WASHINGTON - Led by Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Ranking Member Jim Langevin (D-RI), the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Subcommittee for Emerging Threats and Capabilities (ETC) released its proposal for the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today. The Subcommittee will meet at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, June 21st, in Rayburn 2212. The markup will be live streamed on the Committee’s website. The Subcommittee's mark is available here.
The ETC proposal is a vital part of the NDAA through which the Committee conducts oversight of counterterrorism programs and policy, special operations forces, defense-wide science and technology, cyber operations and programs, strategic communications and information operations, related Intelligence programs and activities, countering weapons of mass destruction, homeland defense, and consequence management.
Specifically, the ETC proposal:
Strengthens cyber warfare capabilities and enhances congressional oversight:
- Prioritizes the readiness of U.S. Cyber Command, cyber mission forces, and cyber warfare tools and capabilities, including initiatives to strengthen the cyber workforce;
- Along with the full committee, addresses military service unfunded requirements for cyber warfare;
- Enhances resiliency of DoD networks, weapons systems, supply chains, and capabilities;
- Strengthens congressional oversight of sensitive cyber military operations and cyber warfare tools and capabilities;
- Bolsters international partnerships for cyber warfare to counter Russian, Chinese, and North Korean aggression, cyber, and information warfare threats.
Reinforces counterterrorism and unconventional warfare capabilities:
- Fully resources and authorizes U.S. Special Operations Command programs and activities, including ongoing efforts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Eastern Europe;
- Grants permanent authority for family support programs within Special Operations Command;
- Strengthens congressional oversight of ongoing counterterrorism and unconventional warfare operations and programs, including Intelligence activities.
Supports defense innovation, emerging technologies, and countering weapons of mass destruction programs:
- Fully supports innovation efforts of the Strategic Capabilities Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Defense Innovation Unit Experimental to ensure technological superiority and overmatch for our warfighters against current and future threats;
- Advances hypersonic weapons research, development, and transitional efforts within DoD;
- Recommends to the Chairman fully funding the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Chemical and Biological Defense program, and the Cooperative Threat Reduction program to combat weapons of mass destruction (WMD);
- Along with the full committee, addresses military service unfunded requirements for operations within a WMD environment.