Strategy and report on storage, sustainment, and deployment of collaborative combat aircraft

(a) Strategy and report required Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force, in consultation with the Commander of United States Transportation Command, shall— (1) develop a comprehensive strategy for the storage, sustainment, deployment, and operational support of CCA; and (2) submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the strategy developed under paragraph (1). (b) Contents The report required under subsection (a)(2) shall include the following: (1) A plan for the storage and sustainment of CCA that addresses requirements associated with Agile Combat Employment and Agile Combat Deployment operational concepts of the Department of the Air Force. (2) An assessment of— (A) the extent to which CCA are capable of deployment alongside crewed fighter aircraft traveling from within the continental United States to forward theaters of operation under contested logistics conditions; and (B) the mobility feasibility of deploying CCA in the manner described in subparagraph (A). (3) A description of methods used to store CCA as of the date of the submission of the report, disaggregated by location type, including— (A) depots located within the continental United States; (B) forward operating hubs; and (C) dispersed austere sites. (4) For each location specified in paragraph (3), a summary of— (A) environmental requirements; (B) security requirements; and (C) shelf-life considerations associated with storing CCA at such location. (5) A description of the forward support footprint required for each CCA detachment, including— (A) personnel; (B) tools; (C) test equipment; and (D) communications support requirements. (6) A model addressing expected— (A) attrition of CCA; and (B) repair requirements for CCA. (7) A summary of plans of the Department of the Air Force for lifecycle sustainment of CCA, including— (A) locations at which major maintenance, overhaul, and repair operations will be conducted; (B) plans for spare component pools; and (C) expected turnaround times required to prepare CCA for redeployment. (8) A summary identifying which components of CCA— (A) may be repaired in the event such component becomes inoperable; and (B) must be replaced. (9) For each component identified under paragraph (8)(B), an estimated timeline for replacement. (10) A cost estimate for the sustainment of CCA, including identification of— (A) the average cost-per-flight-hour for CCA operations; (B) the average cost-per-mission involving CCA; and (C) the primary drivers of sustainment costs. (11) A summary of operational assumptions derived from relevant war games involving CCA, including identified operational gaps, sustainment shortfalls, or risks. (12) An assessment of requirements associated with deploying CCA at scale in operational theaters, including requirements relating to— (A) sealift; (B) airlift; (C) prepositioning; (D) fuel; (E) spare components; and (F) maintenance manpower. (13) An assessment of whether deployment of CCA— (A) improves overall utilization or capacity of applicable ships, containers, or transportation platforms; (B) decreases demand for space on such ships, containers, or transportation platforms; and (C) creates new logistical or sustainment burdens within operational theaters. (14) An assessment of— (A) the marginal costs associated with moving, storing, and sustaining CCA at scale; and (B) the primary factors inhibiting deployment of CCA in the Indo-Pacific region. (15) Resource requirements and an implementation timeline for the strategy developed under subsection (a)(1), including budget estimates, force structure assumptions, and major milestones. (c) Federally funded research and development center support In carrying out the strategy and report requirements under this section, the Secretary of the Air Force may leverage the support of one or more federally funded research and development centers with expertise in logistics, force design, contested sustainment, autonomous systems, or defense mobility planning. (d) Form The report submitted pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. (e) CCA defined In this section, the term CCA means autonomous, uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft of the Department of the Air Force.