Oversight Plan

112th Congress Oversight Plan

This oversight plan is filed pursuant to clause 2(d) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives that requires that, not later than February 15 of the first session of a Congress, each standing committee of the House shall adopt its oversight plan for that Congress.

INTRODUCTION

The oversight responsibilities of the Committee on Armed Services are conducted throughout the calendar year. They are instrumental in the committee's consideration of the annual defense authorization bill, which covers the breadth of the operations of the Department of Defense as well as the national security functions of the Department of Energy and other related areas. The annual national defense budget involves millions of military and civilian personnel, thousands of facilities, and hundreds of agencies, departments, and commands located throughout the world. The wars in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Iraq, as well as contingency operations related to the global war on terrorism, will continue to expand the range of topics requiring committee oversight including strategic, operational, and budgetary issues of great scope and complexity.

The committee has jurisdiction over laws, programs, and agencies under permanent authority in numerous titles of the United States Code, including titles 10 (Armed Forces), 32 (National Guard), 37 (Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services), 42 (Atomic Energy), 46 (Shipping), and 50 (War and National Defense).

The jurisdiction of the committee, pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives is as follows:

1. Ammunition depots; forts; arsenals; Army, Navy, and Air Force reservations and establishments.
2. Common defense generally.
3. Conservation, development, and use of naval petroleum and oil shale reserves.
4. The Department of Defense generally, including the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force generally.
5. Interoceanic canals generally, including measures relating to the maintenance, operation, and administration of interoceanic canals.
6. Merchant Marine Academy, and State Merchant Marine Academies.
7. Military applications of nuclear energy.
8. Tactical intelligence and intelligence related activities of the Department of Defense.
9. National security aspects of merchant marine, including financial assistance for the construction and operation of vessels, the maintenance of the U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair industrial base, cabotage, cargo preference, and merchant marine officers and seamen as these matters relate to national security.
10. Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits and privileges of members of the armed services.
11. Scientific research and development in support of the armed services.
12. Selective service.
13. Size and composition of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
14. Soldiers' and sailors' homes.
15. Strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense.
16. Cemeteries administered by the Department of Defense.

In addition to its legislative jurisdiction and general oversight function, the committee has special oversight functions with respect to international arms control and disarmament and the education of military dependents in schools pursuant to clause 3(b) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.

OVERSIGHT AGENDA

The committee will continue its oversight and assessment of threats to U.S. national security as it considers the fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013 defense budget requests. This effort will involve appropriate oversight hearings with the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the individual service secretaries and chiefs of staff, combatant commanders, other officials of the Department of Defense and the military departments, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency and other defense-related intelligence agencies, and the Secretary of Energy, the Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and other officials of the Department of Energy. In addition, the committee will invite the views and perspectives of outside experts in academia, industry, associations and advocacy organizations, and those in private life on these matters. Finally, the committee will continue its aggressive outreach program to seek the views and perspectives of service members and their families to include Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve members across the United States and at deployed locations overseas.

The committee carries out its oversight of the Department of Defense and its subordinate departments and agencies as well as portions of the Department of Energy through activities involving the full committee and its standing subcommittees. Each subcommittee conducts oversight of the programs within its jurisdiction as specified in the committee’s rules, with the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations pursuing coordinated and constructive oversight that will identify best practices, areas of potential savings, as well as those areas in need of correction and reform within the Department of Defense.

The oversight agenda below, unless otherwise noted, is designed to support the consideration by the committee and, ultimately, the House of Representatives of the annual defense authorization bill, as well as the committee’s broader oversight responsibilities. The issues identified are expected to be ongoing areas of oversight activity throughout the 112th Congress. In addition, the committee will continue to pay particular attention to the mandates placed on executive departments and agencies by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-62). The committee will examine closely the progress of the Department of Defense, the military departments, and the Department of Energy in implementing Public Law 103-62 to include the use of performance-based budgeting techniques and five-year strategic planning documents, for programs within its jurisdiction. In this context, pursuant to clause 2(d)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the committee will place renewed emphasis on examining relevant rules, regulations, statutes, and court decisions affecting the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy for their effects on efficiency and good management practices.

Given the unique nature of national security issues and related oversight of the Armed Forces, the committee believes that a qualifier is once again necessary with regard to the ability to plan comprehensively and predict all oversight activities. Much of the committee’s most demanding oversight will be, by definition, event-driven and not subject to prior planning. Such events significantly complicate the ability to prescribe with great accuracy or specificity the committee’s entire oversight agenda. For instance, the oversight of defense activities by the committee has historically involved in-depth assessments of military operations and other major events that are generally difficult to predict in advance, such as of the war in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and responses to catastrophic events. These reviews can dominate committee and staff resources, sometimes at the expense of other planned activities. The committee fully expects that this type of event-driven oversight will continue to be required.

The committee has a long tradition of translating oversight activities into prescriptive legislative action as reflected in past comprehensive efforts such as: providing for concurrent receipt of retirement and disability benefits for veterans with qualifying combat-related disabilities; reforming the military retirement system; the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-433); the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act of 1991 (Public Law 101-510); the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355); the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-106); the establishment of the National Nuclear Security Administration and related reform of the management of the national security programs of the Department of Energy; reform of the military health care system; and the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-366). More recently, in the 110th Congress, the committee played a lead role in the passage of the

Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007 and the Acquisition Improvement and Accountability Act of 2007 as included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181), the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008, the Clean Contracting Act of 2008 as included in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417). In the 111th Congress, the committee played a lead role in the passage of the Weapon System Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-23) and H.R. 5013, Implementing Management for Performance and Related Reforms to Obtain Value in Every Acquisition Act of 2010 (IMPROVE Acquisition Act of 2010), as included in the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (Public Law 111-383), and will continue to oversee these legislative provisions in the 112th Congress. In general, the committee will continue to maintain a strong linkage between formal oversight efforts and legislative initiatives.

In addition to the above, the following specific areas and subjects are identified for special attention during the 112th Congress.

