---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 5531"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "5531"
heading: "Technical authority for integrated air and missile defense activities and programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/5531"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part VI — Elements of Department of Defense and Other Matters"
  - "Subpart A — Elements"
  - "Chapter 551 — Missile Defense"
  - "Subchapter III — Missile Defense Capabilities"
---

# §5531. Technical authority for integrated air and missile defense activities and programs

- (a) **In General.—** Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, the Director of the Missile [Defense Agency](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-11) is the technical authority of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense for integrated air and missile defense activities and [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), including joint engineering and integration efforts for such activities and [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), including with respect to defining and controlling the system level architectures, interfaces of such activities and [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), and the allocation of technical requirements for such activities and [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
- (b) **Detailees.—**
  - (1) In carrying out the technical authority under [subsection (a)](#a), the Director may seek to have staff detailed to the Missile [Defense Agency](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-11) from the Joint Functional [Component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) Command for Integrated Missile Defense and the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization in a number the Director determines necessary in accordance with [paragraph (2)](#b-2).
  - (2) In detailing staff under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) to carry out the technical authority under [subsection (a)](#a), the total number of staff, including detailees, of the Missile [Defense Agency](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-11) who carry out such authority may not exceed the number that is twice the number of such staff carrying out such authority as of January 1, 2016.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XVI, § 1649(a), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2194; amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVI, § 1653, title XVII, § 1701(a)(34), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1194, 1209.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 5531, act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 318, provided for recruiting campaigns to obtain enlistments in the Regular Navy and the Regular Marine Corps, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 90–235, § 2(a)(3), (b), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 756.

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XVI, § 1686(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2628, which was set out in a note under section 4205 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XVI, § 1649(b)(4), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2199.

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–60, § 1653(a), substituted “Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Director” for “The Director” and inserted “system level architectures,” before “interfaces” and comma after “of such activities and programs”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 119–60, § 1701(a)(34)(A), (B), which directed the substitution of “subsection (a)” for “paragraph (1)” and “paragraph (2)” for “subparagraph (B)”, could not be executed because of the prior similar amendment by Pub. L. 119–60, § 1653(b)(1). See below.

Pub. L. 119–60, § 1653(b)(1), substituted “under subsection (a)” for “under paragraph (1)” and “with paragraph (2)” for “with subparagraph (B)”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 119–60, § 1701(a)(34)(A), (C), which directed the substitution of “subsection (a)” for “paragraph (1)” and “paragraph (1)” for “subparagraph (A)”, could not be executed because of the prior similar amendment by Pub. L. 119–60, § 1653(b)(2). See below.

Pub. L. 119–60, § 1653(b)(2), substituted “under paragraph (1)” for “under subparagraph (A)” and “under subsection (a)” for “under paragraph (1)”.