“A bill to amend the Arms Export Control Act to address arms export controls for certain unmanned aircraft systems and items, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) to establish export controls for covered unmanned aircraft systems and items (i.e., reusable unmanned aircraft systems and related items controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and enumerated in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex). Specifically, it (1) adds a new subsection (m) to AECA section 38 (22 U.S.C. 2778) requiring such systems and items to be treated as manned aircraft systems for AECA transfers and not as launch vehicles, missile technology, or missile equipment subject to MTCR controls or restrictions; (2) adds a new section 73C stating U.S. policy to treat them as manned aircraft systems for MTCR implementation; and (3) directs the President to amend ITAR regulations (22 CFR 121.1 and 120.23) within 180 days after enactment to apply the same export control provisions, criteria, and guidelines as manned aircraft systems (distinct from missiles), including separate treatment for MTCR adherence, co-production, and co-development with allies and partners. (As background, the MTCR is an informal multilateral regime limiting proliferation of missiles, unmanned delivery systems, and related technology; previously, certain unmanned aircraft systems meeting payload/range thresholds were controlled as missiles, subjecting them to stricter export limits than manned aircraft.) (Thus, this reclassification eases exports of qualifying reusable unmanned systems by aligning them with manned aircraft controls.)