POLICY ISSUES

National Defense Strategy, National Military Strategy, and Related Defense Policy Issues
The committee is committed to ensuring that the U.S. military is properly postured to meet the complex security demands of the 21st century. This will involve closely reviewing how the Department of Defense (DOD) postures itself to meet the demands of the wars in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Iraq, while also ensuring that the Department invests in modernization and remains capable of addressing new conventional and unconventional challenges. Therefore, the committee will provide oversight to ensure that all DOD activities, capabilities and functions, including doctrine, organization, training, education, exercises, materiel, leadership, personnel, facilities, and planning, appropriately reflect the necessity to meet the full range of security requirements.

Furthermore, when considering the overall posture of the Department, the committee will monitor the implementation of the recommendations delineated in the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). In addition, the committee will continue to consider the findings and recommendations in the final report of the QDR Independent Panel published in 2010.

Through its constitutional responsibility arising from article I, section 8, to raise and support armies and to provide and maintain a Navy, the committee has a responsibility to ensure that the military can meet its future missions, as well as today’s operational requirements. The committee’s examination of strategic risk, in simple terms, will look to ensure that these joint forces retain the ability, regardless of present operational pressures, to deter any potential foe, respond to any contingency that threatens U.S. interests, and defeat any adversary who might threaten America’s interests, in the worst case. In this regard, the committee will closely examine the Department of Defense’s range of assumptions about future threats made in strategy documents to assess the adequacy of forces, the resources available, and the likely level of strategic risk. The committee will continue to monitor strategic risk and take action to mitigate it when necessary.

The War in Afghanistan
Although the war in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has evolved since the inauguration of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, it remains a vital U.S. national interest, preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a launching pad for terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies. While the surge in coalition military and civilian resources has improved security in Afghanistan, these security gains remain fragile and reversible. Our forces must receive the resources necessary to conduct the counterinsurgency campaign, build Afghan security forces, and increase Afghan governance capacity. Given President Obama’s plan to begin transition to Afghan security forces in early 2011 and to begin a conditions-based U.S. troop reduction in July 2011, working towards a complete transition to Afghan responsibility for security by 2014, the next two years will be critical to ensuring U.S. security for years to come. Consequently, the committee will expand its related oversight activities during the 112th Congress on North Atlantic Treaty Organization International Security Assistance Force (NATO-ISAF) and Operation Enduring Freedom missions. This will once again put the committee on a war footing commensurate with the “surge” in U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

The committee will examine the progress made in the execution of NATO-ISAF’s counterinsurgency strategy, as articulated by President Obama in December 2009 and December 2010. The committee will track the performance metrics for measuring operational and strategic success, and will focus its oversight on whether U.S. force levels provide sufficient critical unit-level and theater-wide combat enablers to our commanders. Given the importance of enablers such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets and platforms that counter improvised explosive devices to our operational success and the protection of our forces, the committee will conduct rigorous oversight to ensure that these requirements are not negatively affected by the President’s planned troop drawdowns starting in July 2011. The safety and security of U.S. and allied forces will remain paramount in the committee’s deliberations, and it will seek to provide commanders with the resources to provide the necessary force protection.

Additionally, the committee will also monitor efforts to deny sanctuary in the border area between Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as well as provide oversight to other critical efforts in Afghanistan such as the development and sustainment of effective Afghan National Security Forces, assessing their tactical, operational, and sustainment capabilities as they prepare to assume full responsibility for security in 2014. The committee will also continue efforts to see that as increasing resources are devoted to Afghanistan, especially for reconstruction activities, appropriate accountability measures are taken.

Pakistan
Security and stability in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are vital to U.S. interests and will be a central issue for the committee in the 112th Congress. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state with a significant role in regional security and is a critical focus for combating Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terrorist organizations. In particular, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region is a base for terrorists and their supporters, who are operating on both sides of the border and pose a threat to U.S. and other International Security Assistance Forces, as well as to Afghan and Pakistani stability. The committee will continue its oversight of the broad range of security issues involving Pakistan, and in particular, will carefully review the use of Coalition Support Funds provided to reimburse Pakistan for its support to U.S. military operations and other forms of security assistance (such as the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capabilities Fund) designed to enhance the Pakistan Frontier Corps and the Pakistani Army’s ability to conduct counterinsurgency operations against the Taliban and other extremist groups operating along Pakistan’s western border that threaten both U.S. and Pakistani security.

The War in Iraq
The committee will continue its strong record of oversight of the war in the Republic of Iraq. Although U.S. forces have been drawn down to 50,000 troops, primarily serving in an advisory and support capacity to Iraqi forces, the committee will continue to monitor any ongoing military activities in Iraq, seek to determine if progress made in Iraq is sustainable, and oversee the transition of responsibilities in Iraq from U.S. authorities to the Government of Iraq, and from the U.S. military to the Department of State and other agencies. The committee will work to oversee execution of Iraqi Security Forces Funding, which supports a stable Iraq and builds an effective strategic partnership between the U.S. and Iraq.

The security situation in Iraq remains inextricably linked to a complex and evolving political situation in that country. The committee will monitor political developments in Iraq, such as the formation of the new government, in order to gauge their effect on the security situation and both the requirements for U.S. forces and how they are employed.

With the U.S.-Iraq security agreement’s mandate to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by January 1, 2012, the committee will pursue vigorous oversight of planning and execution of the drawdown of U.S. forces and their redeployment to either home stations or other operational theaters. The committee will continue to examine those factors critical to successfully transitioning security responsibilities to the Government of Iraq. Most important of these is the ongoing development of the Iraqi Security Forces. Consequently, the committee will work to determine what capabilities gaps are likely to remain within the ISF at the end of 2011, and therefore what, if any, residual U.S. forces should remain in Iraq as trainers, advisors, logisticians, and other advanced military specialties to ensure the hard fought strategic gains are preserved as we face the Iraqi endgame.

The committee will also focus attention on Foreign Military Sales (FMS), as the FMS system has become increasingly important in efforts to build security forces in Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. While primary oversight jurisdiction lies with the Committee on Foreign Affairs, foreign military sales are an increasing component of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Force Protection
The committee will continue to emphasize force protection as a high priority issue for special oversight, focusing on areas having direct impact on the safety of military personnel engaged in operations in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Iraq. The committee will seek to expedite the promulgation of policies and the fielding of technology and equipment that prevents and/or reduces combat casualties. The committee will continue to emphasize and support capabilities that protect personnel and equipment against both symmetrical and asymmetrical threats from an offensive as well as defensive perspective.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, focus areas will include but are not limited to: effective counter improvised explosive device (IED) equipment throughout the force; persistent surveillance in support of ground operations, particularly prevention of IED emplacement; capabilities to counter indirect fire; adequate, effective, and properly resourced quantities of body and vehicle armor; effective requirements generation and test and evaluation procedures; mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle production and fielding; and personal equipment that mitigates traumatic brain injury. Finally, the committee will maintain close oversight of the Joint IED Defeat Organization and its task forces to ensure appropriate intra-departmental coordination for fielding effective and affordable force protection measures.

