Sponsors (2)
The bill enables more virtual flight training to improve safety and lower costs, but it risks reduced hands-on proficiency for aircrews and adds administrative burden to DoD staff.
Service members can train more safely and with greater flexibility because the bill allows substituting some live flight hours with virtual/constructive training.
Military personnel and federal training programs may improve readiness by accelerating adoption of advanced simulation technologies that reduce flight risk while maintaining training opportunities.
Taxpayers could see lower operational costs if virtual training reduces expensive aircraft flight hours and fuel use.
Pilots and maintainers may lose hands-on flight and maintenance experience if live flight training is reduced, potentially harming proficiency and readiness if virtual training isn’t implemented well.
DoD staff and other federal employees will incur additional administrative workload because the bill requires a briefing within 180 days.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Secretary of Defense to brief congressional defense committees within 180 days on the feasibility of using virtual constructive training to reduce or optimize in‑air training.
Introduced April 9, 2026 by Eugene Simon Vindman · Last progress April 9, 2026
Requires the Secretary of Defense to report to congressional defense committees within 180 days on whether virtual constructive training could be used to reduce or better optimize the amount of in‑air flight training the Armed Forces conduct. The measure only calls for a feasibility briefing and does not create programs, change funding, or mandate training reductions.