[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 419. Mr. GARDNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title VIII, add the following:

     SEC. 835. PILOT PROGRAM ON STRENGTHENING MANUFACTURING IN THE 
                   DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE IN SUPPORT OF LOWER 
                   COST MODULAR UNITED STATES DEFENSE RADAR 
                   SYSTEMS.

       (a) Pilot Program Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
     carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and 
     advisability of supporting--
       (1) production needs to meet military requirements and 
     increase the capability of the defense industrial base to 
     support through the expansion of traditional and 
     nontraditional radar suppliers through open competition; and
       (2) manufacturing and production of emerging defense and 
     commercial technologies to develop and prove out a low cost 
     and modular radar architecture via broadband digital receiver 
     and exciter (DREX) components and prototypes together with 
     scalable and reconfigurable antennas.
       (b) Authorities.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
     program under the following authorities:
       (1) Chapters 137 and 139 and sections 2371, 2371b, and 2373 
     of title 10, United States Code.
       (2) Such other legal authorities as the Secretary considers 
     applicable to carrying out the pilot program.
       (c) Activities.--Activities under the pilot program may 
     include the following:
       (1) Use of contracts, grants, or other transaction 
     authorities to support manufacturing and production 
     capabilities in small and medium-sized manufacturers.
       (2) Purchases of goods or equipment for testing and 
     certification purposes.
       (3) Incentives, including purchase commitments and cost 
     sharing with nongovernmental sources, for the private sector 
     to develop manufacturing and production capabilities in areas 
     of national security interest.
       (4) Issuing loans or providing loan guarantees to small and 
     medium-sized manufacturers to support manufacturing and 
     production capabilities in areas of national security 
     interest.
       (5) Giving awards to third party entities to support 
     investments in small- and medium-sized manufacturers working 
     in areas of national security interest, including debt and 
     equity investments that would benefit missions of the 
     Department of Defense.
       (6) Such other activities as the Secretary determines 
     necessary.
       (d) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate on the 
     date that is four years after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (e) Briefing Required.--Not later than January 31, 2023, 
     the Secretary of Defense shall provide a briefing to the 
     Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives on the results of the pilot program.
                                 ______