CLOUD Aircraft Act

The CLOUD Aircraft Act would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to study whether it is feasible and what the costs would be to equip all DoD fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft that operate in highly trafficked domestic airspaces with collision detection systems. The study must be conducted in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and a report detailing feasibility, cost, recommendations, and a timeline for implementing any changes must be submitted to Congress within 180 days of enactment. The bill defines two types of collision detection: air-to-air systems (TCAS-like, warning pilots of potential mid-air collisions with other aircraft) and air-to-ground systems (radar and terrain-mapping-based alerts, potentially including automatic flight-control interventions). The act focuses on aircraft operating in busy airspace near commercial airports (Class B, C, or D) and does not itself authorize funding or mandate immediate procurement; rather, it initiates a feasibility assessment that could guide future decisions.