---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 8029"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "8029"
heading: "Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/8029"
units:
  - "Subtitle C — Navy and Marine Corps"
  - "Part I — Organization"
  - "Chapter 803 — Department of the Navy"
---

# §8029. Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office

- (a) **Establishment.—** There is established within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) an office to be known as the Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office (in this section referred to as the “Office”).
- (b) **Head of Office.—** The head of the Office shall be the designee of the Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command.
- (c) **Mission.—** The mission of the Office shall be—
  - (1) to fulfill naval and joint military operational requirements by supporting the identification and rapid development of—
    - (A) new naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities;
    - (B) innovative applications for existing naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities; and
    - (C) other innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness of naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities; and
  - (2) to contribute to the rapid experimentation, development, testing, and fielding of unclassified and classified naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities.
- (d) **Acquisition Authorities.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** To procure goods or services for the Office, the senior contracting official (as defined in [section 1737 of this title](/usc/10/1737.md)) and any members of the [acquisition workforce](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-18) for the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) may use—
    - (A) any applicable pathway of the adaptive acquisition framework (as described in [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense Instruction 5000.02, “Operation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework”); and
    - (B) any other alternative acquisition pathway that allows for accelerated or flexible methods of contracting.
  - (2) **Inapplicability of jcids.—** The Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System process shall not apply to procurements described in [paragraph (1)](#d-1).
- (e) **Required Program Elements.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/8720.md?p=4) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) shall ensure, within budget program elements for naval air warfare programs, that—
  - (1) there are separate, dedicated program elements for naval air warfare rapid capabilities; and
  - (2) the Office executes the responsibilities of the Office using such program elements.
- (f) **Executive Oversight Board.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** There is an executive oversight board for the Office which shall consist of the officials specified in [paragraph (2)](#f-2). The executive oversight board shall provide prioritization, oversight, and approval of projects of the Office.
  - (2) **Officials specified.—** The officials specified in this paragraph are the following:
    - (A) The Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
    - (B) The Assistant Commandant of the [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2).
    - (C) The Assistant [Secretary](/usc/10/8720.md?p=4) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) for Research, Development and Acquisition.
    - (D) The Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command.
- (g) **Annual Reports and Briefings.—**
  - (1) **Report.—** On an annual basis, the head of the Office shall submit to the executive oversight board described in [subsection (f)](#f) a report on the activities of the Office.
  - (2) **Briefing.—** On an annual basis following the submittal of the report under [paragraph (1)](#g-1), the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/10/8720.md?p=4) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) for Research, Development and Acquisition shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the activities of the Office.
  - (3) **Elements.—** Each report under [paragraph (1)](#g-1) and briefing under [paragraph (2)](#g-2) shall include, with respect to the year preceding the date of the report or briefing (as applicable), a description of—
    - (A) funding allocations for the projects of the Office;
    - (B) capability gaps addressed by the Office;
    - (C) the progress of the Office in experimenting, developing, testing, and fielding capabilities described in [subsection (c)](#c); and
    - (D) any barriers to the ability of the Office to carry out its mission, including any legislative or regulatory barriers.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title II, § 215, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 184.)