---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 500"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "500"
heading: "Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Executive Committee"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/500"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 25 — Electromagnetic Warfare"
---

# §500. Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Executive Committee

- (a) **In General.—** There is within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense an Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Executive Committee (in this section referred to as the “Executive Committee”).
- (b) **Purposes.—** The Executive Committee shall—
  - (1) serve as the principal forum within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense to inform, coordinate, and evaluate matters relating to electromagnetic warfare;
  - (2) provide senior oversight, coordination, and budget and capability harmonization with respect to such matters; and
  - (3) act as an advisory body to the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, the Deputy [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, and the Management Action Group of the Deputy [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) with respect to such matters.
- (c) **Responsibilities.—** The Executive Committee shall—
  - (1) advise key senior level decision-making bodies of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense with respect to the development and implementation of acquisition investments relating to electromagnetic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum operations of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6), including relevant acquisition policies, projects, [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), modeling, and test and evaluation infrastructure;
  - (2) provide a forum to enable synchronization and integration support with respect to the development and acquisition of electromagnetic warfare capabilities by—
    - (A) aligning the processes of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) for requirements, research, development, acquisition, testing, and sustainment; and
    - (B) carrying out other related duties; and
  - (3) act as the senior level review forum for the portfolio of capability investments of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) relating to electromagnetic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum operations and other related matters.
- (d) **Coordination With Intelligence Community.—** The Executive Committee, acting through the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Intelligence and Security, shall coordinate with the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 ([50 U.S.C. 3003](/usc/50/3003.md))) to generate requirements, facilitate collaboration, establish interfaces, and align efforts of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense with respect to capabilities and acquisition activities related to electromagnetic spectrum operations in areas of dependency or mutual interest.
- (e) **Meetings.—**
  - (1) The Executive Committee shall hold meetings not less frequently than quarterly and as necessary to address particular issues.
  - (2) The Executive Committee may hold meetings by video conference.
- (f) **Membership.—** The Executive Committee shall be composed of the following principal members:
  - (1) The Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
  - (2) The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  - (3) The Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
  - (4) The Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Policy.
  - (5) The Commander of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) Strategic Command.
  - (6) The Chief Information [Officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
  - (7) Such other Federal [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) or employees as the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense considers appropriate, consistent with other authorities of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense and publications of the Joint Staff, including the Charter for the Electronic Warfare Executive Committee, dated March 17, 2015.
- (g) **Co-chairs of Executive Committee.—**
  - (1) The Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or their designees, shall serve as co-chairs of the Executive Committee.
  - (2) The co-chairs of the Executive Committee shall—
    - (A) preside at all Executive Committee meetings or have their designees preside at such meetings;
    - (B) provide administrative control of the Executive Committee;
    - (C) jointly guide the activities and actions of the Executive Committee;
    - (D) approve all agendas for and summaries of meetings of the Executive Committee;
    - (E) charter tailored working groups to conduct mission area analysis, as required, under [subsection (i)](#i); and
    - (F) perform such other duties as may be necessary to ensure the good order and functioning of the Executive Committee.
- (h) **Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Capability Team.—**
  - (1) There is within the Executive Committee an electromagnetic spectrum operations capability team, which shall—
    - (A) serve as a [flag officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-5) level focus group and executive secretariat subordinate to the Executive Committee; and
    - (B) in that capacity—
      - (i) provide initial senior level coordination on key electromagnetic spectrum operations issues;
      - (ii) prepare recommended courses of action to present to the Executive Committee; and
      - (iii) perform other related duties.
  - (2) The electromagnetic spectrum operations capability team shall be co-chaired by one representative from the Office of the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and one representative from the Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate of the Joint Staff (J–8).
  - (3) The principal members of the Executive Committee shall designate representatives from their respective staffs to the electromagnetic spectrum operations capability team.
- (i) **Mission Area Working Groups.—**
  - (1) The Executive Committee shall establish mission area working groups on a temporary basis—
    - (A) to address specific issues and mission areas relating to electromagnetic spectrum operations;
    - (B) to involve subject matter experts and [components](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense with expertise in electromagnetic spectrum operations; and
    - (C) to perform other related duties.
  - (2) The Executive Committee shall dissolve a mission area working group established under [paragraph (1)](#i-1) once the issue the working group was established to address is satisfactorily resolved.
- (j) **Administration.—** The Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall administratively support the Executive Committee, including by designating not fewer than two officials of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense to support the day-to-day operations of the Executive Committee.
- (k) **Report to Congress.—** Not later than February 28, 2024, and annually thereafter through 2030, the Executive Committee shall submit to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16) a summary of activities of the Executive Committee during the preceding fiscal year.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVI, § 1682(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 611.)