REPORT ON CARRIER WING AND AVIATION COMBAT ELEMENT COMPOSITION.

SEC. 134. REPORT ON CARRIER WING AND AVIATION COMBAT ELEMENT COMPOSITION. (a) In General.—Not later than May 1, 2020, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the optimal composition of the carrier air wing (CVW) on aircraft carriers and aviation combat element (ACE) embarked on amphibious ships in 2030 and 2040, including alternative force design concepts. (b) Elements.—The report required under subsection (a) shall include the following elements for the CVW and ACE: (1) Analysis and justification for the Department of the Navy’s stated goal of a 50/50 mix of 4th and 5th generation aircraft for 2030. (2) Analysis and justification for an optimal mix of aircraft for 2040. (3) A plan for incorporating unmanned aerial vehicles and associated communication capabilities to effectively implement the future force design. (4) Analysis of the support equipment requirement for each aircraft type and the space needed to accommodate such equipment. (5) A description of existing and potential ship designs or design changes that would enable greater commonality and interoperability of embarked naval aircraft, including aircraft arresting gear and launch catapults. (c) Briefing.—Not later than March 1, 2020, the Secretary of the Navy shall provide the congressional defense committees a briefing on the report required under subsection (a).