Norcross Advances Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee NDAA Mark

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressmen Donald Norcross (NJ-01) led the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces (TAL) through the subcommittee’s mark-up of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), H.R. 6395.

“We live in an uncertain world where there are credible threats to our nation and our democracy, so it is more important than ever that we support our men and women in uniform and ensure the readiness and modernization of our nation’s air and land forces while spending our valuable resources wisely,” said TAL Chair Norcross. “This defense bill will provide just that – the resources our military needs to keep America safe, as well as the oversight to ensure taxpayer money is being spent efficiently. Specifically, I secured additional critical oversight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – one of our military’s largest, most complex, risky, and expensive programs – and advanced long-term modernization plans for airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and critical munitions. In addition, we provide continued support for the vital missions and groundbreaking work being performed throughout our nation at installations like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Picatinny Arsenal, and industrial base sites like Ridley Park’s Chinook helicopter facility. Following a completely bipartisan effort, we advanced this mark through Subcommittee unanimously.”

Specifically, this year’s proposal:

• Continues critical oversight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and initiates new reporting requirements from the Department on software testing methodologies, mitigation of physiological episode occurrences, and pertinent issues approaching the full-rate production decision in early 2021.
• Requires a non-advocate review of the Air Force and Navy Next Generation Air Dominance capabilities development to assess risk, technological maturity, and affordability.
• Requires certain written certifications to Congress before the Air Force is permitted to retire the EQ-4 unmanned air system (UAS) Battlefield Airborne Communications Node from the U.S. Central Command’s Area of Responsibility.

• Modifies the current prohibition on retirement of the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Radar Attack System (JSTARS) aircraft until an equivalent or improved capability is identified and readily available.
• Limits available funds for the Advanced Battle Management System until the Air Force provides required certification pertaining to plans to divest the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS.

• Extends the current prohibition on retirement of the Air Force RC-135 aircraft fleet.
• Requires the Air Force to provide a long-term modernization plan for airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).
• Requires the Department to keep Congress apprised of efforts to replace all emergency locator beacons in ejection-seat aircraft that have been identified as inoperable in water environments after aircrew ejection.

• Strengthens accountability of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) by adding reporting requirements on ABMS demonstrations, product line capabilities, and decision-making authorities.  Also requires an independent cost estimate of ABMS by the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation.

• Repeals the requirement for quarterly reports on the Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program.

The mark includes direction that the Department provide reports or briefings on a variety of important issues including:

• Requires a report on Navy Strike Fighter force structure, inventory management, and F/A-18E/F service-life extension efforts.
• Requires a report on Army ISR modernization.
• Requires an acquisition strategy for the Short-Range Reconnaissance Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SRR SUAS).
• Requires a report on available commercial-off-the-shelf solutions to improve lifecycle sustainment of the UH-72A Lakota helicopter.
• Requires a report on the VH-92 Executive Helicopter training aircraft requirement.
• Requires a report on vertical lift munitions capabilities gaps and potential commercial-off-the-shelf solutions that could serve as an interim solution for Department of the Navy vertical lift.
• Requires a report on Degraded Visual Environment system development and acquisition across the military services
• Requires a report on the acquisition strategy for Future Vertical Lift (FVL) sensor payloads to ensure advanced capabilities are available to meet FVL platform timelines.
• Requires a briefing on Army plans for Stryker based combat vehicle weapons-station commonality.
• Requires a report on the Air Force Test Center enterprise.
• Requires a briefing on Army research and plans for electrification of combat and tactical vehicles.

The Subcommittee’s mark is available here.