ADVANCED FIELD ARTILLERY SYSTEM (CRUSADER).

SEC. 225. ADVANCED FIELD ARTILLERY SYSTEM (CRUSADER). (a) Authority To Use Funds for Alternative Propellant Technologies.— During fiscal year 1996, the Secretary of the Army may use funds appropriated for the liquid propellant portion of the Advanced Field Artillery System (Crusader) program for fiscal year 1996 for alternative propellant technologies and integration of those technologies into the design of the Crusader if— (1) the Secretary determines that the technical risk associated with liquid propellant will increase costs and delay the initial operational capability of the Crusader; and (2) the Secretary notifies the congressional defense committees of the proposed use of the funds and the reasons for the proposed use of the funds. (b) Limitation.— The Secretary of the Army may not spend funds for the liquid propellant portion of the Crusader program after August 15, 1996, unless— (1) the report required by subsection (c) has been submitted by that date; and (2) such report includes documentation of significant progress, as determined by the Secretary, toward meeting the objectives for the liquid propellant portion of the program, as set forth in the baseline description for the Crusader program and approved by the Office of the Secretary of Defense on January 4, 1995. (c) Report Required.— Not later than August 1, 1996, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report containing documentation of the progress being made in meeting the objectives set forth in the baseline description for the Crusader program and approved by the Office of the Sec110 STAT. 227retary of Defense on January 4, 1995. The report shall specifically address the progress being made toward meeting the following objectives: (1) Establishment of breech and ignition design criteria for rate of fire for the cannon of the Crusader. (2) Selection of a satisfactory ignition concept for the next prototype of the cannon. (3) Selection, on the basis of modeling and simulation, of design concepts to prevent chamber piston reversals, and validation of the selected concepts by gun and mock chamber firings. (4) Achievement of an understanding of the chemistry and physics of propellant bum resulting from the firing of liquid propellant into any target zone, and achievement, on the basis of modeling and simulation, of an ignition process that is predictable. (5) Completion of an analysis of the management of heat dissipation for the full range of performance requirements for the cannon, completion of concept designs supported by that analysis, and proposal of such concept designs for engineering. (6) Development, for integration into the next prototype of the cannon, of engineering designs to control pressure oscillations in the chamber of the cannon during firing. (7) Completion of an assessment of the sensitivity of liquid propellant to contamination by various materials to which it may be exposed throughout the handling and operation of the cannon, and documentation of predictable reactions of contaminated or sensitized liquid propellant. (d) Additional Matters To Be Covered by Report.— The report required by subsection (c) also shall contain the following: (1) An assertion that all the known hazards associated with liquid propellant have been identified and are controllable to acceptable levels. (2) An assessment of the technology for each component of the Crusader (the cannon, vehicle, and crew module), including, for each performance goal of the Crusader program (including the goal for total system weight), information about the maturity of the technology to achieve that goal, the maturity of the design of the technology, and the manner in which the design has been proven (for example, through simulation, bench testing, or weapon firing). (3) An assessment of the cost of continued development of the Crusader after August 1, 1996, and the cost of each unit of the Crusader in the year the Crusader will be completed.