Regular assessment of unmanned maritime systems to support National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration missions

The Administrator, acting through the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Assistant Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for Marine and Aviation Operations and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, shall regularly assess publicly and commercially available unmanned maritime systems for potential use to support missions of the Administration. The Administrator shall carry out subsection (a) through the Assistant Administrator for all matters relating to assessment of the suitability, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of unmanned maritime systems to meet data specifications required by programs of the Administration. The Administrator shall carry out subsection (a) through the Director for all matters relating to assessment of whether unmanned maritime systems are operationally reliable, feasible, and cost effective enough to make observations required by programs of the Administration. The Assistant Administrator and the Director shall jointly—