Sec. 266. Report on helicopter life cycle support and recapitalization
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Congress makes the following findings: The acquisition strategy of the Coast Guard to recapitalize its fleet of MH–65 helicopters for land-based and sea-based operations is critical to maintaining the various missions of the Coast Guard. As of July 2019, the Commandant intends to leverage the Department of Defense future vertical lift acquisition program in the mid-2030s to replace the legacy fleet of the Coast Guard, and in the interim, continue the service life extension program of the MH–65D fleet to an upgraded Echo capability.
The current MH–65 sustainment plan may be under resourced and insufficient to accommodate the additional hours required to meet operational demands until recapitalization. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that— includes an updated fleet life-cycle analysis and service life extension plan that includes dynamic components, and which clearly demonstrates the mission viability of the MH–65 through anticipated fleet recapitalization; includes a realistic sustainment budget necessary to achieve the operational availability rates necessary to meet MH–65 mission requirements through fleet recapitalization; includes an update on the status of the Coast Guard MH–65 helicopter recapitalization; and includes a description of any alternative, available, and cost-effective Government and civil systems, or updates, that the Coast Guard is considering for MH–65 operational missions, including Coast Guard cutter deployability requirements, in the event of delays to the future vertical lift program of the Coast Guard.