PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE-BASED BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPT LAYER.

SEC. 1688. [10 U.S.C. 2431 note] PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE-BASED BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPT LAYER. (a) Development.—Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director of the Missile Defense Agency shall develop a space-based ballistic missile intercept layer to the ballistic missile defense system that is— (1) regionally focused; (2) capable of providing boost-phase defense; and (3) achieves an operational capability at the earliest practicable date. (b) Space-based Ballistic Missile Intercept Layer Plan.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan to carry out subsection (a) during the 10-year period following the date of the plan. Such plan shall include the following: (1) A concept definition phase consisting of multiple awarded contracts to identify feasible solutions consistent with architectural principles, performance goals, and price points established by the Director, such as contracts relating to— (A) refined requirements; (B) conceptual designs; (C) technology readiness assessments; (D) critical technical and operational issues; (E) cost, schedule, performance estimates; and (F) risk reduction plans. (2) A technology risk reduction phase consisting of up to three competitively awarded contracts focused on maturing, integrating, and characterizing key technologies, algorithms, components, and subsystems, such as contracts relating to— (A) refined concepts and designs; (B) engineering trade studies; (C) medium-to-high fidelity digital representations of the space-based ballistic missile intercept weapon system; and (D) a proposed integration and test sequence that could potentially lead to a live-fire boost phase intercept during fiscal year 2022, if the technology has reached sufficient maturity and is economically viable. (3) During the technology risk reduction phase, contractors will define proposed demonstrations to a preliminary design review level prior to a technology development phase down-select. (4) A technology development phase consisting of two competitively awarded contracts to mature the preferred space-based ballistic missile intercept weapon system concepts and to potentially conduct a live-fire boost phase intercept fly-off during fiscal year 2022, if the technology has reached sufficient maturity and is economically viable, with brassboard hardware and prototype software on a path to the operational goal. (5) A concurrent space-based ballistic missile intercept weapon system fire control test bed activity that incrementally incorporates modeling and simulation elements, real-world data, hardware, algorithms, and systems to evaluate with increasing confidence the performance of evolving designs and concepts of such weapon system from target detection to intercept. (6) Any other matters the Director determines appropriate. (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means— (1) the congressional defense committees; and (2) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.