Plan to support advanced manufacturing and materials for hypersonics research and development

(a) Plan required The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall develop a plan to develop a comprehensive set of advanced manufacturing practices and advanced materials for hypersonics research and development. (b) Elements At a minimum, the plan under subsection (a) shall— (1) address— (A) intelligence-optimized robotic forming; (B) additive and subtractive manufacturing methods; (C) precision joining (laser, e-beam, friction stir) for dissimilar metals and metal/CMC interfaces; and (D) advanced materials and processing; and (2) define qualification artifacts (process allowable, non-destructive inspection procedures, and digital-thread data standards) and pilot lines executed by consortia of primes, startups, and Federal labs, with TRL/MRL, cost, and lead-time objectives. (c) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the plan developed under subsection (a).