STUDY AND REPORT ON EFFECTIVENESS OF AIR FORCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM CHANGES.

SEC. 253. STUDY AND REPORT ON EFFECTIVENESS OF AIR FORCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM CHANGES. (a) Requirement.—The Secretary of the Air Force, in cooperation with the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, shall carry out a study to determine how the changes to the Air Force science and technology program implemented during the past two years affect the future capabilities of the Air Force. (b) Matters Studied.—(1) The study shall review and assess whether such changes as a whole are sufficient to ensure the following: (A) That the concerns about the management of the science and technology program that have been raised by Congress, 115 STAT. 1043the Defense Science Board, the Air Force Science Advisory Board, and the Air Force Association have been adequately addressed. (B) That appropriate and sufficient technology is available to ensure the military superiority of the United States and counter future high-risk threats. (C) That the science and technology investments are balanced to meet the near-, mid-, and long-term needs of the Air Force. (D) That technologies are made available that can be used to respond flexibly and quickly to a wide range of future threats. (E) That the Air Force organizational structure provides for a sufficiently senior level advocate of science and technology to ensure an ongoing, effective presence of the science and technology community during the budget and planning process. (2) In addition, the study shall assess the specific changes to the Air Force science and technology program as follows: (A) Whether the biannual science and technology summits provide sufficient visibility into, and understanding and appreciation of, the value of the science and technology program to the senior level of Air Force budget and policy decision-makers. (B) Whether the applied technology councils are effective in contributing the input of all levels beneath the senior leadership into the coordination, focus, and content of the science and technology program. (C) Whether the designation of the commander of the Air Force Materiel Command as the science and technology budget advocate is effective to ensure that an adequate Air Force science and technology budget is requested. (D) Whether the revised development planning process is effective to aid in the coordination of the needs of the Air Force warfighters with decisions on science and technology investments and the establishment of priorities among different science and technology programs. (E) Whether the implementation of section 252 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year2001 (as enacted into law by Public Law 106–398; 114 Stat. 1654A-46) is effective to identify the basis for the appropriate science and technology program funding level and investment portfolio. (c) Report.—Not later than May 1, 2003, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to Congress the results of the study.