S.Amdt. 5901

SA 5901 is an amendment submitted by Mr. McCormick and Mr. Fetterman. It aims to add a new section (Section 1252) to bill S. 4784.

The purpose of this amendment is to require the Secretary of Defense to create a strategy for how unmanned and autonomous systems are deployed, used, integrated, maintained, exported, and scaled within the Western Hemisphere and the Indo-Pacific region.

Key Objectives and Changes

The amendment adds requirements for the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with specific officials—including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanders from the Indo-Pacific, Southern, and Northern Commands—to include the following in the strategy:

• Capability Assessments: Evaluation of current gaps in areas such as undersea surveillance, long-range strike, AI integration, electronic warfare, and missions against terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.
• System Scope: Identification of necessary unmanned aircraft systems, surface vessels, and undersea vehicles, including their attributes like range, payload, and survivability.
• Logistics and Infrastructure: Identification of potential basing and staging locations, including U.S. installations and partner country facilities.
• Technology and Integration: Evaluation of propulsion technologies (like hybrid-electric) and plans to integrate these systems into the broader joint force.
• Partnerships and Adversaries: Plans for co-developing systems with partners (such as Australia, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Ukraine) and assessments of adversary capabilities.
• Procurement and Supply Chain: A resource plan for investments and a plan to ensure supply chains are not dependent on components from covered foreign entities.

Accountability and Reporting

To ensure the government follows through, the amendment mandates:

• Submission: The Secretary of Defense must submit the strategy to congressional defense committees within 180 days of the Act's enactment.
• Briefings: The Secretary must provide annual briefings to congressional defense committees starting one year after the strategy is submitted and continuing through 2030.