Global War on Terrorism and Emerging Threats
Terrorism, insurgency, and weapons of mass destruction proliferation are some of the emerging threats that challenge global peace and stability. These threats directly impact the National Military Strategy and require the Department of Defense to work effectively and efficiently with other Federal agencies, and the security forces of other nations. The committee will conduct critical oversight of numerous cross-cutting Department activities central to addressing these emerging and unforeseen threats, including counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, security force assistance, and building partnership capacity (BPC), all of which received renewed emphasis in the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. And as the U.S. strengthens and builds partnership capacity with key allies around the globe, the committee will concomitantly remain focused on aggressively fighting the Global War on Terror and countering radicalism in places of concern such as, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Yemen, and the Horn of Africa. Ensuring security and stability in volatile regions that cannot adequately govern themselves or secure their own territory will remain a top priority for the committee.

The committee will focus attention on how the Department addresses these broad threats in its strategic planning processes, how resources are arrayed to meet these threats, and how existing authorities are consistent with operational requirements. While there are roughly a dozen authorities that fall into the BPC category, the ones the committee considers most significant include train and equip “1206” and special operations-specific “1208” authorities. Since 2006, the committee has been increasingly active in this area, and the last several national defense authorization acts have reflected what Congress considered to be the appropriate balance of providing sufficient authority for the most pressing needs of the Department of Defense while encouraging a more integrated interagency approach to building partnership capacity. Furthermore, the committee will continue to closely monitor and assess the execution of these BPC authorities, both during the initial congressional notification process and those programs in progress.

The full committee, as well as the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities (given the key role special operations forces play in this area), will continue their oversight of the full range of emerging threats to national security and U.S. military forces, and the capabilities needed to respond.

Detainee Policy, Military Commissions, and Related Matters
The Department of Defense continues to be the custodian of hundreds of detainees who are being held in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Iraq, and United States Naval Station (GTMO), Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

With regard to detainee operations in Afghanistan, the committee primarily will focus on: implementation of the Detainee Review Board process, as well as the transfer and release of detainees held in the Bagram detention facility; cases of recidivism; and the planned transfer of all detainees into Afghan custody.

In Iraq, the Department’s detainee operations will be largely governed by article 22 of the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). As the SOFA nears expiration at the end of 2011, the committee will closely monitor how the Department plans to handle irreconcilable detainees who seek to attack the United States.

With respect to detention operations at United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the committee will investigate the impact of Executive Orders 13491, 13492, and 13493 signed on January 22, 2009, concerning GTMO; investigate the transfer and release policies and practices that have led to recidivism among former GTMO detainees; and continue to monitor the use of the Military Commissions Act (Public Law 109-366; Public Law 111-84) that established the current legal framework governing the operation of military tribunals to try detainees for war crimes and codified some of the procedural rights of GTMO detainees.

The committee will also focus on issues relating to detainee interrogations, including whether detainees are Mirandized, the quality of intelligence resulting from interrogations, whether currently authorized interrogation techniques are adequate, and the Department’s role in the newly-formed High Value Interrogation Group. The committee will also take other necessary actions and conduct related oversight.

Iran
The development of nuclear weapons by the Islamic Republic of Iran threatens vital U.S. interests in the Middle East, including, but not limited to, the free flow of energy resources through the Persian Gulf, preventing the rise of extremist Islamic organizations seeking to commit attacks against the United States and its allies. In the 112th Congress, the committee will work to publicize the threat posed by a nuclear Iran through public hearings and working off legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on Iran’s strategic, conventional, and irregular military capabilities, the annual Iran military Power Report. The committee will work to strengthen the economic sanctions designed to make Iran’s rulers choose between nuclear weapons and a functioning economy. Additionally, the committee will conduct oversight of the full range of possible military activities and operations to counter threats posed by Iran.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY

The committee is responsible not only for ensuring that the United States military has the capabilities required to preserve our national security, but also to ensure that the Department of Defense is operated efficiently and with fiscal discipline in order to maximize the return on the taxpayers’ investments. To that end, the committee will conduct oversight of the organization and management of the Department of Defense, its business operations, and the means by which the Department acquires goods and services. Acquisition programs that no longer represent the best value for the taxpayer, due to a changing security environment, mismanagement, or the time required to deliver a useful capability to the warfighter, will be re-evaluated by the committee as part of the annual defense authorization process. In particular, pursuant to clause 2(d)(1)(F) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the committee will consider recommendations made by the Secretary of Defense to cancel the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the Non-Line of Sight Launch System, the Surfaced-Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, adjust procurement quantities for the Excalibur 155mm Precision Guided Munition, and closely monitor the progress of the delayed short take-off and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Additional plans for oversight in this area during the 112th Congress follow below.

Organization and Management of the Department of Defense
The committee will review the organization and management of the Department of Defense to ensure that it is properly postured to meet the complex and evolving security threats of the 21st century. The committee anticipates that the organization of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the military departments will be modified, perhaps substantially so, as the Administration implements efficiencies within the Department. The committee will carefully review any proposed organizational changes and work to ensure that the missions of the Department are appropriately aligned with organizations that have the core competency to perform them, as well as ensure that Department’s enterprise operates efficiently cutting out organizational waste and redundancy. The committee will also carefully review the Department’s implementation of legislation included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) assigning the duties of Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and creating the position of Deputy Chief Management Officer. Additionally, the committee will monitor and assess the reform of joint officer management under the authorities granted by the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364).

Financial Management
The Comptroller General of the United States has consistently identified the Department of Defense’s financial management as a high-risk area since 1995. The Department’s inability to track and account for billions of dollars in funding and tangible assets continues to undermine its financial management systems. It also creates a lack of transparency that significantly limits congressional oversight.

