Senators Mccormick and Rosen Introduce the Unmanned Systems Command and Control ACT to Strengthen Command and Control for America’s Unmanned Systems

Bill directs the Pentagon to study proven allied systems and accelerate U.S. modernization at no new cost to taxpayers WASHINGTON — Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) today introduced the Unmanned Systems Command and Control Act , legislation directing the Secretary of War to study and report on whether the U.S. Department of War could use open-architecture systems to command and control its unmanned systems. Allied and partner countries are already using these systems to great effect in ongoing conflicts, and lessons can be learned from their application to different unmanned system tiers and domains. “Modern warfare has shown that unmanned aircraft systems now operate in huge numbers, forcing commanders to track countless moving pieces across vast areas in real time, and to manage that information quickly, safely, and flexibly to win. America’s allies have built systems to do exactly this, while America’s own efforts trail behind,” said Senator McCormick. “The Unmanned Systems Command and Control Act directs the Secretary of War to study these proven frameworks, learn from them, and use those lessons to lower risk, speed up America’s own progress, and gain critical advantage during military operations.” “The use of drones and other unmanned systems in modern warfare has grown exponentially,” said Senator Rosen . “This bipartisan bill will enable the U.S. to learn from our allies to remain at the forefront of military and technological innovation, ensuring that we can provide our troops with the resources to direct, coordinate, and utilize unmanned aircraft systems in the modern battlespace.” This legislation requires the Department of War to evaluate open-architecture, unmanned system command and control frameworks with proven operational effectiveness, examining their architectural design, compatibility and interoperability with existing DoW systems, cybersecurity, and adaptability in the field, along with a roadmap for putting them into use. Specifically, the bill: Requires DoW to study battle-tested drone command and control systems, beginning with Ukraine’s Delta and Israel’s multi-drone operating system. Creates a panel of 10 to 15 specialists in drone operations, open-architecture software systems, cybersecurity, and allied command and control operations, with no more than two-thirds being current government employees. Requires a preliminary report to congressional defense committees, a final report within one year, and annual updates for five years. Requires supply chain risk management, compliance with the Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, vulnerability disclosure, and penetration testing; excludes covered foreign entities; and mandates a process updating cybersecurity standards. Directs that any recommended frameworks account for the domestic small, unmanned aircraft systems industrial base remediation efforts. Requires DoW to share an unclassified summary of the findings and recommendations with the Federal Aviation Administration. Draws funding from existing DoW research and development amounts and avoids new taxpayer spending. Senator McCormick has also introduced the Unmanned Autonomous Systems Strategy Act , legislation requiring the U.S. Department of War to develop a comprehensive, all-domain strategy for the rapid deployment, integration, and scaling of unmanned and autonomous systems (UAS) across the Indo-Pacific and the Western Hemisphere. Read the full bill text here . ###