HR1898-119

What This Bill Does

The Military Helicopter Training Safety Act is an aviation-safety oversight bill focused on military rotary-wing aircraft. Within 90 days, the Secretary of Defense must report on the feasibility of installing traffic alert and collision avoidance systems in each military helicopter and similar rotary-wing aircraft. The report must cover costs, effects on civilian airspace safety, cockpit configuration changes, combat, training, and domestic security implications, and alternative technologies if full installation is infeasible. The Secretary must also report within 90 days on installing ADS-B IN capability in the same aircraft fleet, using the same kind of feasibility and mission-impact analysis. The bill does not directly buy equipment, but it forces the Defense Department to produce a fleet-wide safety modernization assessment.

Who Benefits and How

Military helicopter crews benefit because the reports focus on collision-avoidance and traffic-awareness technology for rotary-wing aircraft. Civilian pilots and airspace users benefit from a Defense Department review of equipment that could reduce military-civilian collision risk. Congressional defense committees benefit from cost, feasibility, mission-impact, and alternative-technology information before considering procurement. Aviation safety technology vendors benefit if the reports identify a path toward TCAS or ADS-B IN installation across military rotary-wing fleets.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of Defense must complete two 90-day feasibility reports with cost, cockpit, training, combat, and domestic security analysis. Military aviation program offices must evaluate aircraft configurations and technology alternatives across rotary-wing fleets. Operational commanders must consider how added safety equipment may affect combat, training, and domestic security missions. Federal taxpayers may later bear equipment and integration costs if Congress funds recommended installations.

Key Provisions

• Requires a 90-day Defense Department report on traffic alert and collision avoidance systems for military rotary-wing aircraft.
• Requires the report to address costs, civilian airspace safety, cockpit configuration, combat, training, domestic security, and alternatives.
• Requires a parallel 90-day report on ADS-B IN capability for military rotary-wing aircraft.
• Provides Congress with safety modernization evidence without directly mandating procurement.