§8029. Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office

(a) Establishment.-There is established within the Department of the Navy an office to be known as the Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office (in this section referred to as the "Office").

(b) Head of Office.-The head of the Office shall be the designee of the Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command.

(c) Mission.-The mission of the Office shall be-

(1) to fulfill naval and joint military operational requirements by supporting the identification and rapid development of-

(A) new naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities;

(B) innovative applications for existing naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities; and

(C) other innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness of naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities; and

(2) to contribute to the rapid experimentation, development, testing, and fielding of unclassified and classified naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities.

(d) Acquisition Authorities.-

(1) In general.-To procure goods or services for the Office, the senior contracting official (as defined in section 1737 of this title) and any members of the acquisition workforce for the Department of the Navy may use-

(A) any applicable pathway of the adaptive acquisition framework (as described in Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02, "Operation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework"); and

(B) any other alternative acquisition pathway that allows for accelerated or flexible methods of contracting.

(2) Inapplicability of jcids.-The Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System process shall not apply to procurements described in paragraph (1).

(e) Required Program Elements.-The Secretary of the Navy shall ensure, within budget program elements for naval air warfare programs, that-

(1) there are separate, dedicated program elements for naval air warfare rapid capabilities; and

(2) the Office executes the responsibilities of the Office using such program elements.

(f) Executive Oversight Board.-

(1) In general.-There is an executive oversight board for the Office which shall consist of the officials specified in paragraph (2). The executive oversight board shall provide prioritization, oversight, and approval of projects of the Office.

(2) Officials specified.-The officials specified in this paragraph are the following:

(A) The Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

(B) The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.

(C) The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.

(D) The Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command.

(g) Annual Reports and Briefings.-

(1) Report.-On an annual basis, the head of the Office shall submit to the executive oversight board described in subsection (f) a report on the activities of the Office.

(2) Briefing.-On an annual basis following the submittal of the report under paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the activities of the Office.

(3) Elements.-Each report under paragraph (1) and briefing under paragraph (2) shall include, with respect to the year preceding the date of the report or briefing (as applicable), a description of-

(A) funding allocations for the projects of the Office;

(B) capability gaps addressed by the Office;

(C) the progress of the Office in experimenting, developing, testing, and fielding capabilities described in subsection (c); and

(D) any barriers to the ability of the Office to carry out its mission, including any legislative or regulatory barriers.

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title II, §215, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 184 .)