topics are made available to personnel of the Department of Defense through a digital platform on an on-demand basis.