U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 486. Quadrennial report on emerging operational concepts

(a) Quadrennial Report Required.— Not later than March 1 of each year evenly divisible by four, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on emerging operational concepts. Each such report shall be prepared by the Secretary in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(b) Content of Report Relating to DoD Processes.— Each such report shall contain a description, for the four years preceding the year in which the report is submitted, of the following:

(1) The process undertaken in the Department of Defense, and in each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, to define and develop doctrine, operational concepts, organizational concepts, and acquisition strategies to address—

(A) the potential of emerging technologies for significantly improving the operational effectiveness of the armed forces;

(B) changes in the international order that may necessitate changes in the operational capabilities of the armed forces;

(D) changes in defense budget projections.

(2) The manner in which the processes described in paragraph (1) are harmonized to ensure that there is a sufficient consideration of the development of joint doctrine, operational concepts, and acquisition strategies.

(3) The manner in which the processes described in paragraph (1) are coordinated through the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and reflected in the planning, programming, and budgeting process of the Department of Defense.

(c) Content of Report Relating to Identification of Technological Objectives for Research and Development.— Each report under this section shall set forth the military capabilities that are necessary for meeting national security requirements over the next two to three decades, including—

(1) the most significant strategic and operational capabilities (including both armed force-specific and joint capabilities) that are necessary for the armed forces to prevail against the most dangerous threats, including asymmetrical threats, that could be posed to the national security interests of the United States by potential adversaries from 20 to 30 years in the future;

(2) the key characteristics and capabilities of future military systems (including both armed force-specific and joint systems) that will be needed to meet each such threat; and

(3) the most significant research and development challenges that must be met, and the technological breakthroughs that must be made, to develop and field such systems.

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