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Armament of naval auxiliary vessels

Division A · Title X: General Provisions · Subtitle B: Naval Vessels and Shipyards

Plain-language summaryAI

Naval auxiliary vessels operated by the Military Sealift Command and designated as United States Naval Ships must be equipped with defensive weapons to protect themselves against various threats, except for hospital ships protected under international law. The weapons can include systems like close-in defense, counter-drone capabilities, electronic warfare, and modular weapons, with trained personnel assigned to operate and maintain them. The Navy must begin implementing this requirement within 180 days, prioritize vessels in contested areas, and submit a detailed report to Congress within 120 days outlining plans, costs, and any obstacles.

AI-generated from this section’s text — a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full text below. Not legal advice.

Section Text · Sec. 1015.
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(a) In general

Chapter 863 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

8699. Armament of naval auxiliary vessels

(a) In general

(1)

Except as provided under paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Navy shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that each naval auxiliary vessel operated by the Military Sealift Command and designated as a United States Naval Ship is equipped with defensive armament sufficient to provide for the self-defense of the vessel against air, surface, and asymmetric threats in contested environments.

(2)

The requirement under paragraph (1) does not apply to a vessel that is designated as a hospital ship and is protected from attack or capture under the Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea done at Geneva August 12, 1949.

(b) Minimum capabilities

Armament provided pursuant to subsection (a) may include, at the discretion of the Secretary, any of the following:

(1)

Close-in weapon systems or equivalent point-defense systems.

(2)

Crew-served weapons and stabilized naval gun systems.

(3)

Counter-unmanned aerial system capabilities.

(4)

Electronic warfare and decoy systems.

(5)

Modular or containerized weapon systems capable of rapid installation and scaling across classes of vessels.

(c) Manning and training

The Secretary shall ensure that each vessel equipped pursuant to subsection (a) is—

(1)

provided with adequately trained personnel to operate and maintain the armament provided to the vessel; and

(2)

integrated, as appropriate, with Navy reserve or other augmentation forces for wartime operations.

(b) Deadline for implementation

The Secretary shall—

(1)

begin implementation of section 8699 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), by not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act; and

(2)

in implementing such section, prioritize vessels supporting forward-deployed or contested logistics operations.

(c) Report

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes—

(1)

a prioritized list of naval auxiliary vessels to be equipped with armament pursuant to section 8699 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a);

(2)

recommended weapon systems for each class of vessel;

(3)

cost estimates and installation timelines for providing such armament;

(4)

manning and training requirements for each such vessel pursuant to subsection (c) of such section; and

(5)

any legislative or regulatory barriers to the implementation of such section.