Separate measures to reform defense acquisition or to find efficiencies within the Department lack credibility if the Department is unable to produce auditable financial statements. Without these objective tools, neither the Department nor Congress can verify that greater value is being created.

The committee will continue to review the Department’s efforts to implement the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) plan to correct the weaknesses in its financial statements and monitor closely the interdependencies between FIAR and the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on business systems modernization programs that the Department has proposed to address its financial management problems.

Acquisition Issues
The Acquisition System and Acquisition Policy
The committee will continue to provide oversight of the defense acquisition system and address growing concerns about cost growth in major defense acquisition programs and the responsiveness of the system to compelling military needs. In recent years, the committee has been especially active in the area of acquisition reform including: reforming the process for reviewing and certifying requirements for major defense acquisition programs; reforming contingency contracting; improving the acquisition workforce; protecting strategic materials; and establishing greater standards and transparency for services contracting.

Nevertheless, the committee is still aware of and concerned about significant shortcomings in the acquisition system. The committee will carefully review the recent revision to Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02, “Operation of the Defense Acquisition System.” Likewise, the committee will continue monitor the implementation of recently enacted acquisition reforms. The committee will continue to work with the Department’s Panel on Contracting Integrity to eliminate contracting vulnerabilities. The committee will continue to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Army Acquisition and Program Management in Expeditionary Operations and will carefully review the findings of the Commission on Wartime Contracting when they are delivered to Congress. The committee will review the progress of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United States Agency for International Development in implementing the memorandum of understanding between those agencies on oversight of contracting in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The committee will also review the application of regulatory frameworks, such as the cost accounting standards, to contracts entered into and performed overseas. As part of its oversight, the committee will continue to examine in depth the military requirements process that is the foundation of the acquisition system. Weapons system programs begin with the validation of a military requirement. The process by which this occurs, while lengthy and filled with multi-service consultation, continues to produce outcomes which do not reflect the jointness that the military has achieved at the operating level.

Service contracting represents an increasingly large proportion of the acquisition expenditures of the Department. The committee will continue to work to reform appropriately the acquisition process to reflect this reality by: reviewing the management structure for these contracts; increasing the visibility and transparency of these contracts by reviewing service contract inventories; and monitoring efforts to prevent personal and organizational conflicts of interest. The committee will also monitor the Department’s phase out of the use of contractors to perform inherently governmental functions such as serving as the lead system integrator on major defense acquisition programs.

While the committee has done a significant amount of work to improve the ability of the workforce to contract in a contingency environment, the committee will seek to ensure that contingency contracting can be used as an effective tool of counter-insurgency operations, especially when coupled with rapid acquisition authorities, which are discussed below.

The committee recognizes that a fundamental component in addressing most of the problems in the acquisition process is improving the composition and quality of the acquisition workforce. The committee will provide oversight to efforts to enhance career paths for military personnel working in acquisition, to the recently created Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund, and to other efforts by the Department to expand and improve the acquisition workforce. In addition, the committee will continue to ensure the protection of the government’s interest in technical data.

Defense Industrial Base and Technology Transfers
The committee will give close examination to the health of the defense industrial base. The industrial base for complex major weapons systems has shrunk dramatically in the last decade, limiting the ability of the Department to control costs and encourage innovation through the use of competition. Industry has also struggled in many cases to make the long-term investments that are vital to the health of the defense industrial base, notably so in the shipbuilding industry. The committee will examine the policies and funding tools available to the Department to ensure the health of the defense industrial base.

The committee will continue to examine the U.S. export control regime and its effectiveness in preventing the transfer of sensitive military-related technologies to potential adversaries. The consolidation of the defense industry and its increasingly global nature will increasingly challenge the capabilities of current systems for industrial security. The committee will continue to monitor the Department’s plans and statutory authorities for industrial security to ensure their adequacy.

Rapid Acquisition Authority and Joint Urgent Operational Needs Process
The conflicts in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and particularly the evolution of the improvised explosive device (IED) as a highly effective weapon of strategic influence, have illustrated the ability of an enemy to adapt enemy within a normal defense acquisition cycle. The committee will continue its oversight of the joint urgent operational needs (JUONS) process and continue to urge the Secretary of Defense to leverage previous efforts of the committee to take advantage of the rapid acquisition authority provided to the Department of Defense as part of section 811 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108–375), wherever necessary, in order to guarantee that military personnel receive required equipment in a timely manner.

The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) required the Secretary of Defense to commission an independent study and report on the effectiveness of the processes used by the Department of Defense to identify, prioritize, and meet urgent operational needs. In addition to the process involved for JUONS and immediate warfighter needs, the study will review certain alleged failures by the Department of Defense to rapidly respond to, validate, and execute on JUONS, and will also review concerns regarding the possible misuse of the JUONS process for non-urgent requirements. The committee will review and analyze the findings and recommendations from this commission.

Information Technology
Due to the growing complexity of software and integration challenges of linking disparate systems, the committee will focus on improving the management and acquisition of the Department of Defense information technology programs, especially through the implementation of section 804 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84), to ensure the Department realizes efficiencies resulting in cost savings, shorter development timelines, quicker acquisition, and improved capability.

OTHER POLICY ISSUES

Intelligence
The committee will continue to coordinate with the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on tactical intelligence matters and intelligence-related activities of the Department of Defense, and intelligence and counterintelligence activities of the Department of Energy in the course of its annual oversight of the intelligence community and the authorization of appropriations for intelligence activities shared by the two committees. In addition, the committee will monitor the reorganization of the intelligence community, through implementation of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458) and the creation of the Under Secretary for Intelligence position within the Department of Defense which was authorized by the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314). The committee will also evaluate intelligence-related acquisition programs both for effectiveness and affordability. Additionally, the committee will monitor the Department’s security practices, audit capabilities, and information-sharing policies following recent extensive unauthorized disclosures of classified information. All of the committee’s efforts will be focused on ensuring the highest possible quality of intelligence support to the warfighter.

