Bill Summary
The **SkyFoundry Act of 2025** is legislation aimed at enhancing the United States' capabilities in small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) through the establishment of the **SkyFoundry Program**. The Secretary of Defense is tasked with rapidly developing, testing, and manufacturing these systems, with the potential to include associated technologies and autonomous systems.
Key provisions of the Act include:
1. **Program Establishment**: The Secretary of Defense will create the SkyFoundry Program, administered by the Secretary of the Army, to facilitate rapid innovation and production of UAS.
2. **Acquisition Mechanisms**: The program will utilize alternative acquisition methods to speed up development and production processes, such as the use of other transaction authority and a middle tier of acquisition pathway for rapid prototyping.
3. **Facilities**:
- An innovation facility will be established for research and development, operated by the United States Army Materiel Command.
- A production facility will be designated to manufacture up to 1,000,000 small UAS annually.
4. **Public-Private Partnerships**: The Secretary may engage in contracts and partnerships with private sector entities and academic institutions to enhance the program's capabilities.
5. **Site Selection**: The program will prioritize existing Army Depot facilities and must meet specific requirements regarding land size and resources.
6. **Intellectual Property Rights**: The U.S. government will retain ownership of intellectual property developed under the program to ensure ongoing production and procurement capabilities.
7. **Defense Production Act**: The President or Secretary of Defense will prioritize support for domestic production of UAS and associated technologies under the Defense Production Act.
8. **Regulatory Flexibility**: The Secretary is authorized to expedite or waive regulatory requirements that may hinder the program's objectives.
Overall, the SkyFoundry Act is designed to strengthen national defense by accelerating the development and manufacturing of advanced unmanned systems.
Possible Impacts
The "SkyFoundry Act of 2025" could have several impacts on people, including:
1. **Job Creation and Economic Growth**: The establishment of innovation and production facilities for small unmanned aircraft systems is likely to create a significant number of jobs in both the military and civilian sectors. This includes direct employment opportunities within the facilities and indirect jobs in related industries, such as manufacturing, research and development, and logistics. Additionally, public-private partnerships could stimulate local economies by involving private companies and academic institutions in the program.
2. **Advancements in Technology and Safety**: The program's focus on rapid development and testing of small unmanned aircraft systems could lead to technological advancements that benefit both military and civilian applications. For example, improved drone technology may enhance capabilities in areas such as disaster response, agriculture, and infrastructure monitoring, ultimately leading to increased safety and efficiency in these sectors.
3. **Impact on Civil Liberties and Privacy**: The expansion of unmanned aircraft systems, particularly for military use, may raise concerns about surveillance and privacy among citizens. As the technology becomes more integrated into various aspects of society, there may be debates about the appropriate use of drones, data collection practices, and the potential for misuse in domestic surveillance, leading to discussions about the balance between national security and individual rights.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5086 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5086
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish and carry out a
program to enable the rapid development, testing, and scalable
manufacture of small unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 2, 2025
Mr. Harrigan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on
Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish and carry out a
program to enable the rapid development, testing, and scalable
manufacture of small unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``SkyFoundry Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SKYFOUNDRY PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) Program required.--The Secretary of Defense shall
establish and carry out a program to enable the rapid
development, testing, and scalable manufacture of small
unmanned aircraft systems, with potential expansion to
associated energetics and other autonomous systems as
determined by the Secretary.
(2) Designation.--The program established pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``SkyFoundry Program'' (in
this section the ``Program'').
(3) Administration.--The Secretary shall--
(A) administer the Program through the Secretary of
the Army; and
(B) establish the Program as part of the Defense
Industrial Resilience Consortium.
(b) Alternative Acquisition Mechanism.--In carrying out the
Program, the Secretary shall leverage alternative acquisition
mechanisms to accelerate development and production. Such mechanisms
shall include the use of other transaction authority under section 4022
of title 10, United States Code, and the use of the middle tier of
acquisition pathway for rapid prototyping and rapid fielding as
authorized by section 3602 of such title.
(c) Components.--The Program shall have two components as follows:
(1) Innovation facility.--A Government-owned innovation
facility for the development of small unmanned aircraft systems
that is operated by the United States Army Materiel Command in
coordination with United States Futures Command and serves as
the research, development, and testing hub, integrating lessons
learned from global conflicts to rapidly evolve United States
small unmanned aircraft systems designs.
(2) Production facility.--The Commander of United States
Army Materiel Command shall identify a Government-owned
production facility with the competencies for producing various
forms of small unmanned aircraft systems. The facility shall be
operated by United States Army Materiel Command and have the
capability to produce 1,000,000 small unmanned aircraft systems
annually once fully established.
(d) Government Owned Government Operated Contractor Augmented
Model.--The Secretary may--
(1) enter into multiyear contracts or agreements for
contractor augmented support to the Program, including
integrating specialized contractor personnel within Program
facilities as part of hybrid teams alongside military and
civilian personnel; and
(2) enter into public-private partnership agreements with
private industry, academic institutions, and nonprofit entities
in support of the Program.
(e) Facilities and Infrastructure.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary
shall prioritize utilizing or modifying existing Army Depot
facilities and select at least two separate sites for the
Program, one to house the innovation facility required by
subsection (b)(1) and one to house the production facility
required by subsection (b)(2).
(2) Authority to renovate, expand, and construct.--The
Secretary may renovate, expand, or construct facilities for the
Program using available funds, notwithstanding chapter 169 of
title 10, United States Code.
(3) Selection of sites.--When selecting sites for the
Program, the Secretary shall consider that the production
facility required by subsection (b)(2) shall be housed at an
existing Army Depot that meets the following requirements:
(A) The Army Depot shall be comprised of 15,000
acres of land.
(B) The Army Depot shall have approximately 10,000
buildable acres of land.
(C) The Army Depot shall have approximately
8,000,000 square feet of facilities.
(D) The Army Depot shall be located within 50 miles
of four States.
(f) Intellectual Property Rights.--The Secretary shall ensure that
the United States retains appropriate intellectual property and
technical data rights for any systems or technologies developed under
the Program. At a minimum, the Secretary shall secure Government
purpose rights in intellectual property developed jointly with
contractors, to enable the Government's continued production,
sustainment, modification, and competitive procurement of such systems.
(g) Defense Production Act Designation.--The President (or the
Secretary of Defense under delegated authority) shall utilize
authorities under title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50
U.S.C. 4531 et seq.) to prioritize and support domestic industrial base
capacity for small unmanned aircraft systems and associated energetics
and autonomous systems. Such items shall be deemed essential for the
national defense industrial base, and Title III efforts may include
investments in production scale-up, establishment of strategic
materials stockpiles, and surge manufacturing capacity for these
systems and components.
(h) Expedited Approvals and Waivers.--The Secretary, or the
Secretary of the Army under explicit delegated authority, may expedite,
and as appropriate to waive or modify Department of Defense regulatory
requirements and internal procedures that would otherwise impede the
rapid development, acquisition, or production activities of the
Program.
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