[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6590. Mr. KIM (for himself and Mr. Booker) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 appropriate place in title II, insert the following:
SEC. ____. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ONE-WAY AND COUNTER-UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT SYSTEM DRONE TESTBED.
(a) Pilot Program Authorized.--The Secretary of the Army
may establish a pilot program to test, evaluate, and
demonstrate the integration of approved munition payloads
with approved unmanned aircraft systems, including one-way
unmanned aircraft systems and counter-unmanned aircraft
system platforms.
(b) Purpose.--The purposes of the pilot program required by
subsection (a) shall are--
(1) to accelerate the integration of modular payloads onto
multiple drone platforms;
(2) to reduce time-to-field for lethal and non-lethal
drone-enabled munitions capabilities;
(3) to standardize payload-to-platform interfaces; and
(4) to support rapid prototyping, validation, and
transition of drone-enabled munitions into programs of
record.
(c) Location.--
(1) In general.--The Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology shall determine the
location or locations at which the pilot program required by
subsection (a) is conducted.
(2) Considerations.--In selecting a location under
paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary shall consider--
(A) the availability of munitions and energetics subject-
matter expertise, including the interface of munitions with
drones;
(B) proximity to live fire testing range space and range
availability, prioritizing joint base facilities; and
(C) existing infrastructure capable of supporting rapid
prototyping, integration, and live-fire testing.
(d) Components.--The pilot program required by subsection
(a) may include--
(1) transition and integration of common Electronic Safe
and Arming Device designs;
(2) incorporation of the Picatinny Common Lethality
Integration Kit and the Small Universal Payload Interface;
(3) development and standardization of technology and
practices supporting payload-to-drone connectivity;
(4) prototyping, demonstration, and technology transfer of
munition systems integrated with unmanned aircraft systems;
and
(5) development of standardized drone interface
documentation and validated integration processes for
counter-unmanned aircraft system platforms, including
energetic payload applications.
(e) Coordination.--In carrying out the pilot program
required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall coordinate
with the Joint Capability Program Executive for Ammunition
and Energetics, Development Command (DEVCOM), relevant
program executive offices, and other Department of Defense
components as the Secretary considers appropriate.
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