Sec. 176. Special operations armed overwatch
346 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/s/4049/es/section-176·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act for the Department of Defense may be used to acquire armed overwatch aircraft for the United States Special Operations Command, and the Department of Defense may not acquire armed overwatch aircraft for the United States Special Operations Command in fiscal year 2021. Not later than July 1, 2021, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict and the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command, shall conduct an analysis to define the special operations-peculiar requirements for armed overwatch aircraft and to determine whether acquisition of a new special operations-peculiar platform is the most cost effective means of fulfilling such requirements.
At a minimum, the analysis of alternatives required under paragraph
(1)shall include— a description of the concept of operations for employing armed overwatch aircraft in support of ground forces; an identification of geographic regions in which armed overwatch aircraft could be deployed; an identification of the most likely antiaircraft threats in geographic areas where armed overwatch aircraft will be deployed and possible countermeasures to defeat such threats; a defined requirement for special operations-peculiar armed overwatch aircraft, including an identification of threshold and objective performance parameters for armed overwatch aircraft; an analysis of alternatives comparing various manned and unmanned aircraft in the current aircraft inventory of the United States Special Operations Command and a new platform for meeting requirements for the armed overwatch mission, including for each alternative considered; an identification of any necessary aircraft modifications and the associated cost; the annual cost of operating and sustaining such aircraft; an identification of any required military construction costs; an explanation of how the acquisition of a new armed overwatch aircraft would impact the overall fleet of special operations-peculiar aircraft and the availability of aircrews and maintainers; an explanation of why existing Air Force and United States Special Operations Command close air support and airborne intelligence capabilities are insufficient for the armed overwatch mission; and any other matters determined relevant by the Secretary of Defense.