§8029 Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office

Summary

Creates the Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office inside the Department of the Navy. The head is chosen by the Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command. The Office must quickly find and develop new naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare tools, new uses for existing tools, and other innovative solutions. It will run fast experiments, development, testing, and fielding of both unclassified and classified capabilities. For buys, the senior contracting official and Navy acquisition staff may use the adaptive acquisition framework (DoD Instruction 5000.02) or other faster contracting paths. The Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System does not apply to those purchases. The Secretary of the Navy must set up separate budget program elements for these rapid capabilities and have the Office use them. An executive oversight board will set priorities, oversee work, and approve projects. The board members are the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, and the Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command. Each year the Office head must report to that board, and then the Assistant Secretary for RDA must brief the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. The report and briefing must describe funding for projects, the capability gaps addressed, progress in experimenting/developing/testing/fielding the capabilities, and any barriers to the Office’s mission, including legal or regulatory obstacles.