---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 239e"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "239e"
heading: "Nuclear command, control, and communications: major force program and budget assessment"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/239e"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 9 — Defense Budget Matters"
---

# §239e. Nuclear command, control, and communications: major force program and budget assessment

- (a) **Establishment of Major Force Program.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall establish a unified major force [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) for nuclear command, control, and communications [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) pursuant to [section 222(b) of this title](/usc/10/222.md?p=b) to prioritize such [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in accordance with the requirements of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense and [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16).
- (b) **Budget Assessment.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall include with the defense budget materials for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030 a report on the budget for nuclear command, control, and communications [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
  - (2) Each report on the budget for nuclear command, control, and communications [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall include the following:
    - (A) An overview of the budget, including—
      - (i) a comparison between that budget, the previous budget, the most recent and prior future-years defense [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) submitted to Congress under [section 221 of this title](/usc/10/221.md) (such comparison shall exclude the responsibility for research and development of the continuing improvement of such nuclear command, control, and communications [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1)), and the amounts appropriated for such nuclear command, control, and communications [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) during the previous fiscal year; and
      - (ii) the specific identification, as a budgetary line item, for the funding under such [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
    - (B) An assessment of the budget, including significant changes, priorities, challenges, and risks.
    - (C) Any additional matters the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines appropriate.
  - (3) Each report under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
- (c) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “budget”, with respect to a fiscal year, means the budget for that fiscal year that is submitted to Congress by the President under [section 1105(a) of title 31](/usc/31/1105.md?p=a).
  - (2) The term “defense budget materials”, with respect to a fiscal year, means the materials submitted to Congress by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense in support of the budget for that fiscal year.
  - (3) The term “nuclear command, control, and communications [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1)” means [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) through which presidential authority and operational command and control of nuclear weapons is conducted, including [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) that facilitate senior-level decisions on nuclear weapons employment.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVI, § 1631, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 591.)