Sec. 143. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO F-22 AIRCRAFT

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## SEC. 143 REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO F-22 AIRCRAFT ###

(a)Limitations and Minimum Inventory Requirements Section 9062 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: > > ### “(k) > > > ####

(1)> > During the period beginning on the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 and ending on September 30, 2027, the Secretary of the Air Force may not— > > > ##### “(A) > > retire an F-22 aircraft; > > > ##### “(B) > > reduce funding for unit personnel or weapon system sustainment activities for F-22 aircraft in a manner that presumes future congressional authority to divest such aircraft; > > > ##### “(C) > > keep an F-22 aircraft in a status considered excess to the requirements of the possessing command and awaiting disposition instructions (commonly referred to as ‘XJ’ status); or > > > ##### “(D) > > decrease the total aircraft inventory of F-22 aircraft below 184 aircraft. > > > #### “(2) > > The prohibition under paragraph

(1)shall not apply to individual F-22 aircraft that the Secretary of the Air Force determines, on a case-by-case basis, to be no longer mission capable and uneconomical to repair because of aircraft accidents, mishaps, or excessive material degradation and non-airworthiness status of certain aircraft.” > . ###

(b)Report Required ####

(1)In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes a strategy and execution plan, approved by the Secretary, for conducting formal training for F-22 aircrews to ensure that combat capability, capacity, and availability at all F-22 operational units is not degraded. ####

(2)Elements The strategy and execution plan under paragraph

(1)shall— #####

(A)address how the Air Force will avoid— ######

(i)diminishing the combat effectiveness of all block variants of F-22 aircraft; ######

(ii)exacerbating F-22 aircraft availability concerns; and ######

(iii)complicating F-22 aircraft squadron maintenance operations; and #####

(B)include the plan of the Secretary for— ######

(i)the basing of 184 F-22 aircraft; and ######

(ii)the reestablishment of one or more F-22 formal training units, including— ######

(I)the planned location of such units; ######

(II)the planned schedule for the reestablishment of such units; and ######

(III)and the number of F-22 aircraft that are expected to be assigned to such units. ###

(c)Comptroller General Audit ####

(1)Audit required The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an audit to assess and validate data and information relating to— #####

(A)the events and activities that would be necessary to upgrade Block 20 F-22 aircraft to a capability configuration comparable to or exceeding the existing or planned configuration of Block 30/35 F-22 aircraft; #####

(B)the estimated costs of such upgrades; and #####

(C)a schedule of milestones for such upgrades. ####

(2)Availability of information At the request of the Comptroller General, the Secretary of the Air Force shall promptly provide to the Comptroller General any data or other information that may be needed to conduct the audit under paragraph (1), including any data or information it may be necessary to obtain from the original equipment manufacturer of the F-22 aircraft. ####

(3)Briefing Not later than April 15, 2023, the Comptroller General shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the progress and any preliminary results of the audit conducted under paragraph (1). ####

(4)Report Following the briefing under paragraph (3), at such time as is mutually agreed upon by the congressional defense committees and the Comptroller General, the Comptroller General shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the final results of the audit conducted under paragraph (1).