Lawmakers on Thursday proposed new legislation that would give the Defense Department more funding flexibility for electronic warfare technologies as well as new tools to speed up acquisition.
The Electronic Warfare Enhancement Act (S. 2486), which was introduced by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), would amend the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act to expand the Rapid Acquisition Authority to include electronic warfare (EW) programs.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan prompted the creation of the Rapid Acquisition Authority, which allowed the Defense Secretary to speed up the development of technologies and equipment like mine resistant vehicles that were direly needed on the battlefield. Last year’s National Defense Authorization Act broadened the RAA to include cyber technologies, and Kirk, a former naval intelligence officer, believes that further expanding it to include EW programs would help the Pentagon field tech that can quickly become obsolete, a Senate aide told Defense Daily.
Kirk has been working with the Senate Armed Services Committee on the bill, and it’s possible its language could be incorporated into the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the aide said.
Besides widening the RAA, another key part of the bill would give the Pentagon the ability to reprogram money within its electronic warfare portfolio without congressional approval, giving it more flexibility to conduct additional research and development or testing activities if needed.
The bill also directs the Defense Department’s Electronic Warfare Executive Committee to create a report detailing how the services can collaborate on EW, improve training, streamline the requirements and acquisition process, as well as whether there are any near-term capability gaps that need attention.
“It is critical that the United States military dominates the offensive and defensive ends of electronic warfare,” Kirk stated in a news release. “This bill will give DoD and industry leaders the tools to quickly develop critical electronic warfare technology for the warfighter.”
“Red tape is standing in the way of our military having access to the technology it needs to lead in today’s complex and ever-evolving landscape,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “This legislation will help ensure our service men and women are less vulnerable to national security threats and have access to the most up-to-date electronic warfare technology available.”
The Association of Old Crows, the nation’s largest advocacy organization for the EW community, hailed the introduction of the bill.
“The bill represents a tremendous opportunity for military and defense industry leaders and our community—the scientists, engineers, managers, operators, educators, and military personnel—to advance innovative electronic warfare systems and capabilities that are a prerequisite for successful military operations in the twenty-first century,” said AOC President David A. Hime in a Thursday statement.