---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 118c"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "118c"
heading: "National Defense Science and Technology Strategy"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/118c"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 2 — Department of Defense"
---

# §118c. National Defense Science and Technology Strategy

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall develop a strategy—
  - (1) to articulate the science and technology priorities, goals, and investments of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense;
  - (2) to make recommendations on the future of the defense research and engineering enterprise and its continued success in an era of strategic competition; and
  - (3) to establish an integrated approach to the identification, prioritization, development, and fielding of emerging capabilities and technologies.
- (b) **Elements.—** The strategy required under [subsection (a)](#a) shall—
  - (1) inform the development of each National Defense Strategy under [section 113(g) of this title](/usc/10/113.md?p=g) and be aligned with Government-wide strategic science and technology priorities, including the defense budget priorities of the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the President;
  - (2) link the priorities, goals, and investments in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1) with needed critical enablers to specific [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), or broader portfolios, including—
    - (A) personnel and workforce capabilities;
    - (B) [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) for research and test infrastructure;
    - (C) relationships with academia, the acquisition community, the operational community, the defense industry, and the commercial sector; and
    - (D) funding, investments, personnel, [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2), and relationships with other [departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) and [agencies](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) of the Federal Government outside the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense without which defense capabilities would be severely degraded;
  - (3) support the coordination of acquisition priorities, [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), and timelines of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) with the activities of the defense research and engineering enterprise;
  - (4) include recommendations for changes in authorities, regulations, policies, or any other relevant areas, that would support the achievement of the goals set forth in the strategy;
  - (5) identify mechanisms that may be used to identify critical capabilities and technological applications required to address operational challenges outlined in the National Defense Strategy under [section 113(g) of this title](/usc/10/113.md?p=g);
  - (6) identify processes to inform senior leaders and policy makers on the potential impacts of emerging technologies for the purpose of shaping the development of policies and regulations;
  - (7) support the efficient integration of capabilities and technologies to close near-term, mid-term, and long-term capability gaps;
  - (8) support the development of appropriate investments in research and technology development within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6), and appropriate partnerships with the defense industry and commercial industry; and
  - (9) identify mechanisms to provide information on defense technology priorities to industry to enable industry to invest deliberately in emerging technologies to build and broaden the capabilities of the industrial base.
- (c) **Coordination.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall develop the strategy under [subsection (a)](#a) in coordination with relevant entities within the Office of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8), the research organizations of [Defense Agencies](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-11) and [Department of Defense Field Activities](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-12), the intelligence community, defense and technology industry partners, research and development partners, other Federal research [agencies](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3), allies and partners of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1), and other appropriate organizations.
- (d) **Considerations.—** In developing the strategy under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall consider—
  - (1) the operational challenges identified in the National Defense Strategy and the technological threats and opportunities identified through the global technology review and assessment activities of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, the intelligence community, and other technology partners;
  - (2) current [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) requirements and emerging technologies in the defense and commercial sectors;
  - (3) the capabilities of foreign near-peer and peer nations;
  - (4) the need to support the development of a robust trusted and assured industrial base to manufacture and sustain the technologies and capabilities to meet defense requirements; and
  - (5) near-term, mid-term, and long-term technology and capability development goals.
- (e) **Reports.—**
  - (1) **Subsequent reports and updates.—** Not later than February 1 of the year following each fiscal year in which the National Defense Strategy is submitted under [section 113(g) of this title](/usc/10/113.md?p=g), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall submit to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16) a report that [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) an updated version of the strategy under [subsection (a)](#a). Each update to such strategy shall be prepared for purposes of such report based on emerging requirements, technological developments in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1), and technical intelligence derived from global technology reviews conducted by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense.
  - (2) **Form of reports.—** The reports submitted under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) may be submitted in a form determined appropriate by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, which may include classified, unclassified, and publicly releasable formats, as appropriate.
- (f) **Briefing.—** Not later than 90 days after the date on which the strategy under [subsection (a)](#a) is completed, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the implementation plan for the strategy.
- (g) **Designation.—** The strategy developed under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be known as the “National Defense Science and Technology Strategy”.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title II, § 211(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1585.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title II, § 218, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1679, which was not classified to the Code and was repealed by Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title II, § 211(c), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1587.