CLOUD Aircraft Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3848 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3848

     To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the 
feasibility of, and cost associated with, equipping all fixed wing and 
   rotary wing aircraft of the Department of Defense that operate in 
highly trafficked domestic airspaces with air-to-air and air-to-ground 
          collision detection systems, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2025

Mr. Mills (for himself, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Vindman, Mr. Lucas, and Mrs. 
Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the 
feasibility of, and cost associated with, equipping all fixed wing and 
   rotary wing aircraft of the Department of Defense that operate in 
highly trafficked domestic airspaces with air-to-air and air-to-ground 
          collision detection 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 ``Collision-Limiting Operational 
Upgrade for DOD Aircraft Act'' or the ``CLOUD Aircraft Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STUDY ON FEASIBILITY OF EQUIPPING ALL 
              MILITARY FIXED WING AND ROTARY WING AIRCRAFT WITH AIR-TO-
              AIR AND AIR-TO-GROUND COLLISION DETECTION SYSTEMS.

    (a) Feasibility Study Required.--The Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration, shall conduct a study on the feasibility of, and cost 
associated with, equipping all fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft of 
the Department of Defense that operate in highly trafficked domestic 
airspaces with air-to-air collision detection systems.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on the results of the feasibility study 
required under subsection (a). Such report shall include the 
recommendations of the Secretary with respect to such results and a 
timeline for carrying out any such recommendations.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``air-to-air collision detection system''--
                    (A) means an airborne system designed to detect and 
                warn pilots of potential mid-air collisions with other 
                aircraft equipped with transponders, allowing them to 
                take evasive maneuvers to avoid a crash; and
                    (B) is compatible with the system used by 
                commercial aircraft that is commonly referred to as a 
                ``traffic alert and collision avoidance system'' of a 
                ``TCAS''.
            (2) The term ``air-to-ground collision detection system'' 
        means a system that uses radar, digital terrain maps, and other 
        sensors to warn pilots of potential collisions, and if a 
        collision is likely, to notify the pilot through a series of 
        alarms or to automatically take control of the aircraft to 
        avoid the collision.
            (3) The term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means 
        the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
        Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (4) The term ``commercial service airport'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 47102 of title 49, United States 
        Code.
            (5) The term ``operate in highly trafficked domestic 
        airspaces'' means, with respect to aircraft of the Department 
        of Defense, that such aircraft are stationed on or near, and 
        operate regular flight patterns within the surrounding class B, 
        C, or D airspace of a commercial service airport.
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