National Guard and Reserves
The extended commitment of the National Guard and Reserve Components to meet wartime requirements of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom has highlighted longstanding pre-September 11, 2001, wartime-related equipping, manning, resourcing, and policy issues. The Commission on National Guard and Reserves (CNGR), established by Congress, has presented 95 recommendations that sought to: improve the operation of the Reserve Components; enhance the Department of Defense’s role in homeland security; create a continuum of service; develop a ready and capable operational reserve force; support reserve members, families, and employers; and reform organizations and institutions to enhance the roles and missions of the Reserve Components. In the 112th Congress, the committee will continue its review of the CNGR recommendations. In addition, the committee will continue its oversight responsibilities of the Reserve Component programs and policies that are necessary to support recruitment, retention, and transition of its members back to their civilian communities, including implementation of the Beyond Yellow Ribbon program. In addition, the committee will oversee National Guard and Reserve Component equipment readiness. The committee will monitor and evaluate the obligation of funds provided for additional equipment for the National Guard and Reserve Components as part of a separate procurement account, entitled the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA).

READINESS

Force Readiness
The committee will hold force readiness as one of its highest priorities and will continue rigorous oversight in this area, focusing not only on the readiness of deployed personnel supporting the wars in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, but on the ability of the services to conduct full-spectrum combat missions should the need arise. Shortfalls in full-spectrum readiness have developed over time due to the challenges of increased operational tempo, insufficient equipment and personnel availability, and inadequate dwell time to allow for full-spectrum training. In this vein, the committee will continue its oversight of the Department of Defense’s efforts to remedy these shortfalls and restore full-spectrum combat capability. The committee will continue to monitor the services’ reset strategies to repair, recapitalize, and replace equipment used in ongoing operations and will also closely monitor progress toward complete reconstitution of prepositioned stocks.

Life-Cycle Sustainment
Without appropriate and timely input from the logistics community, decisions made during system design can create unnecessary sustainment problems that drive millions of dollars in depot-level maintenance once the system is fielded. The committee will focus on reducing the total-ownership costs of weapons systems and equipment by ensuring the Department of Defense is developing, procuring and modernizing weapons systems and equipment with consideration of life-cycle support and sustainment requirements and cost. In its oversight of the Department’s life-cycle sustainment efforts, the committee will monitor the implementation of section 805 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84), which requires that each major weapons system be supported by a product support manager. Furthermore, the committee will continue its oversight of the Department’s corrosion control efforts and will monitor resourcing of corrosion prediction and prevention efforts with a focus on increasing the service life of weapons systems while reducing long-term sustainment costs.

Depot and Arsenal Capability
A critical piece of equipment sustainment is the capability provided by the nation’s organic arsenals and depots, including air logistics centers and shipyards. The committee is concerned that the Department of Defense continues to lack a comprehensive strategy to ensure U.S. military depots and arsenals are viably positioned and have the workforce, equipment, and facilities for efficient operations to meet the nation’s current requirements, as well as those in the future. The committee will continue oversight of depot and arsenal operations and management, focusing on capital investment in facilities and equipment, the implementation methodology and use of sustainment concepts such as performance-based logistics, the role of public-private partnerships, the use of working capital funds for timely product improvement, and the services’ logistics enterprise resource planning systems. Furthermore, the committee will examine the statutory framework that underpins depot and arsenal capability including those programs and initiatives designed to assure availability of critical organic manufacturing capabilities.

Civilian Personnel
The Department of Defense has long relied on the federal civilian workforce to support its missions around the world, often requiring civilians to serve in active combat zones; and it is clear that the federal civilian workforce of the Department of Defense plays a critical role in the readiness of our military forces. In its oversight in the 112th Congress, the committee’ will assess the implementation of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84), which requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategic workforce plan in order to shape and improve the civilian workforce of the Department of Defense. The committee will also examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department’s processes for recruiting, selecting and hiring of qualified individuals, and will continue to monitor progress toward developing a responsive, reliable security clearance system. The committee will continue its oversight of the Department’s transition from the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), with specific focus on the reclassification of NSPS positions and the overarching plan for transitioning employees and positions from NSPS. The committee will also consider the future direction of the Department’s statutory pay and personnel systems.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

An effective energy strategy for the Department of Defense will increase the operational effectiveness of the military and will enhance our national and energy security. Therefore, the committee will review the energy strategies promulgated by the Department of Defense and will monitor trends in the Department’s energy use on military installations and for military operations.

The committee will also continue its oversight of the Department of Defense and military services’ environmental restoration program and will monitor Department of Defense funding and adherence to federal, state, and local requirements for cleanup, compliance, and pollution prevention.

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Basing
The Department of Defense is undergoing a significant change in force structure both in the United States and overseas. These changes are being implemented to enhance operational efficiencies and ensure access to future contingency operations. The committee will continue to review all significant domestic and overseas basing proposals.

Military Construction Programming
The committee will review the Department’s military construction program to manage the overall capacity of the Department’s infrastructure and ensure prudent long-term military construction investments are provided.

Real Property Acquisition, Maintenance, and Disposal
The real property management process requires extensive oversight to maintain more than $650.0 billion in infrastructure at an annual cost of nearly $60.0 billion. The committee is concerned that infrastructure inefficiencies result in duplicative operations and uncoordinated investment decisions, and will seek to apply best practices across the Department in order to efficiently maintain the services’ taxpayer funded infrastructure.

Military Infrastructure Privatization
The committee will continue its review of these long-term mechanisms and ensure prudent investment decisions are implemented that provide the best capabilities to the Department.

TOTAL FORCE, PERSONNEL, AND HEALTH CARE ISSUES

Manpower Sufficient in Quantity and Quality to Meet Global Commitments
Some argue that military personnel have become or are becoming too expensive. The committee rejects that assertion because this budget oriented focus misses the fundamental question that the committee will assess: What does the nation need in terms of manpower and the quality of that manpower to meet its current and future global military commitments? In this context, the recent announcement by the Secretary of Defense to reduce Army and Marine Corps manpower levels beginning in 2015 in the name of efficiency deeply troubles the committee. Under this proposal, the Army’s permanent active duty end strength would decrease by 27,000, resulting in Army strength some 46,000 below the fiscal year 2010 actual levels and 5,000 below fiscal year 2008 permanent levels. The Marine Corps permanent strength would shrink by 15,000 to 20,000 below fiscal year 2010 levels. The announcement of such cuts as a cost-savings measure appear to be premature when both military services are heavily engaged in two wars; when neither the Army nor the Marine Corps have achieved their dwell time goals so necessary to sustain a military force whose personnel are under severe stress; when such reductions portend increased use of the Reserve Components who also have yet to achieve dwell time objectives; when the Army struggles to ensure full manning of forces deploying to combat theaters; and there is no evidence available to the committee that a smaller Army and Marine Corps would be adequate to meet future contingencies or the war fighting requirements of the combatant commanders. For these reasons, the committee will closely scrutinize proposed manpower reductions, and will also continue oversight to ensure that the Armed Services - Active Guard and Reserve - can sustain themselves while minimizing the negative effects of fighting two wars simultaneously and be adequately manned to fight future contingencies. Within this focus, the committee will examine closely trends in force structure requirements, end strength, recruiting, retention and compensation.

