---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 2156"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "2156"
heading: "Production of defective national-defense material, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/2156"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 105 — Sabotage"
---

# §2156. Production of defective national-defense material, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities

- (a) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1), with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9), willfully makes, constructs, or attempts to make or construct in a defective manner, any national-defense material, national-defense premises or national-defense utilities, or any tool, implement, machine, utensil, or receptacle used or employed in making, [producing](/usc/18/2256.md?p=3), manufacturing, or repairing any such national-defense material, national-defense premises or national-defense utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
- (b) If two or more [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) conspire to violate this section, and one or more of such [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in [subsection (a)](#a) of this section.

## Source credit

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 800; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, § 105, 68 Stat. 1218; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(f)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3500.)

## Notes

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 106 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, § 6, as added Nov. 30, 1940, ch. 926, 54 Stat. 1221).

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title.

Words “upon conviction thereof” were omitted as unnecessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “, or” for “or” in section catchline.

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”.

1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, inserted conspiracy provisions.