A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 3560, sponsored by Representative Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3), titled the National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Research and Development Act, provides coordinated Federal efforts to accelerate civilian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) research and development for economic and national security, and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (Counter-UAS).

This Act aims to secure United States leadership in advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems while maximizing the benefits and mitigating the associated risks.

The bill contains several significant sections that seek to promote education and research and prepare the present and future United States workforce for the integration of AAM and UAS across sectors of the economy. This will be accomplished through extensive collaboration and coordination across various government agencies.

Included in the bill are additional activities of the Department of Homeland Security for the research, development, evaluation, and testing of AAM, UAS, Counter-UAS, and detection systems capabilities, and establishing a Counter-UAS Center of Excellence with an institution of higher education, or consortium of institutions of higher education.

An important section of the bill contains provisions that will enhance the evolution of the Counter-UAS industry in the United States for years to come. The Act will establish a national strategic plan for Federal research, development, evaluation, and testing of Counter-UAS systems. Given the complexity of the homeland security environment, this bill will establish a path for the United States to increase the security of critical infrastructure, assets, and mass gatherings.

A few of the Congressional findings in the bill

The bill recognizes the importance of UAS and its role in the United States economy and that AAM will change how people and goods are transported. The bill also recognizes that UAS and AAM systems are susceptible to various safety, privacy, cybersecurity, and supply chain risks. This is especially noteworthy since most unmanned aircraft systems in the United States are manufactured or assembled using components originating from foreign countries.

Unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility systems present significant national and homeland security threats. These threats encompass potential criminal and terrorist activities such as espionage, surveillance, and intelligence gathering. Additionally, these systems can be exploited for drug smuggling, trafficking contraband, and serving as platforms for delivering explosives, chemicals, biological agents, radiological materials, nuclear weapons, and other firearms. These risks necessitate robust security measures and vigilance to mitigate potential harm.

The research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (counter-UAS) and detection systems play a critical role in comprehensively understanding the capabilities and threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems. These activities are essential for gaining insights into the potential risks associated with unmanned aircraft systems and developing effective strategies to address them.

Interagency Working Group

The National Science and Technology Council will establish an interagency working group dedicated to advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems. This working group will be responsible for coordinating Federal activities related to research, development, deployment, testing, and education, with the aim of facilitating the progress and development of advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems.

Strategic Research Plan

Within two years from the enactment of this Act, the interagency working group is mandated to create and regularly revise, as necessary, a strategic plan for Federal research, development, deployment, and testing of advanced air mobility systems and unmanned aircraft systems. During the development of this plan, the interagency working group must take into account relevant information, reports, and studies on advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems that have identified the required research, development, deployment, and testing activities. Additionally, the recommendations provided by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine should be considered and utilized in shaping the strategic plan.

Counter-UAS Research Plan

Within two years from the enactment of the Act, the interagency working group is required to develop and periodically update, as needed, a strategic plan for Federal research, development, evaluation, and testing of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (counter-UAS) systems. This plan should align with existing legal authorities governing counter-UAS systems.

The Counter-UAS Research Plan will be required to:

  • Determine and prioritize areas of counter-UAS systems research, development, evaluation, and testing requiring Federal Government leadership and investment;
  • Establish, for the 10-year period beginning in the year the plan is submitted, the goals and priorities for Federal research, development, evaluation, and testing which will:
    • Support the development of counter-UAS technologies and the development of a counter-UAS systems research, innovation, and manufacturing ecosystem;
    • Provide sustained, consistent, and coordinated support for counter-UAS systems research, development, and evaluation, including through grants, cooperative agreements, testbeds, and testing facilities;
    • Support education and training activities to prepare the United States workforce to use and interact with counter-UAS systems;
    • Support partnerships to leverage knowledge and resources from industry, the Federal Government, State, local, and Tribal governments, National Laboratories, Counter-UAS Test Ranges, academic institutions, and others to advance research activities;
    • Leverage existing Federal investments; and
    • Promote hardware inoperability, open-source systems, and standards-driven hardware;
  • Support research and other activities on the impacts of counter-UAS systems;
  • In consultation with the Council of Economic Advisers, measure and track the contributions of counter-UAS systems to United States economic growth and other societal indicators; and
  • Identify relevant programs and make recommendations for the coordination of relevant activities of the Federal agencies and set forth the role of each Federal agency in implementing the plan.

National Drone Technology Center

If appropriations are made available, the Secretary of Commerce, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, is authorized to establish a national drone technology center. The primary objective of this center is to conduct research and development activities focused on unmanned aircraft systems. The establishment of this center aims to enhance the economic competitiveness and security of the domestic supply chain. To ensure a collaborative approach, the center will operate as a consortium involving the public and private sectors, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology participation.

GAO Study on Foreign Drones

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the use of foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems in the Federal Government unmanned aircraft fleet.