Sustaining Cost Efficient Operation of Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programs, Military Resale Programs and Department of Defense School System
Several analysts have targeted various programs directly related to military quality of life as being extraneous, unnecessary, and too costly to maintain. The committee rejects such assertions and believes cost efficient sustainment of the military resale system, including the post exchange and commissaries, the Department of Defense School System, and the MWR programs of the military services, is required. Committee oversight efforts will be directed toward that end.

Mental Health Services for Members of the Armed Forces
A continued principal focus of the committee during the 112th Congress will be to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of mental health services provided to members of the Armed Forces and their families. Particular attention will be given, but not limited to, the suicide prevention efforts undertaken by each military service and the interim results of the longitudinal study by the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Army on suicidality and mental health in the United States Army.

Sexual Assault in the Military
The committee will continue its efforts to address sexual assaults in the military and ensure victims are provided the appropriate care and support. The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (Public Law 111-383) requires the Department of Defense to make significant improvements to their programs and policies to prevent and address sexual assaults involving members of the Armed Forces. Implementation of these program and policy improvements will require close oversight by the committee. Finally, the committee remains interested in how the military justice system is functioning with regard to the issue of sexual assault and will continue working with the Department of Defense on methods to optimize prosecution efforts.

Military Health Care System
The committee is committed to a robust military health system which provides quality health care for service members, retirees, and their families. The cost of providing health care to military beneficiaries will be a particular focus for the committee during the 112th Congress. The committee will continue to explore strategies to improve the health status of beneficiaries and control cost growth within the military health care system with particular emphasis the role of preventive care. Additionally, to ensure that the military health system is efficient and effective, the committee will conduct oversight activities on how the military health system should be organized, programmed, and resourced. Particular attention will be focused on health information technology systems and the acquisition process for military health related procurement. The committee will continue to closely monitor progress towards completing the Base Realignment and Closure requirements, along with additional congressional mandates, for military treatment facilities in the National Capital Region. Finally, the committee remains committed to a robust medical research and development program focused on military heath issues, such as blast injury mitigation and treatment, combat trauma care, military infectious diseases, and medical biological/chemical defense.

Wounded Warrior Care (Wounded and Disabled Service Members and Their Families)
The committee will continue its efforts to assess the adequacy of the Department of Defense policies and programs for wounded and disabled service members and their families. The committee will also evaluate the Department Defense’s ability to integrate and coordinate the multitude of services and resources available to assist the wounded and disabled, not only from other federal agencies, but also from the private sector. The congressionally mandated Department of Defense centers of excellence will be reviewed for opportunities to expand capabilities and make improvements. In addition, the committee will continue to closely monitor translational research and treatment advances in traumatic brain injury. Particular attention will be focused on improvements to the disability evaluation system including the on-going Disability Evaluation System pilot with a view to ensuring the fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency of the program and to simplify the process for service members.

Military Voting
Recognizing that operational requirements and the mobility of military personnel were preventing military voters from receiving state-provided absentee ballots by mail in time for an election, Congress enacted legislation to improve the opportunity for our troops and their families to participate in the voting process and have their votes count. During the 112th Congress, the committee will continue to closely monitor Department of Defense compliance with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84). The committee will review military overseas voter participation in the 2010 election cycle and explore possibilities to further enhance the voting process to ensure that military voters are not disenfranchised in future elections.

Military Family Readiness

We are a nation at war, fighting on two fronts and the strains of those wars translate directly and immediately to the families of the members of the Armed Forces. The committee will continue to focus on the needs of military families and to identify the programs and policies that can be developed or modified to improve their lives. In particular, the committee will review and assess the adequacy and efficacy of current Department of Defense and military service family support programs to ensure these programs are reaching military families and meeting their needs.

Prisoner of War and Missing in Action (POW/MIA)
Over the past several years, the committee has maintained active oversight of the Department of Defense’s POW/MIA activities, as the committee of jurisdiction. That oversight led to the requirement that the Department of Defense reform the POW-MIA accounting effort and achieve significantly higher levels of identification by 2015. The committee will remain committed to diligent oversight and investigation into the challenges facing the Department in reaching the new accounting objectives, particularly with respect to the recovery, identification, and return of remains that have been found.

MODERNIZATION AND INVESTMENT ISSUES

The committee will conduct oversight of the full range of modernization and investment issues facing the Department of Defense. In particular, the Committee will seek to ensure the military services have the appropriate authorities, capabilities, and force structure to defend against any potential challenges posed by the advanced anti-access capabilities of countries, such as China and Iran, consistent with the report of the 2010 Department of Defense Quadrennial Defense Review which found that, ‘‘Anti-access strategies seek to deny outside countries the ability to project power into a region, thereby allowing aggression or other destabilizing actions to be conducted by the anti-access power. Without dominant capabilities to project power, the integrity of U.S. alliances and security partnerships could be called into question, reducing U.S. security and influence and increasing the possibility of conflict.’’.

Army and Marine Corps Armored Vehicle Modernization
The committee will focus on oversight of the Army and Marine Corps’ ambitious and evolving plans to recapitalize their entire fleets of heavy and medium-weight armored vehicles over the next two decades, including the M1 Abrams tank, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker Vehicles, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the Marine Personnel Carrier program, upgrades for Light Armored Vehicles, upgrades to Paladin artillery systems, and replacement of Army M113 series vehicles. In particular, the committee will focus on ensuring that the existing fleet of armored vehicles is properly upgraded and reset after very heavy use in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and that the Army continues to field vehicles that stay ahead of the evolving anti-vehicle threat posed by improvised explosive devices and advances in anti-tank guided missiles.

