(a) Establishment
The Secretary of the Navy, in consultation with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, shall establish a pilot program, to be known as the Autonomous Mission Pre-Integration Pilot Program, to assess industry-led approaches for pre-integration of autonomy services and multi-mission payloads on medium unmanned surface vehicles, utilizing a common, cybersecure operating system to enable cross-platform collaboration.
(b) Objectives
The pilot program shall develop and validate rapidly composable, multi-mission capabilities to support distributed maritime operations in contested environments, including pre-integration of—
autonomy services and mission software;
kinetic and non-kinetic systems;
advanced sensors and communications; and
edge-based collaborative artificial intelligence.
(c) Modular open systems architecture
The pilot program shall employ modular open systems architecture standards and open interfaces to ensure interoperability, portability, and cybersecurity across platforms. The Secretary shall leverage lessons from prior autonomy and control system efforts while avoiding approaches that limit competition, inhibit innovation, or place primary integration responsibility on the Government where industry solutions are available.
(d) Briefings
(1) Initial briefing
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Under Secretary, shall brief the congressional defense committees on the implementation of the pilot program, including—
coordination between and among program offices, the Under Secretary, the commanders of the combatant commands, the operational component, and industry;
methods to reduce technical risk and promote competition, including shifting integration risk to industry through pre-integration and demonstration; and
plans to accelerate prototyping, independent assessment, and operational integration.
(2) Follow-on briefing
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall brief the congressional defense committees with an update on the implementation of the pilot program, including findings, data, and mission outcomes.