S.Amdt. 5885

SA 5885, submitted by Mr. Young, aims to add a pilot program to bill S. 4784. The purpose of this amendment is to test whether a subscription-based funding model is feasible and effective for use at major range and test facilities.

Under this proposed model, participating organizations would pay recurring subscription fees to get access to:

• Range capabilities and infrastructure
• Services and test environments
• Cybersecurity resources
• Data management and support functions

This would either replace or work alongside traditional direct-user or reimbursable funding.

The amendment requires the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to run this program for two years. It must include at least two cyber-physical test and training ranges, with at least one operated by or under the authority of a State's National Guard.

The program is designed to evaluate if this funding style improves mission readiness, resource use, and funding predictability. It also looks at how it affects things like range scheduling and rapid prototyping. Finally, the Under Secretary must report the results and provide a briefing to the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services.