Ground Combat Vehicle Program
Based on long-standing committee concerns stemming from the Future Combat Systems program's requirements, cost increases, and schedule delays, the committee will continue aggressive efforts to oversee and shape the evolving Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program. In the 112th Congress, these oversight efforts will focus on understanding the basis of GCV requirements as they pertain to the Analysis of Alternatives, containing program costs, and ensuring appropriate and thorough testing. The committee will also continue to work closely with the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office to conduct continuous oversight and evaluation of the GCV program.

Army Aviation Programs

While major reductions may occur in rotorcraft force levels in the Republic of Iraq over the period of the 112th Congress, it is anticipated that Army air operations in Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will continue to require large numbers of legacy rotorcraft deployed to those theaters. Those aircraft, including the CH-47, UH-60, AH-64, and OH-58, will likely continue to be operated at high operational tempos, in very challenging environments. These high operational tempos will require continued upgrade and reset efforts.

In addition to its oversight of aviation requirements for, and performance in, combat operations, the committee will closely monitor the Army’s future force program for aviation. In particular, the committee will focus on the Army’s restructured acquisition plan resulting from the cancellation of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, the initiation of modernization programs such as the Joint Future Theater Lift (JFTL) program, and the need for aircraft survivability equipment upgrades to provide warning and protection against evolving surface-to-air missile threats.

With regard to the JFTL program, while the committee has supported research efforts to develop next-generation rotorcraft capabilities, it is concerned that senior leadership of the services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense have yet to establish a set of validated, reconciled, tested, and achievable technology requirements for the JFTL program.

Army Communications Programs
Given the growing importance of battlefield communications networks in global combat operations, the committee will continue to pressure the Army to clarify its plans for its future battlefield network and the supporting research programs now in place. In particular, the committee will focus oversight efforts on the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T), the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), other Army tactical radio programs, and the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) "Blue Force Tracker" system. The committee will work with the Army to ensure that the future battlefield capabilities it creates results in a network-enabled, rather than a network-dependent, Army. The committee aims to empower soldiers to accomplish their missions, rather than create an Army that is dependent on its communications network, so much so that it is not able to function without it. Finally, the committee will work to ensure that the Army’s plans create conditions for real competition and efficiency in the domestic military communications industrial base.

Tactical Aircraft Force Structure
The committee will continue to focus on the size and composition of the tactical aircraft force structure. Continued delays in the initial operational capability of the F-35 aircraft have the potential to result in future tactical aircraft force structure shortfalls if service life extensions for legacy aircraft cannot be accomplished.

With an operational requirement of 1,056 strike fighters, the Department of the Navy projects it can manage a peak strike fighter shortfall of 100 aircraft in 2018. The committee will focus on inventory objectives of F/A-18E/F and EA-18G procurement, the effect of delays in the procurement of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F/A-18 A through D service life limits, and mission capability of the AV-8B aircraft.

The Air Force has stated a strike fighter operational requirement of 2,000 aircraft, and, under current procurement and retirement plans, the Air Force does not project a strike fighter shortfall. However, delays in deliveries of the F-35A aircraft will affect the Air Force fighter aircraft inventory. In the 112th Congress, the committee will continue its oversight of: aircraft retirement plans; the F-22 and F-35 aircraft programs; and life extension and modernization programs for the F-15, F-16, and A-10 aircraft.

F-35/Joint Strike Fighter
During the 112th Congress, the committee will continue oversight of the F-35/Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, particularly issues related to the propulsion system. The committee will also continue to exercise oversight of program cost, schedule, and performance of the program.

With the JSF approximately two-thirds through a 14-year development process, the committee believes that there is still risk in completing JSF development within currently projected cost, schedule, and performance parameters. In the 112th Congress, the committee will continue to receive JSF annual reports and receive testimony and briefings from both the Department of Defense and the Government Accountability Office.

Bomber Force Structure
The committee understands that the Air Force plans to invest significant fiscal resources to develop, prototype, and field a next generation bomber platform, and also has plans to modernize and upgrade the B-52, B-2, and B-1 bomber aircraft platforms. While the Department of Defense has committed significant time and resources to the study of the required capability for Long Range Strike (LRS), the initial acquisition strategy calling for fielding of a capability by 2018 was suspended in 2009 to execute yet another LRS study, causing program uncertainty and instability, as well as inefficient use of considerable resources.

The committee will continue to maintain oversight of current bomber force modernization plans and the future bomber development activities of the Air Force.

Aerial Refueling Aircraft
The committee will continue to maintain active oversight of tanker modernization and recapitalization programs of the Air Force. The ability for aerial refueling during military operations is a critical capability in meeting National Military Strategy objectives. Currently, the KC-135 and KC-10 are the primary providers of U.S. air-refueling capability. Recapitalization of the KC-135 fleet of 415 aircraft, currently delayed 9 years because of failures internal to the Department of Defense’s acquisition system, will take over 30 years based on current fiscal resource constraints and other Department of Defense priorities that require significant funding. This will result in having to maintain and operate KC-135 aircraft that will be in the fleet for over 70 years. Therefore, timely recapitalization of the Air Force’s KC-135 tanker fleet is critical. Additionally, the Air Force plans to perform an avionics modernization program on the KC-10 fleet of tankers.

Department of the Navy Aviation and Weapons Programs

In addition to Navy tactical aircraft force structure noted above, the Navy is faced with a number of challenges in major aviation acquisition and life extension programs. These include, but are not limited to: the P-8 Multi-Mission Aircraft; the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Replacement; and medium and heavy lift helicopter replacement. The committee plans to devote a significant amount of effort in oversight for Navy and Marine Corps aviation acquisition programs in an attempt to forestall any degradation to the striking power of afloat carrier battle groups or the logistics ability afforded by medium and heavy lift helicopters.

The committee will continue close oversight of the Department of the Navy weapons procurement programs. In particular, the committee will evaluate the ability of the supplier base to furnish the Department with adequate numbers of weapons in an affordable manner, particularly the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile Block IV.

