§4321 Development of Major Defense Acquisition Programs: Sustainment of System to Be Replaced

Summary

Require a sustainment plan for the old system whenever a new major defense acquisition program begins development. The plan must keep the old system funded and supported until the new system takes over most of the mission. It does not apply to programs that reached initial operational capability before October 1, 2008. Defense acquisition authority means the Secretary of a military department or the commander of the United States Special Operations Command. Each plan must show the program milestone dates (including low-rate initial production, initial operational capability, full-rate production, full operational capability, and the date the replacement will assume most of the mission). The plan must analyze needed funding to keep reliability and mission capability, and say whether to transfer mature technologies or add interoperability with the new system until the new system assumes the mission. The Secretary may exempt a program if the old system is irrelevant, the mission is gone, the mission is merged and another system can handle it, or the time to transfer is very short. The Secretary may also waive the rule for national security reasons but must tell the congressional defense committees in writing and explain why.