SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.

SEC. 252. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING. (a) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Air Force should carry out each of the following: (1) Continue and improve efforts to ensure that— (A) the Air Force science and technology community is represented, and the recommendations of that community are considered, at all levels of program planning and budgetary decisionmaking within the Air Force; (B) advocacy for science and technology development is institutionalized across all levels of Air Force management in a manner that is not dependent on individuals; and (C) the value of Air Force science and technology development is made increasingly apparent to the war-fighters, by linking the needs of those warfighters with decisions on science and technology development. 115 STAT. 1042 (2) Complete and adopt a policy directive that provides for changes in how the Air Force makes budgetary and non-budgetary decisions with respect to its science and technology development programs and how it carries out those programs. (3) At least once every five years, conduct a review of the long-term challenges and short-term objectives of the Air Force science and technology programs that is consistent with the review specified in section 252 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as enacted into law by Public Law 106–398; 114 Stat. 1654A-46). (4) Ensure that development and science and technology planning and investment activities are carried out for future space warfighting systems and for future nonspace warfighting systems in an integrated manner. (5) Elevate the position within the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force that has primary responsibility for budget and policy decisions for science and technology programs. (b) Reinstatement of Development Planning.—(1) The Secretary of the Air Force shall reinstate and implement a revised development planning process that provides for each of the following: (A) Coordinating the needs of Air Force warfighters with decisions on science and technology development. (B) Giving input into the establishment of priorities among science and technology programs. (C) Analyzing Air Force capability options for the allocation of Air Force resources. (D) Developing concepts for technology, warfighting systems, and operations with which the Air Force can achieve its critical future goals. (E) Evaluating concepts for systems and operations that leverage technology across Air Force organizational boundaries. (F) Ensuring that a “system-of-systems” approach is used in carrying out the various Air Force capability planning exercises. (G) Utilizing existing analysis capabilities within the Air Force product centers in a collaborative and integrated manner. (2) Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of the planning process required by paragraph (1). The report shall include the annual amount that the Secretary considers necessary to carry out paragraph (1).