CHAPTER 307—TEST AND EVALUATION

Sec.
4171.
Operational test and evaluation of defense acquisition programs.
4172.
Major systems and munitions programs: survivability testing and lethality testing required before full-scale production.
4173.
Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center.
4174.
Contracts: acquisition, construction, or furnishing of test facilities and equipment.
4175.
Use of test and evaluation installations by commercial entities.

        

Editorial Notes

Codification

Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1844(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4245, initially enacted chapter 307 of this title, consisting of sections 4141 to 4147, which was to become effective Jan. 1, 2022. However, Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, §1701(u)(5)(A), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2153, amended section 1844(a) of Pub. L. 116–283, effective as if included therein, so that instead of enacting chapter 307, it enacted chapter 305 of this title consisting of sections 4141 to 4144.

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, §1701(u)(6)(A), (C), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2154, amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1845(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4247, which added this analysis, by redesignating chapter 309 as this chapter and by adding items 4174 and 4175.


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Western Regional Range Complex Demonstration

Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title II, §227, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 785, provided that:

"(a) Demonstration Required.—The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a demonstration project under which the Secretary—

"(1) interconnects ranges or training sites in the western States; and

"(2) uses such interconnected ranges and sites as a joint multi-domain kinetic and non-kinetic testing and training environment for the military departments.

"(b) Use of Existing Ranges and Capabilities.— In carrying out the project under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall use ranges, testing sites, and related capabilities that are in existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025].

"(c) Activities.—The range complex established under subsection (a) shall be capable of facilitating testing and training in the following:

"(1) Electromagnetic spectrum operations.

"(2) Electromagnetic warfare.

"(3) Operations that blend kinetic and non-kinetic effects.

"(4) Joint All Domain Command and Control (commonly known as 'JADC2').

"(5) Information warfare, including—

"(A) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance;

"(B) offensive and defensive cyber operations;

"(C) space operations;

"(D) psychological operations;

"(E) public affairs; and

"(F) weather operations.

"(d) Timeline for Completion of Initial Demonstration.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall seek to complete an initial demonstration, interconnecting two or more ranges or testing sites of two or more military departments in the western States, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

"(e) Briefing.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] a briefing on—

"(1) a phased implementation plan and design for connecting ranges and testing sites in the western States as required under subsection (a), including the initial demonstration required by subsection (d);

"(2) how the design architecture of the plan is in alignment with recommendations of the most recent Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy of the Department of Defense; and

"(3) how the design architecture is expected to support high-periodicity training, testing, research, and development.

"(f) Western State Defined.—In this section, the term 'western State' means a State located west of the Mississippi River.

"(g) Termination.—This section shall terminate on September 30, 2028."

Authorization of Eastern Regional Range Complex for Multi-Domain Operations and Robotic Autonomous Systems Training, Testing, and Experimentation

Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title X, §1048, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1040, provided that:

"(a) Authorization.—The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Secretaries of the military departments, may designate and develop an Eastern Regional Range Complex to serve as a joint training, testing, and experimentation hub for multi-domain operations and robotic autonomous systems, including unmanned aircraft systems and counter-unmanned aircraft systems capabilities, to address growing threats from potential adversaries.

"(b) Location.—If the Secretary designates and develops the Eastern Regional Range Complex under subsection (a), such complex shall encompass the territories of the States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana, and Alabama.

"(c) Activities.—If the Secretary designates and develops the Eastern Regional Range Complex under subsection (a), such complex shall be used—

"(1) to conduct joint, multi-domain, non-kinetic electromagnetic warfare, cyber and information operations training within live, virtual, and constructive environments, leveraging common networks with access to available spectrum;

"(2) support [sic] integrated multi-domain operations training involving air, land, sea, cyber, and space components;

"(3) conduct [sic] joint service and interagency robotic autonomous system training, experimentation and testing, including the development of tactics, techniques and procedures for unmanned aircraft systems and counter-unmanned aircraft systems;

"(4) evaluate [sic] emerging technologies and prototypes and tactics, techniques and procedures for the operation, detection, defeat, and attribution of robotic autonomous systems in contested cyber and electromagnetic spectrum environments; and

"(5) facilitate [sic] the integration of mature prototype experimentation and live-fire exercises for rapid fielding of capabilities aligned with the Joint Warfighting Concept.

"(d) Coordination and Integration.—If the Secretary of Defense designates and develops the Eastern Regional Range Complex under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that activities conducted at such complex are coordinated with—

"(1) the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office.

"(2) the Joint Staff (J–7);

"(3) the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and

"(4) other entities with functions or missions relevant to the activities carried out at the Complex, which may include—

"(A) relevant combatant commands and service components:

"(B) allies and partners of the United States participating in multi-domain operations;

"(C) the Defense Innovation Unit;

"(D) State National Guard commands;

"(E) the Office of Naval Research; and

"(F) such other key stakeholders as the Secretary determines appropriate.

"(e) Consultation Authority.—The Secretary of Defense may consult with the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to recommend spectrum access requirements in support of joint and service training, testing, and experimentation within the Eastern Regional Range Complex, if such complex is designated and developed under subsection (a), and the Western Regional Range Complex, including access to appropriate live environments capable of supporting electromagnetic attack training, experimentation, and testing."

Pilot Program To Test Machine-Vision Technologies To Determine the Authenticity and Security of Microelectronic Parts in Weapon Systems

Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §843, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1878, as amended by Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§1806(e)(3)(C), 1866(d)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4156, 4280, which required the establishment of a pilot program to test the feasibility and reliability of using machine-vision technologies to determine the authenticity and security of microelectronic parts in weapon systems, was repealed by Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, §811(b)(5)(C), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 948.