4. Department of Defense · Minor
Establish a near-, mid-, and long-term technology pipeline aimed at China
Printed page 100 4. Department of Defense
“Establish a pipeline of near-term, mid-term, and long-term technology that is aimed at great-power competition (China) and can be matured, prototyped, and evaluated to support major acquisitions (the ability to produce at scale) to break the cycle of schedule delays and cost overruns from underdeveloped and poorly understood technologies.”
What has happened
- Partially done
The FY2026 NDAA sec. 1833 establishes the Bridging Operational Objectives and Support for Transition program under the Defense Innovation Unit to move commercial technology into programs of record or fielded capabilities on request from portfolio acquisition executives and program managers, coordinated with the Rapid Innovation Program, SBIR/STTR and urgent acquisition — a transition pipeline in law, sunsetting in 2030. It is organized around commercial technology, not around a near-, mid- and long-term China portfolio.
- Partially done
Public Law 119-21 sec. 20006 funds the maturation and prototyping stages: $650 million for Mission Capabilities Office joint prototyping and experimentation, $1 billion to expand programs accelerating procurement and fielding of innovative technologies, $600 million to accelerate Strategic Capabilities Office programs and $90 million for reusable hypersonic technology.
- Attempted
EO 14265 sec. 7 requires a comprehensive review of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System within 180 days "with the goal of streamlining and accelerating acquisition" — the requirements end of the pipeline. Sec. 6 attacks the other end by reviewing every major defense acquisition program for schedule and cost breach. A directive, without a pipeline yet.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
The pipeline the Quote describes — near, mid and long term, matured and prototyped to support major acquisitions — now has a statutory transition mechanism (BOOST) and mandatory money behind it, but nothing published frames it around great-power competition with China.
One search covered this ask together with the other acquisition asks on pages 96–100.
- Action
- create
- Object
- DOD technology development pipeline
- ID
- 156