10 USC Subtitle A, PART V, Subpart F, CHAPTER 327, SUBCHAPTER II: Front Matter

From Title 10-ARMED FORCESSubtitle A-General Military LawPART V-ACQUISITIONSubpart F-Major Systems, Major Defense Acquisition Programs, and Weapon Systems DevelopmentCHAPTER 327-WEAPON SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED MATTERSSUBCHAPTER II-DEVELOPMENT, PROTOTYPING, AND DEPLOYMENT OF WEAPON SYSTEM COMPONENTS OR TECHNOLOGY

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SUBCHAPTER II-DEVELOPMENT, PROTOTYPING, AND DEPLOYMENT OF WEAPON SYSTEM COMPONENTS OR TECHNOLOGY

Sec.

4421.

Weapon system component or technology prototype projects: display of budget information.

4422.

Weapon system component or technology prototype projects: oversight.

4423.

Requirements and limitations for weapon system component or technology prototype projects.

4424.

Mechanisms to speed deployment of successful weapon system component or technology prototypes.

4425.

Definition of weapon system component.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Pilot Program on Development of Reentry Vehicles and Related Systems

Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVI, §1645, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 598 , provided that:

"(a) In General.-The Secretary of the Air Force may carry out a pilot program, to be known as the 'Reentry Vehicle Flight Test Bed Program', to assess the feasibility of providing regular flight test opportunities that support the development of reentry vehicles to-

"(1) facilitate technology upgrades tested in a realistic flight environment;

"(2) provide an enduring, high-cadence test bed to mature technologies for planned reentry vehicles; and

"(3) transition technologies developed under other programs and projects relating to long-range ballistic or hypersonic strike missiles from the research and development or prototyping phases into operational use.

"(b) Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements.-

"(1) Authority.-In carrying out a pilot program under this section, the Secretary may, subject to paragraph (2), award grants and enter into contracts or other agreements with appropriate entities for the conduct of relevant flight tests of reentry vehicles and systems.

"(2) Grant and contract requirements.-

"(A) Merit-based grants.-Any grant under paragraph (1) shall be awarded through merit-based selection procedures.

"(B) Competitive contract procedures.-Any contract or other agreement under paragraph (1) shall be awarded using competitive procedures (as defined in section 3012 of title 10, United States Code).

"(3) Use of funds.-An entity that receives a grant, or enters into a contract or other agreement, as part of a pilot program carried out under this section shall use the grant, or any amount received under the contract or other agreement, to carry out one or more of the following activities:

"(A) Conducting flight tests to develop or validate-

"(i) aeroshell design;

"(ii) thermal protective systems;

"(iii) guidance and control systems;

"(iv) sensors;

"(v) communications;

"(vi) environmental sensors; or

"(vii) other relevant technologies.

"(B) Expanding flight test opportunities through low-cost, high-cadence platforms.

"(c) Coordination.-If the Secretary of the Air Force carries out a pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that the activities under the pilot program are carried out in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy.

"(d) Termination.-The authority to carry out a pilot program under this section shall terminate on December 31, 2029."