REPORT ON REQUIREMENTS FULFILLMENT AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RELATING TO AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE PROVIDED BY REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT.

SEC. 924. REPORT ON REQUIREMENTS FULFILLMENT AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RELATING TO AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE PROVIDED BY REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT.(a) Report Required.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on requirements fulfillment and personnel management in connection with Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) provided by remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).(b) Elements.—The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:(1) A description of the Joint Concept of Operation under which the Air Force operates to fulfill intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements provided by remotely piloted aircraft.(2) A description of the current requirements of each combatant command for Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance provided by remotely piloted aircraft, including—(A) the number of orbits or combat air patrols for each major platform and sensor payload combination;(B) the number of aircraft, aircraft operators, and ground crews in each orbit or combat air patrol, variations in the numbers of each, and the explanation for such variations;(C) a description of how requirements are being met by the management of personnel, platforms, sensors, and networks; and(D) a description of various means of addressing any shortfalls in meeting such requirements, including temporary shortfalls and permanent shortfalls.(3) A description of manpower management to fulfill Air Force mission requirements for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements provided by remotely piloted aircraft, including the current number of personnel associated with each combat air patrol by remotely piloted aircraft for aircraft pilots, sensor operators, mission intelligence coordinators, and processing, exploitation, and dissemination analysts (in this section referred to as “operators and analysts for remotely piloted aircraft”).(4) A description of current Air Force manpower requirements for operators and analysts for remotely piloted aircraft, and any plans for meeting such requirements, including—(A) an identification of any shortfalls in personnel, skill specialties, and grades; and(B) any plans of the Air Force to address such shortfalls, including—(i) plans to address shortfalls in applicable career field retention rates; and(ii) plans for utilization of National Guard and other reserve component personnel to address shortfalls in such personnel, skill specialties, and grades.124 STAT. 4334(5) A description of the projected Air Force manpower requirements for operators and analysts for remotely piloted aircraft in each of 2015 and 2020, including—(A) an identification of any significant challenges to achieving such requirements in particular skill specialties and grades; and(B) any plans of the Air Force to address such challenges.(6) A description of the collaboration of the Air Force with, and the reliance of the Air Force on, the other Armed Forces and the combat support agencies, in asset management for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance by remotely piloted aircraft, including personnel for processing, exploitation, and dissemination.(7) A description of potential adverse consequences of operating intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance by remotely piloted aircraft, and associated intelligence support infrastructure, in a surge, understaffed state, or both, including—(A) the impact of having to provide forward processing, exploitation, and dissemination to support emerging capabilities; and(B) any plans of the Air Force to mitigate such consequences.(8) A description of the status of Air Force training programs for operators and analysts for remotely piloted aircraft, including the ability to meet Air Force manpower requirements for such operators and analysts, and plans for increasing training capacity to match plans for expanding Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.(c) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.