§ 5534 — Integration And Interoperability Of Air And Missile Defense Capabilities

(a) The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chairman of the Missile Defense Executive Board (pursuant to section 1681(c) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232), acting through the Missile Defense Executive Board, shall ensure the interoperability and integration of the covered air and missile defense capabilities of the United States, including by carrying out operational testing. (1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), the Director of the Missile Defense Agency and the Secretary of the Army shall jointly ensure that not less than one intercept or flight test is carried out each year that demonstrates interoperability and integration among the covered air and missile defense capabilities of the United States. (2) The Director and the Secretary may waive the requirement in paragraph (1) with respect to an intercept or flight test carried out during the year covered by the waiver if the chairman of the Missile Defense Executive Board— (A) determines that such waiver is necessary for such year; and (B) submits to the congressional defense committees notification of such waiver, including an explanation for how such waiver will not negatively affect demonstrating the interoperability and integration among the covered air and missile defense capabilities of the United States. (c) In this section, the term “covered air and missile defense capabilities” means Patriot air and missile defense batteries and associated interceptors and systems, Aegis ships and associated ballistic missile interceptors (including Aegis Ashore capability), AN/TPY–2 radars, or terminal high altitude area defense batteries and interceptors.