National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Research Institutes

The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is directed to create a program that provides financial assistance for the planning, establishing, and supporting a network of research institutes that focus on various sectors of AAM and UAS.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Activities

The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall support measurement research and development of best practices and voluntary consensus technical standards for advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems, including privacy, security, safety, hardware components, data management techniques, supply chain risks, and any other areas deemed critical to the development and deployment of AAM and UAS.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Activities

Establishment Of Advanced Air Mobility And Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Program As A Part Of The Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

National Science Foundation Activities

The Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is tasked with supporting research, STEM education, and associated endeavors in advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems, including their components and related technologies. This support includes the provision of competitive awards or grants to institutions of higher education or eligible nonprofit organizations (or consortia thereof).

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Activities

In consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and other relevant federal agencies, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is responsible for directing research and technological development aimed at ensuring the safe integration of advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems into the National Airspace System.

These include positioning and navigation systems; sense and avoid capabilities; secure data and communication links; flight recover systems, human systems integration; and hazardous weather condition avoidance.

National Student Unmanned Aircraft Systems Competition Program

The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is directed to create a national program dedicated to organizing unmanned aircraft systems technology competitions for high school and undergraduate students. These competitions provide a platform for students to design, create, and demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems.

Department of Energy Research Program

The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a cross-cutting research, development, and demonstration program to advance unmanned aircraft system technologies, capabilities, and workforce needs and to improve the reliability of unmanned aircraft systems implementation methods relevant to the mission of the Department of Energy.

Research areas include advanced sensor technologies and processes; advanced technologies and methods for remote handling, precision positioning, and navigation control; advanced technologies for secure autonomous operation, including edge computing and artificial intelligence; power electronics and wireless charging systems; novel materials; the scalability of UAS for increased  payload capacity; technologies and processes to improve secure interoperability practices, including with existing satellites, constellation networks, and surface-based facilities; strategies and technologies for integrated cybersecurity considerations; strategies and technologies for improved endurance, including lightweight long duration fuels, batteries, and fuel cells; open architectures and advanced algorithms to enable multi-sensor fusion and tracking of unmanned aircraft systems; and swarm and cooperative drone data collection and operation, and integration of drone control systems with dynamic sampling and real-time digital twin simulations. The research areas also include approaches for leveraging UAS for diverse applications.

Department of Homeland Security Activities

The bill contains a number of activities to be led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Research, Development, Evaluation, and Testing

  • Support  research, development, evaluation and testing for advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems, counter-UAS systems, and detection systems capabilities, including:
    • Air domain awareness and advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems traffic monitoring
    • Privacy, security, and cybersecurity of advanced air mobility systems, unmanned aircraft systems, and counter-UAS systems capabilities;
    •  Safety of advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems;
    • Safety of operations in the National Airspace System; and
    • Testing and evaluation of unmanned aircraft systems and counter-UAS systems capabilities, performance systems engineering, and operational analysis;

Counter-UAS Center of Excellence

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a center of excellence to carry out research and development that advances counter-UAS systems capabilities.

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make a grant to one institution of higher education, or a consortium of institutions of higher education, to host and maintain the center of excellence.

The institution of higher education or consortium receiving funds under this subsection is authorized to utilize those funds for various purposes. These include conducting fundamental research, evaluation, education, workforce development, and training initiatives in the subject areas related to counter-unmanned aircraft systems. These subject areas encompass safety, privacy, security, cybersecurity, detection, identification, monitoring, tracking, disruption, control seizure, confiscation, disabling, damage, destruction, remote sensing, forensics, testing and evaluation of systems capabilities and performance, systems engineering, operational analysis, and advanced technologies.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Research and Development

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall carry out and support research, development, and demonstration activities to advance unmanned aircraft systems technologies, and capabilities, and to enhance the deployment of, and data collected by, unmanned aircraft systems relevant to the mission of the Administration, incorporate such data into operations, and ensure data are managed, stewarded, and archived appropriately. In carrying out such activities, the Administrator shall coordinate across all relevant offices and programs of the Administration, including the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Ocean Service, National Weather Service, and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.

Federal Aviation Administration Research and Development

The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in coordination with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the heads of other Federal agencies, shall carry out and support research, development, testing, and demonstration activities to advance advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems and facilitate the safe integration of advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system.

The research and testing includes collisions between advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems of various sizes, traveling at various speeds, and commercial jet airliners of various sizes, traveling at various speeds; collisions between advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems of various sizes, traveling at various speeds, and propeller planes of various sizes, traveling at various speeds; collisions between advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems of various sizes, traveling at various speeds, and rotorcraft of various sizes, traveling at various speeds.

University Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Advanced Air Mobility Centers

The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall make grants to one or more institutions of higher education to establish and operate one regional university advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft system center in each of the ten Federal regions which compromise the Standards Federal Regions established by the Office of Management and Budget in the document entitled “Standard Federal Regions” and dated April 1974 (circular A–105).

The full text of H.R. 3560, the National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Research and Development Act is attached below.

Have you had a chance to see the text of the newest bill to enhance Counter-UAS authorities in the United States?  Check out New Counter-UAS Legislation Text. This article takes you through the history of Counter-UAS legislation and authorities in the United States and outlines text from the newest bill from the U.S. Senate.

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