Shipbuilding Programs

The committee will continue close oversight of the Department of the Navy shipbuilding programs. In particular, the committee will conduct hearings, briefings and on-site inspection to assess the requirements for the size and composition of the nation’s battle force fleet. The committee will continue to evaluate the projected investment required to maintain maritime dominance and deter peer or near-peer maritime aggression. As part of such an evaluation, the committee will continue to place a significant emphasis on improving affordability in shipbuilding programs through: the requirements process; the use of acquisition best practices; stability within the overall program; increased reliance on common systems; and process and facility improvements at construction yards. The committee will conduct hearings and briefings to assess the need for legislative action to recapitalize infrastructure of public and private shipyards constructing or maintaining Navy vessels and vessels of the National Defense Sealift Force.

Military Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Programs

Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) programs constitute a rapidly growing component of the overall Department of Defense force structure. The committee will focus on the budget, cost, schedule, and performance outcomes of major unmanned aerial systems programs and examine the ISR enterprise for balance in collection and analysis capabilities. Also, close scrutiny of Office of the Secretary of Defense ISR policy formulation and oversight have been and will continue to be of interest to the committee. Long-standing concerns of the committee remain: lack of an adequate long-term ISR architecture and acquisition strategy; lack of supporting analysis for programmatic decisions; failure to balance collection programs data output with adequate resources to process, exploit, and disseminate data and analysis; and unnecessary proliferation of unmanned and manned vehicles, sensors, and ground stations.

Directed Energy Programs

Each of the military services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the Department of Defense have continued to fund numerous directed energy acquisition efforts for at least the last two decades. Promised capabilities have in all cases failed to be realized. The committee has continued to support these efforts, but in the 112th Congress, the committee will more closely examine organizing concepts provided by the Office of Secretary of Defense as demonstration projects become viable programs and the respective service acquisition plans in support of fielding directed energy capabilities.

Nuclear Deterrence

The committee oversees the atomic energy defense activities of the Department of Energy (DOE) and nuclear policies and programs of the Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure the safety, security, reliability, and credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. Particular emphasis will be placed on oversight of Departments of Energy and the Department of Defense nuclear modernization plans, including but not limited to: infrastructure investments; warhead life extension programs; stockpile stewardship and management plans; delivery system modernization; nuclear command and control; and security. The committee will closely watch the Administration’s funding of the nuclear enterprise to ensure sufficient resources are provided and allocated effectively across DOE and DOD requirements.

The committee will also provide oversight of the Administration’s nuclear policy and posture, extended deterrence policy, arms control activities, nuclear nonproliferation activities, and force structure requirements. The committee will also review Departments of Energy and Department of Defense organization and management of the nuclear enterprise, including National Nuclear Security Administration performance of its roles and missions under title 32 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106-65), laboratory and production site management and operations, workforce sustainment, and management of defense nuclear waste.

Missile Defense

The committee oversees the Department of Defense’s efforts to develop, test and field layered missile defense capabilities to protect the United States, its deployed forces, and its friends and allies against the full range of ballistic missile threats. Particular emphasis will be placed on: U.S. homeland missile defense capabilities; European Phased Adaptive Approach implementation and ensuring an adequate hedging strategy for the protection of the U.S. homeland; developmental and operational testing; force structure and inventory requirements; sensor-to-shooter integration; and science and technology investments in areas such as directed energy. The committee will be closely watching the Administration’s funding of the missile defense program, seeking the cost-effective application of resources, and looking for opportunities to bring greater stability to the industrial base.

The committee will continue to monitor foreign ballistic missile threats and identify opportunities to strengthen international missile defense cooperation with allies and partners such as the State of Israel, Japan, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states. Department of Defense oversight and management of missile defense activities, including the roles and responsibilities of the Missile Defense Agency and military services will also be reviewed. The committee will also provide oversight of the Administration’s missile defense policy and posture, including close examination of any Administration efforts that may limit missile defenses as part of any treaty or agreement.

National Security Space

The committee oversees the national security space programs of the Department of Defense, including space intelligence programs that are funded by the Military Intelligence Program. Particular attention will be placed on: space acquisition strategies that reduce technical risk and promote greater stability and predictability in the industrial base; mitigating risks that could create gaps in space capabilities; affordability and increasing government buying power; science and technology investments and improving the transition of technologies to baseline programs; and improving the synchronization between satellite and terminal acquisition programs.

The committee will continue to monitor foreign space threats and assess the Department’s space situational awareness, space protection, and operationally responsive space activities. The committee will also provide oversight of the Administration’s space policy and posture, review efforts to improve governance and management across the national security space enterprise, seek opportunities for space integration (where they make sense), and promote efforts that sustain the technical workforce.

EMERGING THREATS AND CAPABILITIES

Investment in Future Capabilities Science and Technology
The Department of Defense faces difficult choices as it balances the competing needs of capabilities needed for current operations and those projected for future conflicts. In order to address the latter, investments must be made in the Department’s Science and Technology (S&T) programs, and aligned appropriately with continued development and procurement programs to position the Department to meet those future challenges. Preparing for the challenges of the future, the Department must create a portfolio of technological options that can address the perceived threats identified in the defense planning process, as well as the emergence of unanticipated events or strategic competitors. Overcoming the bureaucratic inertia of existing acquisition roadmaps should be more properly balanced with capabilities to institutionalize adaptability. With the emergence of nontraditional adversaries pursuing “complex irregular warfare,” the Department of Defense recognized that true transformation required investment in additional capability areas. The committee will continue to encourage the Department to plan for and execute a balanced S&T program that ensures the U.S. military can retain superiority for future generations.

Cybersecurity Information Technology

Cyber operations have taken on an increasingly important role in military operations as well as national security. Accordingly, the committee will continue to closely scrutinize the Department’s cyber operations, organization, manning and funding to ensure the military has the freedom of maneuver required to conduct the range of missions required to provide for the nation’s defense. An important oversight role for Congress regarding the conduct of defensive and offensive cyber operations will be to ensure proper legal and policy framework is in place and is followed. The committee is particularly interested in examining the effects of globalization on the assured integrity of microelectronics and software.

Strategic Communication and Information Operations

Engagement with foreign audiences is pivotal in countering violent extremists and interrupting the radicalization process. As such, strategic engagement is a key element to success on the battlefield and an important tool to prevent or deter conflict before escalation. The committee will pay particular attention to the Department of Defense’s strategic communication strategy and the interplay of strategic communications and information operations, a broader set of tools to address operations beyond strategic communications. These activities are key enablers to military operations as well as military support to diplomacy