STUDY ON ROTORCRAFT SURVIVABILITY.

SEC. 1043. STUDY ON ROTORCRAFT SURVIVABILITY.(a) Study Required.—The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall carry out a study on Department of Defense rotorcraft survivability. The study shall—(1) with respect to actual losses of rotorcraft in combat—(A) identify the rates of such losses from 1965 through 2008, measured in total annual losses by type of aircraft and by cause, with rates for loss per flight hour and loss per sortie provided;(B) identify by category of hostile action (such as small arms, Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, and so on), the causal factors for the losses; and(C) propose candidate solutions for survivability (such as training, tactics, speed, countermeasures, maneuverability, lethality, technology, and so on), in a prioritized list with explanations, to mitigate each such causal factor, along with recommended funding adequate to achieve rates at least equal to the experience in the Vietnam conflict;(2) with respect to actual losses of rotorcraft in combat theater not related to hostile action—(A) identify the causal factors of loss in a ranked list; and(B) propose candidate solutions for survivability (such as training, tactics, speed, countermeasures, maneuverability, lethality, technology, and so on), in a prioritized list, to mitigate each such causal factor, along with recommended funding adequate to achieve the Secretary’s Mishap Reduction Initiative goal of not more than 0.5 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours;(3) with respect to losses of rotorcraft in training or other non-combat operations during peacetime or interwar years—(A) identify by category (such as inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions, wire strike, and so on) the causal factors of loss in a ranked list; and(B) identify candidate solutions for survivability and performance (such as candidate solutions referred to in paragraph (2)(B) as well as maintenance, logistics, systems development, and so on) in a prioritized list, to mitigate each such causal factor, along with recommended funding adequate to achieve the goal of rotorcraft loss rates to non-combat causes being reduced to 1.0;122 STAT. 4600(4) identify the key technical factors (causes of mishaps that are not related to human factors) negatively impacting the rotorcraft mishap rates and survivability trends, to include reliability, availability, maintainability, and other logistical considerations; and(5) identify what TACAIR is and has done differently to have such a decrease in losses per sortie when compared to rotorcraft, to include—(A) examination of aircraft, aircraft maintenance, logistics, operations, and pilot and operator training;(B) an emphasis on the development of common service requirements that TACAIR has implemented already which are minimizing losses within TACAIR; and(C) candidate solutions, in a prioritized list, to mitigate each causal factor with recommended funding adequate to achieve the goal of rotorcraft loss rates stated above.(b) Report.—Not later than August 1, 2009, the Secretary and the Chairman shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the study.