ETO AGORA FY2026 NDAA, Section 345 ("Technology enhancement for surface ship maintenance")

FY2026 NDAA, Section 345 ("Technology enhancement for surface ship maintenance")

Proposed 2025-03-14 | Enacted 2025-12-18 | Official source

Summary

Requires the Secretary of the Navy to investigate and adopt advanced technologies, including AI-driven predictive maintenance, for surface ship maintenance; establishes a proposal and review process for such technologies; mandates third-party review of certain decisions; requires updates to policies and contracts upon adoption; and directs reporting to Congress on implementation timelines and justifications.

Key facts

🏛️ This document has been enacted by the United States Congress. For authoritative text and metadata, visit the official source.

🎯 This document primarily applies to the government, rather than the private sector.

📜 This document's name is National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, Section 345 ("Technology enhancement for surface ship maintenance"). AGORA also tracks this document under the name FY2026 NDAA, Section 345 ("Technology enhancement for surface ship maintenance"). It is part of FY2026 NDAA.

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Themes AI risks, applications, governance strategies, and other themes addressed in AGORA documents.

Governance strategies (7)

AI application areas (1)

Full text

  • This is an unofficial copy. The document has been archived and reformatted in plaintext for AGORA. Footnotes, tables, and similar material may be omitted. For the official text, visit the original source.
SEC. 345. TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT FOR SURFACE SHIP MAINTENANCE. (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Navy shall investigate, and, as feasible, qualify, approve, integrate, and fully adopt into contract requirements, advanced technologies and processes for Navy surface ship maintenance on an expedited timeline to enhance readiness, reduce costs, and address delays in maintenance and repair activities.

Requires the Secretary of the Navy to investigate, and if possible fully adopt advanced technologies and processes including artificial intelligence into the contract requirements for the Navy surface ship maintenance.

Requires the Secretary of the Navy to investigate, and if possible fully adopt advanced technologies and processes including artificial intelligence into the contract requirements for the Navy surface ship maintenance.
(b) Specified Advanced Technologies and Processes.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of the Navy shall prioritize the following: (1) Automated weld inspection for robotic weld defect detection. (2) Real-time sustainment monitoring for sensor-based health tracking. (3) Advanced blast and painting for automated hull coating systems. (4) Press connect fittings for no-hot-work pipe repairs. (5) Robotic tank inspection for confined space condition assessments. (6) Additive manufacturing for on-demand 3D-printed parts. (7) Augmented reality support for augmented reality-guided repairs. (8) Cold spray repair for metal surface restoration. (9) Predictive maintenance algorithms for artificial intelligence-driven failure prediction. (10) Automated nondestructive testing for robotic material evaluation. (11) Autonomous underwater vehicles for hull inspection submersibles. (12) Digital twin technology for virtual ship modeling. (13) High-pressure waterjet cleaning for rust and paint removal. (14) Modular maintenance platforms for standardized repair setups. (15) Smart coatings for self-healing, anti-fouling surfaces. (16) Laser ablation for laser-based surface preparation. (17) Drone-based inspection for uncrewed structural surveys. (18) Electrochemical corrosion mitigation for corrosion prevention systems. (19) Smart pigging for internal pipe diagnostics. (20) Modular overhaul kits for pre-packaged repair solutions. (21) Plasma coating for durable surface protection. (22) High-velocity oxygen fuel coating for high-velocity wear protection. (23) Portable diagnostics for handheld troubleshooting tools.

Requires the Secretary of the Navy, while using advanced technologies and processes for surface ship maintenance, to prioritize AI-driven predictive maintenance algorithms for failure prediction, among other technologies.

Requires the Secretary of the Navy, while using advanced technologies and processes for surface ship maintenance, to prioritize AI-driven predictive maintenance algorithms for failure prediction, among other technologies.

(c) Open Qualification Process.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Navy shall establish a process under which non-government entities may submit proposals for the investigation, qualification, approval, integration, and full adoption under subsection (a) of advanced technologies or processes not specified in subsection (b). (2) Evaluation.--The Secretary of the Navy shall evaluate any proposal submitted pursuant to the process established under paragraph (1) not later than 90 days after the date of such submission. (3) Proposal requirements.--A proposal submitted pursuant to the process established under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of options to improve maintenance efficiency, safety, or cost-effectiveness. (4) Qualification decision.--In evaluating proposals pursuant to the process established under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Navy shall make decisions based on technical merit and the needs of the Navy.

Directs the Secretary of the Navy to establish an open qualification process allowing non-government entities to submit advanced technology proposals and requires evaluation of such proposals within 90 days based on technical merit and Navy needs.

Directs the Secretary of the Navy to establish an open qualification process allowing non-government entities to submit advanced technology proposals and requires evaluation of such proposals within 90 days based on technical merit and Navy needs.
(d) Third-party Review.-- (1) In general.--The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall seek to enter into a contract with an appropriate independent third-party reviewer under which such reviewer shall assess any decision of the Secretary of the Navy not to select for qualification of approval an advanced technology or process included in a proposal submitted pursuant to the process established under subsection (c). (2) Report to congress.--A contract entered into under paragraph (1) shall require the independent third-party reviewer to, not later than 90 days after the date of the decision concerned, submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives an unaltered report that includes-- (A) an evaluation of the rationale of the Secretary in not selecting the technology or process; (B) a statement of the agreement or disagreement of the reviewer with the decision and rationale of the Secretary; and (C) recommendations, if applicable.

Requires the Under Secretary of Defense to contract with an independent third-party reviewer to assess and report to Congress on the Secretary of the Navy’s decisions regarding qualification of advanced technologies, including the rationale and recommendations related to AI-related proposals.

Requires the Under Secretary of Defense to contract with an independent third-party reviewer to assess and report to Congress on the Secretary of the Navy’s decisions regarding qualification of advanced technologies, including the rationale and recommendations related to AI-related proposals.
(e) Priority.--The Secretary of the Navy may prioritize the investigation, qualification, approval, integration, and full adoption of advanced technologies and processes under this section based on operational needs, budget constraints, and compatibility with existing systems, if the Secretary includes justifications for such prioritization in the report required by subsection (g). (f) Updates.--If an advanced technology or process is adopted into contract requirements pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of the Navy shall update policies, specifications, guidance, and contracts, as necessary, to account for such adoption. (g) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit to Congress a report that includes detailed timelines for the qualification and approval of each advanced technology or process specified in subsection (b) and any additional advanced technologies or processes identified pursuant to the process established under subsection (c), including estimated implementation dates or justifications for non-pursuit.

Allows the Secretary of the Navy to prioritize adoption of advanced technologies (including AI) based on certain justifications as listed, requires updates to policies and contracts to implement such adoption, and mandates a report to Congress detailing qualification timelines and justifications.

Allows the Secretary of the Navy to prioritize adoption of advanced technologies (including AI) based on certain justifications as listed, requires updates to policies and contracts to implement such adoption, and mandates a report to Congress detailing qualification timelines and justifications.