§ 4811. National security strategy for national technology and industrial base

§ 4811. National security strategy for national technology and industrial base

(a) National Security Strategy for National Technology and Industrial Base.— The Secretary of Defense shall develop a national security strategy for the national technology and industrial base. The Secretary shall submit such strategy to Congress as an integrated part of the report submitted under section 4814 of this title. Such strategy shall be based on a prioritized assessment of risks and challenges to the defense supply chain and shall ensure that the national technology and industrial base is capable of achieving the following national security objectives:

(1) Supplying, equipping, and supporting the force structure of the armed forces that is necessary to achieve—

(A) the objectives set forth in the national security strategy report submitted to Congress by the President pursuant to section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043);

(B) the policy guidance of the Secretary of Defense provided pursuant to section 113(g) of this title; and

(C) the future-years defense program submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to section 221 of this title.

(2) Sustaining production, maintenance, repair, logistics, and other activities in support of military operations of various durations and intensity.

(3) Maintaining advanced research and development activities to provide the armed forces with systems capable of ensuring technological superiority over potential adversaries.

(4) Reconstituting within a reasonable period the capability to develop, produce, and support supplies and equipment, including technologically advanced systems, in sufficient quantities to prepare fully for a war, national emergency, or mobilization of the armed forces before the commencement of that war, national emergency, or mobilization.

(5) Providing for the development, manufacture, and supply of items and technologies critical to the production and sustainment of advanced military weapon systems within the national technology and industrial base.

(6) Providing for the generation of services capabilities that are not core functions of the armed forces and that are critical to military operations within the national technology and industrial base.

(7) Providing for the development, production, and integration of information technology within the national technology and industrial base.

(8) Maintaining critical design skills to ensure that the armed forces are provided with systems capable of ensuring technological superiority over potential adversaries.

(9) Ensuring reliable sources of services, supplies, and materials that are critical to national security, such as specialty metals, essential minerals, armor plate, and rare earth elements, including by reducing reliance on potential adversaries for such services, supplies, and materials to the maximum extent practicable.

(10) Reducing, to the maximum extent practicable, the presence of counterfeit parts in the supply chain and the risk associated with such parts.

(11) Providing for the provision of drugs, biological products, vaccines, and critical medical supplies required to enable combat readiness and protect the health of the armed forces.

(b) Civil-Military Integration Policy.— The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the United States attains the national technology and industrial base objectives set forth in subsection (a) through acquisition policy reforms that have the following objectives:

(1) Relying, to the maximum extent practicable, upon the commercial national technology and industrial base that is required to meet the national security needs of the United States.

(2) Reducing the reliance of the Department of Defense on technology and industrial base sectors that are economically dependent on Department of Defense business.

(3) Reducing Federal Government barriers to the use of commercial products, processes, and standards.

(c) Department of Defense Technology and Industrial Base Policy Guidance.—

(1) Departmental Guidance.— The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe departmental guidance for the attainment of each of the national security objectives set forth in subsection (a).

(2) Purpose of Guidance.— The guidance prescribed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall provide for technological and industrial capability considerations to be integrated into the strategy, management, budget allocation, acquisition, and logistics support decision processes.

(Added Pub. L. 102–484, div. D, title XLII, § 4211, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2662, § 2501; amended Pub. L. 103–35, title II, § 201(c)(7), May 31, 1993, 107 Stat. 98; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title XI, § 1182(a)(10), title XIII, § 1313, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1771, 1786; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1081(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 452; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title VIII, § 829(a), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2612; Pub. L. 111–23, title III, § 303(a), May 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1731; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VIII, § 895(b), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4314; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1603(a)(1), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3508; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, § 882, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2316; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VIII, § 846(a), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1503; renumbered § 4811 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title VII, § 713(a), title XVIII, § 1867(b), (c)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3692, 4281; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title VIII, § 851, title X, § 1061(b), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 343, 398.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

The text of subsecs. (a) and (b) of section 2506 of this title, which were transferred to this section and redesignated as pars. (1) and (2), respectively, of subsec. (c), by Pub. L. 116–283, § 1867(c)(1)(B), was based on Pub. L. 102–484, div. D, title XLII, § 4216(a), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2668; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title VIII, § 829(d), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2613; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VIII, § 895(d), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4314; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1051(a)(18), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1561; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1867(c)(1)(B), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4281.

Amendments

2023—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1061(b), in introductory provisions, substituted “The Secretary shall submit such strategy to Congress as an integrated part of the report submitted under section 4814 of this title.” for “The Secretary shall submit such strategy to Congress not later than 180 days after the date of submission of the national security strategy report required under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043).”

Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 118–31, § 851, inserted “services, supplies, and” before “materials” and “, including by reducing reliance on potential adversaries for such services, supplies, and materials to the maximum extent practicable” before period at end.

2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 1867(b), renumbered section 2501 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a)(11). Pub. L. 116–283, § 713(a), added par. (11).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1867(c)(1)(B), transferred subsecs. (a) and (b) of section 2506 of this title to subsec. (c), redesignated such provisions as pars. (1) and (2), respectively, and realigned margins.

Pub. L. 116–283, § 1867(c)(1)(A), added subsec. (c).

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1867(c)(1)(B)(i), substituted “subsection (a)” for “section 2501(a) of this title”.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1867(c)(1)(B)(ii), substituted “paragraph (1)” for “subsection (a)”.

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–92 inserted “The Secretary shall submit such strategy to Congress not later than 180 days after the date of submission of the national security strategy report required under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043).” after first sentence.

2016—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–328, in introductory provisions, substituted “The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the United States attains” for “It is the policy of Congress that the United States attain”.

2014—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 3043)” for “(50 U.S.C. 404a)”.

2013—Pub. L. 112–239, § 1603(a)(1)(A), substituted “strategy for” for “objectives concerning” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–239, § 1603(a)(1)(B)(i), (ii), substituted “Strategy” for “Objectives” in heading and “The Secretary of Defense shall develop a national security strategy for the national technology and industrial base. Such strategy shall be based on a prioritized assessment of risks and challenges to the defense supply chain and shall ensure that the national technology and industrial base is capable of achieving the following national security objectives:” for “It is the policy of Congress that the national technology and industrial base be capable of meeting the following national security objectives:” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(9), (10). Pub. L. 112–239, § 1603(a)(1)(B)(iii), added pars. (9) and (10).

2011—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111–383, § 895(b)(1), substituted “Supplying, equipping, and supporting” for “Supplying and equipping” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 111–383, § 895(b)(2), substituted “logistics, and other activities in support of” for “and logistics for”.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 111–383, § 895(b)(3), substituted “, produce, and support” for “and produce”.

Subsec. (a)(6) to (8). Pub. L. 111–383, § 895(b)(4), added pars. (6) and (7) and redesignated former par. (6) as (8).

2009—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 111–23 added par. (6).

1996—Pub. L. 104–106, § 1081(a)(2), substituted “National security objectives concerning national technology and industrial base” for “Congressional defense policy concerning national technology and industrial base, reinvestment, and conversion” as section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–106, § 1081(a)(1)(A)(i), substituted “National Security” for “Defense Policy” in heading.

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 104–201 added par. (5).

Pub. L. 104–106, § 1081(a)(1)(A)(ii), struck out par. (5) which read as follows: “Furthering the missions of the Department of Defense through the support of policy objectives and programs relating to the defense reinvestment, diversification, and conversion objectives specified in subsection (b).”

Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 104–106, § 1081(a)(1)(B), (C), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which stated policy objectives of Congress relating to defense reinvestment, diversification, and conversion.

1993—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 103–35 substituted “section 108” for “section 104”.

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 103–160, § 1313, added par. (5).

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 103–160, § 1182(a)(10), substituted “that, by reducing the public sector demand for capital, increases the amount of capital available” for “and thereby free up capital”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2021 Amendment

Amendment by section 1867(b), (c)(1) of Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Acceptance of Civil Aviation Authority Certification

Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, § 832(b), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 962, provided that: “(1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense may not conduct a separate review and approval process for aircraft parts and components and repair processes that have been approved by a civil aviation authority under a Parts Manufacturer Approval or Designated Engineering Representative spare or repair certification and approval processes unless—“(A) a written justification for such additional review and approval process is approved by the commander of a systems command of a military service; and “(B) the Secretary submits such justification to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives]. “(2) Update to source approval request process.—Not later than June 1, 2026, the Secretary of Defense shall update the Defense Logistics Agency Source Approval Request process to establish a uniform evaluation and acceptance methodology, applicable across all military services, pursuant to which spares or repairs with civil aviation authority approval, as described in paragraph (1), shall be qualified for use on military aircraft that have a civil equivalent without requiring an additional, separate certification from the Department of Defense, regardless of whether such spares or repairs are determined to be safety critical items or mission critical items (as defined in section 865(l) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 [section 865(1) of Pub. L. 119–60, set out in a note below] (as added by subsection (a))).”

Acceleration of Qualification of Compliant Sources