Sec. 1077. Reform of quadrennial defense review
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Section 118 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: Each year following a year evenly divisible by four, on the date on which the President submits the budget for the next fiscal year to Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report (to be known as the Quadrennial National Security Threats and Trends Report ) on United States national security interests and threats and trends that could affect those interests.
The report shall be developed in full consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The report shall consider the following three general timeframes: Near-term (5 years). Mid-term (10 to 15 years). Far-term (20 years). The report required under this subsection shall include a discussion of United States national security interests consistent with the President’s most recently submitted National Security Strategy prescribed by the President pursuant to section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3043 ).
The report required under this subsection shall include a discussion of the current and future security environment, including assessed threats, trends, and possible developments that could affect the national security interests of the United States. Such areas of discussion shall include, at a minimum— geopolitical changes; military capabilities; technology developments; demographic changes; and other trends the Secretary considers to be significant. The report required under this subsection shall include a list of current and possible future threats to United States national security interests.
The threats included in the list shall be categorized by their likelihood, imminence, and potential severity, and shall include only those threats the Department of Defense would likely have a role in preventing, combating, or otherwise addressing. The report required under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. Not later than February 1 of a year following a year evenly divisible by four, there shall be established an independent panel to be known as the National Defense Panel (in this subsection referred to as the Panel ).
The Panel shall have the duties set forth in this subsection. The Panel shall be composed of ten members from private civilian life who are recognized experts in matters relating to the national security of the United States. Eight of the members shall be appointed as follows: Two by the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. Two by the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate. Two by the ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
Two by the ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate. In addition to the members appointed under paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense shall appoint two members from private civilian life to serve as co-chairs of the panel. Members shall be appointed for the life of the Panel. Any vacancy in the Panel shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The Panel shall have the following duties with respect to a quadrennial national security threats and trends report submitted under subsection (a):
Review the report and suggest additional threats, trends, developments, opportunities, and challenges that should be addressed in the Defense Strategy Review required under subsection (c). Discuss the role of the United States in the world, with particular attention to the role of the United States military and the Department of Defense, including a prioritized list of United States national security interests. Outline a defense strategy to address the threats, trends, developments, opportunities, and challenges suggested under clause (i), in particular discussing prioritized ends and ways and means to address the threats so outlined.
Determine the kind and degree of risk that is acceptable to the United States in undertaking the various military missions under the strategy outlined in clause
(iii)and discuss ways of mitigating such risk. Provide to Congress and the Secretary of Defense, in the report required by paragraph (7), any recommendations it considers appropriate for their consideration. The Panel shall have the following duties with respect to a Defense Strategy Review conducted under subsection (c): Assess the report on the Defense Strategy Review submitted by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (c)(3). Assess the assumptions, strategy, findings, and risks of the report on the Defense Strategy Review submitted under subsection (c)(3). Consider alternative defense strategies. Consider alternatives in force structure and capabilities, presence, infrastructure, readiness, personnel composition and skillsets, organizational structures, budget plans, and other elements of the defense program of the United States to execute successfully the full range of missions called for in the Defense Strategy Review and in the alternative strategies considered under clause (iii). Provide to Congress and the Secretary of Defense, in the report required by paragraph (7), any recommendations it considers appropriate for their consideration. If the Secretary of Defense has not made the Secretary’s appointments to the Panel under paragraph
(3)by March 1 of a year in which a quadrennial national security threats and trends report is submitted under this section, the Panel shall convene for its first meeting with the remaining members. Not later than July 1 of a year in which a Panel is established under paragraph (1), the Panel shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the Panel’s review of the quadrennial national security threats and trends report, as required by paragraph (5)(A). Not later than three months after the date on which the report on a Defense Strategy Review is submitted under subsection (c), the Panel shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the Panel’s assessment of such Defense Strategy Review, as required by paragraph (5)(B). The Panel may request directly from the Department of Defense and any of its components such information as the Panel considers necessary to carry out its duties under this subsection. The head of the department or agency concerned shall cooperate with the Panel to ensure that information requested by the Panel under this paragraph is promptly provided to the maximum extent practical. Upon the request of the co-chairs, the Secretary of Defense shall make available to the Panel the services of any federally funded research and development center that is covered by a sponsoring agreement of the Department of Defense. The Panel shall have the authorities provided in section 3161 of title 5 and shall be subject to the conditions set forth in such section. Funds for activities of the Panel shall be provided from amounts available to the Department of Defense. A Panel established under paragraph
