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1 [1] (June 27, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthzzawd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service ito i rgtheIegvhtivedebate~anco 1914 June 27, 2018 Defense Primer: RDT&E Advanced technology plays a critical role in ensuring U.S. national security. To maintain technological superiority on the battlefield, the Department of Defense (DOD) relies on scientific and technical knowledge developed in large measure through research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funded by the department and performed by industry, universities, federal laboratories, and others. DOD also relies on technology developed by the private sector for commercial markets. This In Focus describes DOD's RDT&E appropriations structure and funding levels. DOD appropriations are provided annually through the defense appropriations act, one of the 12 regular appropriations acts that provide most of the discretionary funding for operation of the federal government. DOD RDT&E funding is provided in four of this act's titles (see box). Congress also sometimes provides DOD RDT&E funding through supplemental appropriations acts. Congress appropriated a total of $93.5 billion for DOD RDT&E for FY2018, including $92.1 billion in the Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) and $1.3 billion in the Department of Defense Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-96). RDT&E by Organization RDT&E Appropriations Under Title IV Approximately 95% of DOD's RDT&E funding is appropriated in Title IV (Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation), which includes appropriations for the Army, Navy, Air Force, a Defense-wide RDT&E account, and the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. The Defense- wide account includes the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Office of the Secretary of Defense, and 15 other DOD organizations. Within each of these accounts are program elements (PEs) that provide funding for particular activities (e.g., night vision technology, aviation survivability). RDT&E Under Other Titles RDT&E funds are also appropriated for programs in other titles of the defense appropriations act. For example, RDT&E funds are sometimes appropriated as part of the National Defense Sealift Fund in Title V and as part of the Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction Program and Defense Health Program in Title VI. In some years, RDT&E funds have also been appropriated in Title IX as part of DOD's funding for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). Typically, the RDT&E funds appropriated for OCO activities support specified PEs in Title IV, though they are requested and accounted for separately. Alternatively, they may be provided to a transfer fund. Congress establishes transfer funds for a particular purpose, and may authorize DOD to transfer a portion of these funds to other accounts, such as RDT&E, to help achieve that purpose. Defense Appropriations Act Titles That Fund RDT&E Title IV: Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Army Navy Air Force Defense-wide Operational Test and Evaluation Title V: Revolving and Management Funds e National Defense Sealift Fund Title VI: Other Defense Programs Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction Defense Health Program Inspector General Title IX: Overseas Contingency Operations e Any ofthe above 0 Transfer Funds RDT&E by Character of Work While DOD Title IV funds are appropriated only by organization, DOD budget justifications and congressional appropriations reports and explanatory statements also typically describe this funding by the character of the work to be performed. This characterization consists of seven categories, each with a budget activity code (6.1 through 6.7) and a description. (See Table 1.) Table I. DOD RDT&E Budget Activity Codes Code Description 6.1 Basic Research 6.2 Applied Research 6.3 Advanced Technology Development 6.4 Advanced Component Development and Prototypes 6.5 System Development and Demonstration 6.6 RDT&E Management Support 6.7 Operational Systems Development Source: Department of Defense, Financial Management Regulation (DoD 7000.14-R), Volume 2B, March 2016. Funding in codes 6.1 to 6.3 is referred to by DOD as the science and technology (S&T) budget. This portion of DOD RDT&E is often singled out for attention by analysts, as it is seen as the pool of knowledge necessary for the development of future military systems. In contrast, 6.4, 6.5, and 6.7 funds are focused on the application of existing scientific and technical knowledge to meet current or near- wwwcrs.gov 1 7-5700

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