Plan for establishment and evaluation of experimental, drone-centric reconnaissance and security formations

(a) Plan required The Secretary of the Army shall develop a plan for establishing and evaluating one or more experimental, battalion-sized formations that integrate unmanned aircraft systems to carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and precision strike operations at-scale. (b) Elements The plan required under subsection (a) shall— (1) provide for the establishment of at least one experimental formation, as described in subsection (a), attached to a division; (2) include mechanisms to enable the Secretary of the Army to evaluate the operational effectiveness, survivability, targeting capacity, and cost-efficiency of such a formation relative to legacy cavalry and scout formations, and to inform future force design decisions; (3) identify any modifications to organizational design, personnel structure, and training pipelines that may be needed to facilitate the establishment of such a formation; (4) as appropriate, provide for the use of rapid acquisition pathways to procure unmanned aircraft systems for such a formation; and (5) coordinate with the Defense Autonomous Working Group to ensure that defense-wide research, development, testing, procurement, and fielding of mass-produced small unmanned aircraft systems will meet current and emerging Army requirements. (c) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes— (1) the plan developed under subsection (a); and (2) an estimate of the funding required to establish and sustain the initial experimental formation under the plan, disaggregated by individual appropriation.

(a) Plan required The Secretary of the Army shall develop a plan for establishing and evaluating one or more experimental, battalion-sized formations that integrate unmanned aircraft systems to carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and precision strike operations at-scale. (b) Elements The plan required under subsection (a) shall— (1) provide for the establishment of at least one experimental formation, as described in subsection (a), attached to a division; (2) include mechanisms to enable the Secretary of the Army to evaluate the operational effectiveness, survivability, targeting capacity, and cost-efficiency of such a formation relative to legacy cavalry and scout formations, and to inform future force design decisions; (3) identify any modifications to organizational design, personnel structure, and training pipelines that may be needed to facilitate the establishment of such a formation; (4) as appropriate, provide for the use of rapid acquisition pathways to procure unmanned aircraft systems for such a formation; and (5) coordinate with the Defense Autonomous Working Group to ensure that defense-wide research, development, testing, procurement, and fielding of mass-produced small unmanned aircraft systems will meet current and emerging Army requirements. (c) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes— (1) the plan developed under subsection (a); and (2) an estimate of the funding required to establish and sustain the initial experimental formation under the plan, disaggregated by individual appropriation.