Advanced robotic automation for munitions manufacturing

(a) Program required The Secretary of the Army shall carry out a program to support the maturation and expansion of robotic automation capabilities for munitions manufacturing at government-owned, contractor-operated production facilities. (b) Objectives The objectives of the program under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) The design and integration of inherently safe, scalable robotic load, assemble, and pack (LAP) systems for munitions production. (2) The demonstration of increased throughput and production capacity, while reducing manual handling of energetic materials. (3) The development of cyber-hardened data infrastructure for secure integration of factory-floor operations with enterprise systems. (4) Support for workforce upskilling and training in robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing technologies. (5) The evaluation of applicability across multiple munition types and organic industrial base sites. (c) Coordination In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Army shall coordinate with the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition and other relevant components of the Department of the Army. (d) Briefing Not later than March 1, 2026, the Secretary of Defense shall provide the congressional defense committees a briefing on the program carried out under subsection (a). Such briefing shall cover— (1) the progress made under the program; (2) lessons learned; and (3) recommendations for the wider adoption of robotic automation technologies within the defense industrial base.