Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operational Test, Evaluation, and Training Corridor Act

Key Points

• The bill requires the Defense Department to set up specific flight paths or areas in the U.S. to test small drones and systems designed to shoot them down. These corridors will be used for research, development, and training military members on how to use or fight against drone technology.
• The testing will focus on advanced technology like self-flying software, laser weapons, and microwave systems that can disable electronics. It also aims to speed up how quickly the military can get new drone-based weapons into the hands of soldiers.
• Officials must look for locations across different parts of the country and check if they can use existing government or private facilities. They will specifically look for areas where they can practice in difficult conditions, such as places where GPS or radio signals are blocked.
• The Defense Department will work with other agencies to make sure these tests are safe for the public and to figure out how to handle legal rules about using electronic jamming or lasers in the sky.

Impact Analysis

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