(1)shall terminate 45 days after the date on which the Panel submits its report on a Defense Strategy Review under paragraph (7)(B). The Secretary of Defense shall every four years, during a year following a year evenly divisible by four, conduct a comprehensive examination (to be known as a Defense Strategy Review ) of the national defense strategy, force structure, force modernization plans, infrastructure, budget plan, and other elements of the defense program and policies of the United States with a view toward determining and expressing the defense strategy of the United States and establishing a defense program. Each such Defense Strategy Review shall be conducted in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Each Defense Strategy Review shall be conducted so as to— delineate a national defense strategy consistent with the most recent National Security Strategy prescribed by the President pursuant to section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3043 ); provide the mechanism for— setting priorities, shaping the force, guiding capabilities and resources, and adjusting the organization of the Department of Defense to respond to changes in the strategic environment; ensuring that entities within the Department of Defense are working toward common goals; and engaging Congress, other United States Government stakeholders, allies and partners, and the private sector on such strategy; provide a bridge between higher-level policy and strategy and other Department of Defense guidance and activities; consider three general timeframes of the near-term (associated with the future-years defense program), mid-term (10 to 15 years), and far-term (20 years); address the security environment, threats, trends, opportunities, and challenges; define the force structure and capabilities, force modernization plans, presence, infrastructure, readiness, personnel composition and skillsets, organizational structures, and other elements of the defense program of the United States associated with that national defense strategy that would be required to execute successfully the full range of missions called for in that national defense strategy; identify the budget plan that would be required to provide sufficient resources to execute successfully the full range of missions called for in that national defense strategy; define the nature and magnitude of the strategic and operational risks associated with executing the national defense strategy; and understand the relationships and tradeoffs between missions, risks, and resources. The Secretary shall submit a report on each Defense Strategy Review to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The report shall be submitted not later than March 1 of the year following the year in which the review is conducted. If the year in which the review is conducted is in the second term of a President, the Secretary may submit an update to the Defense Strategy Review report submitted during the first term of that President. The report shall provide a comprehensive discussion of the Review, including the following: The national defense strategy of the United States. The assumed or defined prioritized national security interests of the United States that inform the national defense strategy defined in the Review. The assumed strategic environment, including the threats, developments, trends, opportunities, and challenges that affect the assumed or defined national security interests of the United States, including those that were examined for the purposes of the Review and those that were considered in the development of the Quadrennial National Security Threats and Trends Report required under subsection (a). The assumed steady state activities, crisis and conflict scenarios, military end states, and force planning construct examined in the review. The prioritized missions of the armed forces under the strategy and a discussion of the roles and missions of the components of the armed forces to carry out those missions. The assumed roles and capabilities provided by other United States Government agencies and by allies and partners. The force structure and capabilities, presence, infrastructure, readiness, personnel composition and skillsets, organizational structures, and other elements of the defense program that would be required to execute successfully the full range of missions called for in the strategy. An assessment of the gaps and shortfalls between the force structure, capabilities, and additional elements as required by subparagraph
(F)and the current elements in the Department’s existing program of record, and a prioritization of those gaps and shortfalls. An assessment of the risks assumed by the strategy, including— how the Department defines, categorizes, and measures risk, such as strategic and operational risk; and the plan for mitigating major identified risks, including the expected timelines for, and extent of, any such mitigation, and the rationale for where greater risk is accepted. A sensitivity analysis, specifically to understand the relationships and tradeoffs between missions, risks, and resources. Any other key assumptions and elements addressed in the review or that the Secretary considers necessary to include. Upon the completion of each Review under this subsection, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of Defense the Chairman’s assessment of risks under the defense strategy developed by the Review and a description of the capabilities needed to address such risk. In preparing such assessment, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall consider the threats and trends contained in the Quadrennial National Security Threats and Trends Report required by subsection (a), any additional threats considered as part of the Review under this subsection (particularly those that are categorized as likely, imminent, or severe), and any additional threats the Chairman considers appropriate. The Chairman’s assessment shall be submitted to the Secretary in time for the inclusion of the assessment in the report on the Review under this subsection. The Secretary shall include the Chairman’s assessment, together with the Secretary’s comments, in the report in its entirety. The report required under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. . The item relating to section 118 at the beginning of chapter 2 of such title is amended to read as follows: 118. Defense Strategy Review. . Chapter 2 of such title is amended by striking section 118b. The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by striking the item relating to section 118b. Section 118 of such title, as amended by subsection (a), and the amendments made by this section, shall take effect on October 1, 2015.
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Sec. 1077
Reform of quadrennial defense review
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