Except as provided under paragraph (2), in this chapter, the term “major defense acquisition program” means a Department of Defense acquisition program that is not a highly sensitive classified program (as determined by the Secretary of Defense) and—

Except as provided under paragraph (2), in this chapter, the term “major defense acquisition program” means a Department of Defense acquisition program that is not a highly sensitive classified program (as determined by the Secretary of Defense) and—

(A) that is designated by the Secretary of Defense as a major defense acquisition program; or

(B) in the case of a program that is not a program for the acquisition of an automated information system (either a product or a service), that is estimated by the Secretary of Defense to require an eventual total expenditure for research, development, test, and evaluation of more than $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 1990 constant dollars) or an eventual total expenditure for procurement, including all planned increments or spirals, of more than $1,800,000,000 (based on fiscal year 1990 constant dollars).

In this chapter, the term “major defense acquisition program” does not include—

(A) an acquisition program or project that is carried out using the rapid fielding or rapid prototyping acquisition pathway under section 804 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 10 U.S.C. 2302 note); or

(B) an acquisition program for a defense business system (as defined in section 2222(i)(1) of this title) carried out using the acquisition guidance issued pursuant to section 883(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 10 U.S.C. 2223a note).

The Secretary of Defense may adjust the amounts (and the base fiscal year) provided in subsection (a)(1)(B) on the basis of Department of Defense escalation rates. An adjustment under this subsection shall be effective after the Secretary transmits a written notification of the adjustment to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

For purposes of subsection (a)(1)(B), the Secretary shall consider, as applicable, the following:

(1) The estimated level of resources required to fulfill the relevant joint military requirement, as determined by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council pursuant to section 181 of this title.

(2) The cost estimate referred to in section 2366a(a)(6) of this title.

(3) The cost estimate referred to in section 2366b(a)(1)(C) of this title.

(4) The cost estimate within a baseline description as required by section 2435 of this title.

The Secretary of Defense may designate an alternate milestone decision authority for a program with respect to which—

(1) The milestone decision authority for a major defense acquisition program reaching Milestone A after October 1, 2016, shall be the service acquisition executive of the military department that is managing the program, unless the Secretary of Defense designates, under paragraph (2), another official to serve as the milestone decision authority.

The Secretary of Defense may designate an alternate milestone decision authority for a program with respect to which—

(A) subject to paragraph (5), the Secretary determines that the program is addressing a joint requirement;

(B) the Secretary determines that the program is best managed by a Defense Agency;

(C) the program has incurred a unit cost increase greater than the significant cost threshold or critical cost threshold under section 2433 of this title;

(D) the program is critical to a major interagency requirement or technology development effort, or has significant international partner involvement; or

(E) the Secretary determines that an alternate official serving as the milestone decision authority will best provide for the program to achieve desired cost, schedule, and performance outcomes.

After designating an alternate milestone decision authority under paragraph (2) for a program, the Secretary of Defense may revert the position of milestone decision authority for the program back to the service acquisition executive upon request of the Secretary of the military department concerned. A decision on the request shall be made within 180 days after receipt of the request from the Secretary of the military department concerned.

(A) After designating an alternate milestone decision authority under paragraph (2) for a program, the Secretary of Defense may revert the position of milestone decision authority for the program back to the service acquisition executive upon request of the Secretary of the military department concerned. A decision on the request shall be made within 180 days after receipt of the request from the Secretary of the military department concerned.

(B) If the Secretary of Defense denies the request for reversion of the milestone decision authority back to the service acquisition executive, the Secretary shall report to the congressional defense committees on the basis of the Secretary’s decision that an alternate official serving as milestone decision authority will best provide for the program to achieve desired cost, schedule, and performance outcomes. No such reversion is authorized after a program has incurred a unit cost increase greater than the significant cost threshold or critical cost threshold under section 2433 of this title, except in exceptional circumstances.

For each major defense acquisition program, the Secretary of the military department concerned and the Chief of the armed force concerned shall, in each Selected Acquisition Report required under section 2432 of this title, certify that program requirements are stable and funding is adequate to meet cost, schedule, and performance objectives for the program and identify and report to the congressional defense committees on any increased risk to the program since the last report.

(A) For each major defense acquisition program, the Secretary of the military department concerned and the Chief of the armed force concerned shall, in each Selected Acquisition Report required under section 2432 of this title, certify that program requirements are stable and funding is adequate to meet cost, schedule, and performance objectives for the program and identify and report to the congressional defense committees on any increased risk to the program since the last report.

(B) The Secretary of Defense shall review the acquisition oversight process for major defense acquisition programs and shall limit outside requirements for documentation to an absolute minimum on those programs where the service acquisition executive of the military department that is managing the program is the milestone decision authority and ensure that any policies, procedures, and activities related to oversight efforts conducted outside of the military departments with regard to major defense acquisition programs shall be implemented in a manner that does not unnecessarily increase program costs or impede program schedules.

(5) The authority of the Secretary of Defense to designate an alternative milestone decision authority for a program with respect to which the Secretary determines that the program is addressing a joint requirement, as set forth in paragraph (2)(A), shall apply only for a major defense acquisition program that reaches Milestone A after October 1, 2016, and before October 1, 2019.

(Added Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(b)(2)(A), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 279; amended Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title VIII, § 817(b), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2455; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, § 1502(a)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 502; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title X, § 1067(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 774; Pub. L. 111–23, title II, § 206(b), May 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1728; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(f)(18), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3511; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VIII, § 825(a), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 907; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, §§ 807(b), 847(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2261, 2292; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title VIII, § 831, title X, § 1081(a)(38), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1467, 1596.)