H.R. 9909: Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operational Test, Evaluation, and Training Corridor Act

This bill would require the Secretary of Defense to set up one or more test and training corridors for small drones and related systems within the national airspace system.

What the corridors would be used for

The corridors would give the military a place to research, develop, test, evaluate, and train on:

• small unmanned aircraft systems, or drones
• drone autonomy software
• drone payloads, including kinetic and nonkinetic payloads
• sensors, communications, and navigation technology
• counter-drone systems, including high-power microwave, laser, and electronic warfare tools
• small- and medium-caliber weapons and munitions used against drones
• drone-versus-drone systems
• modular payload integration and standardized payload-to-platform interfaces
• ways to speed up deployment of drone-enabled munitions and related payloads

How the locations would be chosen

The Secretary of Defense would work with other defense officials to identify suitable locations across the country. The bill directs the Pentagon to consider whether existing government or non-government facilities could be used, what additional resources would be needed, and whether the sites could realistically simulate difficult operating conditions such as:

• disrupted communications
• electromagnetic interference
• GPS denial or spoofing

The bill also requires the Defense Department to look for any legal, regulatory, or policy barriers to testing these systems in the national airspace, including barriers related to electronic warfare, directed energy, GPS jamming and spoofing, and cellular- or spectrum-based systems.

Safety and coordination requirements

The Secretary would have to consult with other federal partners to help remove obstacles and make sure testing and training can be done safely in the national airspace. The bill also says the locations should take into account different regions of the United States, rather than concentrating only in one part of the country.

Congressional notification

Within 90 days after a corridor is established or designated, the Defense Department would have to notify the congressional defense committees in writing. That notice would need to include:

• the corridor’s location
• the funding, personnel, and other resources needed
• any agreements with other federal agencies needed to operate the corridor safely

Relevant Companies

• LMT — Lockheed Martin could be involved through counter-drone systems, sensors, directed energy, and defense integration work.
• NOC — Northrop Grumman may be affected through military drone testing, autonomy, sensors, and counter-UAS technologies.
• RTX — RTX could be involved in sensors, electronic warfare, communications, and defense systems used for drone testing or counter-drone applications.
• AVAV — AeroVironment produces small drones and related systems that could be used in military testing and training.
• KRYS — Kratos develops unmanned systems and could benefit from expanded military testing and training infrastructure.
• TDY — Teledyne supplies sensors and imaging systems that could be used in drone and counter-drone testing environments.
• AXON — Axon may be indirectly affected if low-collateral-damage or law-enforcement-adjacent counter-drone technologies are further developed, though the connection is less direct than for defense contractors.