Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/4619

 12 2 STA T .4596PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 41 7—O CT. 14 , 200 8prima r y r es p on si b i l i t y f ort h e strate g i c an d n u clear w eapons policy of the D epartment of Defense and (5) the S ecretary of Defense should clarify the lines of responsibility and accountability for nuclear weapons matters within the O ffice of the Secretary of Defense to place greater emphasis on strategic and nuclear weapons policy and manage - ment .SEC.1036 .SE N SE OF CON GR ESS ON J O I N TD E PA RT M ENT OF DEFENSE - FEDERA L A V IATION ADMINISTRATION E X EC U TIVE COM- MITTEE ON CONFLICT AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION. (a) FIND IN GS . —C ongress ma k es the following findings

( 1 ) U nmanned aerial systems (U A S) of the Department of Defense , like the P redator and the G lobal H awk, ha v e become a critical component of military operations. Unmanned aerial systems are indispensable in the conflict against terrorism and the campaigns in Afghanistan and I ra q . ( 2 ) Unmanned aerial systems of the Department of Defense must operate in the N ational Airspace System (NAS) for training, operational support to the combatant commands, and support to domestic authorities in emergencies and national disasters. ( 3 ) T he Department of Defense has been la x in developing certifications of airworthiness for unmanned aerial systems, qualifications for operators of unmanned aerial systems, data- bases on safety matters relating to unmanned aerial systems, and standards, technology, and procedures that are necessary for routine access of unmanned aerial systems to the National Airspace System. ( 4 ) As recogni z edina M emorandum of Agreement for Oper- ation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System signed by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration in Sep- tember 2 0 0 7, it is vital for the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to collaborate closely to achieve progress in gaining access for unmanned aerial systems to the National Airspace System to support military require- ments. (5) The Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration have j ointly and separately taken significant actions to improve the access of unmanned aerial systems of the Department of Defense to the National Airspace System, but overall, the pace of progress in access of such systems to the National Airspace System has been insufficient and poses a threat to national security. ( 6 ) Techniques and procedures can be rapidly acquired or developed to temporarily permit safe operations of unmanned aerial systems in the National Airspace System until perma- nent safe operations of such systems in the National Airspace System can be achieved. (7) Identifying, developing, approving, implementing, and monitoring the adequacy of these techniques and procedures may require the establishment of a joint Department of Defense-Federal Aviation Administration executive committee reporting to the highest levels of the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration on matters relating

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