June 12, 2025
Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To authorize the Secretary of the Army to accelerate development and procurement of aeromedical evacuation and special operations configurations of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Medical Evacuation and Special Operations Procurement Act of 2025
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Sec. 2. Authorization for development and procurement of aeromedical evacuation and special operations configurations of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft
(a) Authority To develop and procure
The Secretary of the Army may accelerate the research, development, test, evaluation, and initial procurement of variant configurations of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), specifically—
(1)
a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) configuration designed to enhance patient care capabilities and survivability, including advanced telemedicine integration, expanded patient capacity, and increased operational reach; and
(2)
a special operations configuration tailored to the needs of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), including integration of advanced sensors, weapons systems, launched effects, and plug-and-play mission modules.
(b) Program objectives
In exercising authority under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that—
(1)
the medical evacuation and the special operations variants are developed under subsection (a) in coordination with relevant stakeholders, including the Army Medical Department and United States Special Operations Command;
(2)
the development timeline to carry out subsection (a) is aligned to enable rapid prototyping, user evaluation, and risk reduction prior to full-rate production; and
(3)
commonality in components and systems is pursued across configurations of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft to the maximum extent practicable to reduce long-term acquisition and sustainment costs.
(c) Limitation on use of funds
No additional appropriations are authorized under this section. Development and procurement authorized under this section shall be subject to the availability of appropriations provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
(d) Report to Congress
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report detailing—
(1)
the status of development and testing of the medical evacuation and special operations variants of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft;
(2)
estimated timelines for milestone decisions, operational testing, and fielding for research, development, test, evaluation, and initial procurement under subsection (a); and
(3)
anticipated funding needs in future fiscal years for full development and procurement of the variants described in paragraph (1).