NDAA Navigator — FY2027 H.R. 8800

SECTION TEXT · SEC. 358.

(a) Establishment

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall commence a three-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall conduct testing and evaluation of counter-fire unmanned fire suppression and remote sensing aircraft systems at military installations selected for participation in the program. In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall—

(1)

evaluate the effectiveness of counter-fire unmanned aircraft systems with respect to suppressing wildfire, improving the safety of prescribed burns, monitoring wildfire, and responding to other fire emergencies on military installations;

(2)

assess the integration of fire suppression drone capabilities with existing fire protection and emergency response systems on military installations;

(3)

determine operational parameters, safety protocols, and certification requirements for counter-fire unmanned aircraft systems;

(4)

for each counter-fire unmanned aircraft system, evaluate—

(A)

suppression payload delivery accuracy;

(B)

refill and turnaround time;

(C)

night operations capabilities;

(D)

beyond visual line-of-sight flight operations;

(E)

swarm capabilities; and

(F)

sustained sortie rates;

(5)

analyze the cost-effectiveness and scalability of counter-fire drone capabilities; and

(6)

develop training curricula and operational procedures for personnel operating counter-fire unmanned aircraft systems.

(b) Selection of installations

The Secretary shall select at least one military installation to participate in the pilot program. In making such a selection, the Secretary shall consider—

(1)

geographic diversity, including climate zones and fire risk profiles;

(2)

existing fire suppression infrastructure and capabilities;

(3)

airspace availability and compatibility with unmanned aircraft operations;

(4)

proximity to civilian communities that could benefit from enhanced fire response capabilities; and

(5)

availability of qualified personnel and training facilities.

(c) Reporting requirements

(1) Interim report

Not later than 18 months after the date of the commencement of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees an interim report on the pilot program.

(2) Final report

Not later than six months after the date of the completion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a final report on the pilot program.

(3) Elements of reports

Each report required under this subsection shall include, for the period covered by the report—

(A)

a description of each counter-fire unmanned aircraft system tested and the performance metrics for each such system;

(B)

an assessment of operational effectiveness of each such system in fire detection and suppression scenarios;

(C)

an analysis of the integration of each such system with existing fire protection systems;

(D)

an identification of any supplementary mission critical use cases for each such system at military installations;

(E)

a description of any safety incidents and lessons learned for each such system;

(F)

a cost analysis and projection of return on investment for each such system;

(G)

any recommendations for the potential broader implementation of each such system across the Department of Defense; and

(H)

any recommendations for potential dual-use applications of each such system in support of civilian fire authorities.