,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ahfi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bb1 #bjbe
 ,mr4 ,cruz introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,armed ,services   
,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of
 ,defense to carry out an operational   
experimentation program to evaluate the 
military utility of optionally piloted  
vehicle rotary-wing aircraft1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4  ,short title      
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,helicopter ,operational ,versatility   
and ,enhanced ,readiness ,act of #bjbe  
or the ,,hover ,act of #bjbe4  #b4      
,operational experimentation program for
 optionally piloted vehicle 7,,opv7     
rotary-wing aircraft  7a7  ,operational 
experimentation program  ,not later than
 #ahj days after the date of the        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of the ,army shall establish an         
operational experimentation program     
using optionally piloted vehicle 7,,opv7

 technology1 including such rotary-wing 
platforms as the ,secretary determines  
suitable--  7#a7 to evaluate the        
military utility of optionally piloted  
vehicle aircraft in contested           
environments2  7#b7 to assess           
integration of such aircraft with crewed
 aircraft in multi-domain operations2   
7#c7 to analyze cost and maintenance    
benefits of autonomous flight2  7#d7 to 
develop future tactics1 techniques1 and 
procedures 7,t,t,ps7 for ,army aviation2
 and  7#e7 to complement and inform     
ongoing ,army science and technology    
efforts relating to autonomy1 such as   
the ,autonomy for ,combat ,environment  
,sustainment 7,,aces71 ,mission         
,adaptive ,autonomy 7,,maa71 and the    
,,alias transition agreement with the   
,defense ,advance ,research ,projects   
,agency 7,,darpa74  7b7  ,duration  ,the
 ,secretary shall carry out the program 
required by subsection 7a7 during the   
two-year period beginning on the date of
 the commencement of the program4  7c7  

,conversion  ,under the program required
 by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall
 convert at least three existing        
rotary-wing aircraft of the ,army into  
optionally piloted vehicles4  7d7       
,special use airspace  ,the ,secretary  
shall ensure that all testing and       
evaluation under the program required by
 subsection 7a7 is conducted in special 
use airspace of the ,department of      
,defense4  7e7  ,program management     
,the ,secretary shall carry out the     
program required by subsection 7a7 by   
acting through the ,assistant ,secretary
 of the ,army for ,acquisition1         
,logistics1 and ,technology in          
coordination with the head of the       
,program ,executive ,office for         
,aviation4  7f7  ,partnerships  ,in     
carrying out the program required by    
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary may      
collaborate with stakeholders in the    
,united ,states defense industry1       
universities1 and research institutions 
to advance optionally piloted vehicle   

technologies and integrate best         
practices to support rapid prototyping  
and ensure interoperability with broader
 ,joint ,all-,domain ,operations        
initiatives4  7g7  ,report  ,not later  
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committee on ,armed
 ,services of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   
,house of ,representatives a report     
detailing--  7#a7 progress on the       
conversion required by subsection 7c7   
and experimentation efforts under the   
program required by subsection 7a72     
7#b7 initial findings of the ,secretary 
with respect to the program on          
operational efficiency1 cost savings1   
and effectiveness2 and  7#c7            
recommendations for potential future    
procurement of optionally piloted       
vehicle platforms4  7h7  ,implementation
 flexibility  ,nothing in this section  
shall be construed to limit the ability 
of the ,secretary to adjust the scope1  

platform selection1 or methodology of   
experimentation to ensure alignment with
 existing service priorities and        
long-term modernization objectives4