Unmanned Systems in the Draft FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act

This week’s post finishes up my look at technology provisions in the draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025. Unlike my previous posts, this week’s summarizes provisions found in both the House version of the FY 2025 NDAA (H.R. 8070) and the Senate version of the bill (Executive Summary Here).

The Senate completed its markup of the FY 2025 NDAA on June 14, 2024, and has now moved to the full considersation phase of the process, after which the House and Senate bills will be combined to create a final bill for the Congress to pass.

The technology area covered in this week’s post is unmanned/uncrewed systems. Use of these types of systems has escalated dramatically in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Congress has caught on to the trend. Accordingly, both drafts of the NDAA contain provisions concerning unmanned/uncrewed systems that might be of interest to industry. Per the usual practice, my comments, when offered, are in italics

Let’s look at the House version first.

• Section 833 requires that to the maximum extent practicable, procurement programs for autonomous unmanned aerial systems (UAS) use separate, parallel acquisition pathways for hardware and software related to such systems.
• Section 924 creates a Drone Corps in the U.S. Army responsible for developing and procuring both unmanned systems and anti-unmanned aircraft systems.
  • Analyst Comment – The Department of Defense (DOD) has already pushed back on this idea, stating that the creation of a separate organization for unmanned systems activities is unnecessary. As a result, this provision might not survive the reconciliation process.
• Section 1722 instructs the DOD to investigate unmanned systems producers to determine if they are affiliated with Chinese military companies or other entities.
  • Analyst Comment – This provision is similar to the one in the Senate draft that requires a DOD “strategy to develop a secure domestic and allied supply chain of critical components for small UAS.” As such, it is likely to be combined with the Senate provision.
• Funds unmanned systems programs at levels requested in the FY 2025 Department of Defense budget submission.

Now for the Senate version, which is only available in executive summary format, so no provision numbers are available. The Senate’s FY 2025 NDAA …

• Increases funding for counter-UAS development at the DOD’s Combatant Commands.
  • Analyst Comment - This provision recognizes the more automated nature of modern warfare. As smaller and more lethal UAS are developed, finding ways to identify and neutralize them will become more important. This funding will undoubtedly go to sensor and radar technologies, as well as solutions that leverage electronic warfare capabilities.  
• Increases funding for the development of new production techniques for low-cost UAS, as well as distributed AI/ML capabilities for those systems.
  • Analyst Comment – This funding may be related to the DOD’s new Replicator program, which helps the military departments develop and field UAS platforms.
• Requires a strategy to develop a secure domestic and allied supply chain of critical components for small UAS.
  • Analyst Comment – An effort to get away from China-built components, this provision will hopefully translate into support for cutting-edge U.S.-based small businesses that design and create UAS platforms.
• Directs the Navy to conduct a competitive demonstration of extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV).
• Increases funding for the testing of additional autonomous surface and UUV  dual-modality vehicles.
• Authorizes the DOD to support civil authorities to detect, identify and monitor UAS that cross the international land borders of the U.S.