Cruz's HOVER Act: Black Hawks Get A High-Tech Copilot For Safer Skies
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is flying high with a new bill that hopes to update the technology used in the American military's helicopter fleet.
With the long title of The Helicopter Operational Versatility and Enhanced Readiness Act, more quickly referred to as the HOVER Act, the legislation promises to turn the Army's tried-and-true Black Hawks into modern marvels that can fly with or without a human at the controls.
Cruz said in a recent press release that the move is about 'peace through strength,' giving our troops the very best in cutting-edge technology.
'The HOVER Act allows the U.S. Army to modernize its fleet with such technology, boosting military readiness and American national security. I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass this bill to ensure our military remains the strongest and most effective in the world,' Cruz added.
The HOVER Act authorizes the use of government funds to convert at least three Army Black Hawk helicopters into Optionally Piloted Vehicles (OPVs), a fancy term for a helicopter that can fly itself or take instructions from a pilot in a format similar to Bluetooth.
The OPV tech, already proven in aviation practices outside the military, aims to lighten the load on human pilots, reduce human error, and increase survivability rates during dangerous military missions.
Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas-6), a former helicopter pilot, is also sponsoring 'companion' legislation in the House.
'As a former helicopter pilot, I understand firsthand the demands and risks associated with complex missions in challenging environments. The HOVER Act is a step forward in aviation safety and mission effectiveness. By integrating Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) technology into Black Hawks, we will not only reduce pilot workload but also enhance situational awareness and increase survivability in high-risk conditions,' Ellzey said.
The bill also directs the Secretary of the Army to run a two-year test drive – an operational experimentation program to evaluate how these OPVs perform in the real world. The Secretary will also have to report back to Congress within a year with progress, findings, and recommendations for OPV usage in the future.
Some could argue the bill is a no-brainer.
Modern combat zones are complex, fast-paced, and dangerous. Cutting-edge tech like OPVs could help pilots focus on their missions and, hopefully, reduce crash rates.
Cruz and Ellzey aren't waiting around. They're betting that robotic copilot systems are the next big thing in keeping America's pilots safe in battle.
The HOVER Act is about more than just tech updates for a few choppers; it's about ensuring the U.S. Army's helicopters are ready to face tomorrow's modern threats.
As Ellzey put it, 'This legislation is about giving our pilots the tools they need to be successful. It gives them the ability to execute their missions safely and effectively and come home to their families.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Iranian retaliation against U.S. forces could come soon, U.S. officials say
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States believes Iran could carry out retaliatory attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, although the U.S. is still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any attack, two U.S. officials said on Monday. One of the officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss the assessment, said Iran's retaliatory attack could happen within the next day or two. Iran has threatened to retaliate after U.S. bombed its nuclear sites over the weekend. U.S. officials have warned Iran against hitting back at the U.S. and President Donald Trump said after the strikes that any retaliation by Iran against the U.S. would be met with a force far greater than that used in the weekend U.S. attacks. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said on Sunday that the U.S. military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria. The United States has a sizeable force deployed to the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region. Some of them operate air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down incoming enemy missiles but their positions are vulnerable to attack. Reuters reported last week that the Pentagon had moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack. That included aircraft being removed from the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha. It is Middle East's largest U.S. base and houses around 10,000 troops. Tehran has vowed to defend itself and retaliate. But, perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the United States, it had yet to target U.S. bases or choke off a quarter of the world's oil shipments that pass through its waters by closing the Strait of Hormuz.
The Hill
36 minutes ago
- The Hill
Senate parliamentarian allows GOP to keep ban on state AI rules
The Senate parliamentarian concluded the controversial push to ban state regulation of artificial intelligence for the next 10 years can remain in President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill. The decision, announced by lawmakers over the weekend, followed weeks of speculation from both parties over whether the provision would overcome the procedural hurdle known as the Byrd Rule. The parliamentarian's decision will allow the provision to be voted on in the budget reconciliation process with a simple-majority vote. It comes after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, altered the language of the House's version in hopes of complying with the Byrd Rule, which prohibits 'extraneous matters' from being included in reconciliation packages. Under their proposal, states would be prohibited from regulating AI if they want access to federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The House's version called for a blanket 10-year moratorium on state laws regulating AI models and systems, regardless of funding. Still, some GOP members remained skeptical it would pass the Byrd Rule. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said last week it was 'doubtful' the provision survives. The provision has further divided Republicans, while Democrats are largely against it. While many Republicans are concerned with overbearing regulation of the emerging tech, a few GOP members argue it goes against the party's traditional support of states' rights. Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) told The Hill they are against the provision, while Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he is willing to introduce an amendment to eliminate the provision during the Senate's marathon vota-a-rama if it is not taken out earlier. The provision received pushback from some Republicans in the House as well. A group of hard-line conservatives argued in a letter earlier this month to Senate Republicans that Congress is still 'actively investigating' AI and 'does not fully understand the implications' of the technology. This was shortly after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) confirmed she would be a 'no' on the bill if it comes back to the House with the provision included. 'I am 100 percent opposed, and I will not vote for any bill that destroys federalism and takes away states' rights, ability to regulate and make laws when it regards humans and AI,' the Georgia Republican told reporters. Several Republican state leaders and lawmakers are also pushing back.
The Hill
41 minutes ago
- The Hill
Greene: Opposition to Iran attack ‘not disloyalty' to Trump
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a fierce supporter of President Trump, pushed back against claims that her opposition to U.S. involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict amounts to 'disloyalty' to the president. In a lengthy post on the social platform X, Greene railed against the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this weekend but ended her comments with a clear message of support for the president. 'I can also support President Trump and his great administration on many of the great things they are doing while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started,' Greene wrote on Sunday. 'That's not disloyalty,' she continued. 'Critical thinking and having my own opinions is the most American thing ever.' Greene blasted Democrats for suggesting otherwise. 'Because contrary to what brainwashed Democrat boomers say, Trump is not a king, MAGA is not a cult, and President Trump has surrounded himself with people who once disagreed with him and even ran against him for President,' she added. Greene also labeled Democrats 'hypocrites' for expressing concern about Trump's strikes on Iran while backing former President Biden's support for Ukraine's defensive war against Russia and the Afghanistan withdrawal. 'Also the same Democrats in Congress that are all of sudden clutching their pearls about Trump bombing Iran FULLY SUPPORTED AND VOTED TO FUND Dementia ridden Biden's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and stood by Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,' she wrote. 'Hypocrites is all they are,' she continued, 'and they are just desperately trying to find solid ground to oppose Trump on because so far they've failed at grasping anything yet.' The remarks come after U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday evening, in what President Trump called a 'spectacular military success.' The bombs targeted three nuclear sites in Natanz, Esfahan and Fordow, located inside a mountain. Six 'bunker buster' bombs were reportedly dropped on Fordow, while more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched at the other two sites. Trump has warned Iran against taking any retaliatory actions, warning of additional attacks if the country does not make meaningful efforts towards peace. The bombings put the U.S. directly in Iran's crosshairs for retaliation and made it an active participant in the Middle Eastern war, which Israel launched with airstrikes against Iran on June 13. Ahead of the strikes, news outlets had focused on the so-called civil war in the GOP between the pro-Israel foreign policy hawks and supporters who identified more with the 'America First' agenda. Members of both groups had been publicly lobbying the president in opposite directions as he considered taking military actions against Iran. Trump on Sunday brushed off concerns about a fracturing in the GOP. 'Great unity in the Republican Party, perhaps unity like we have never seen before,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
