§8669b Senior Technical Authority for Each Naval Vessel Class

Summary

Require the Secretary of the Navy to pick, in writing, a Senior Technical Authority (STA) for every class of naval vessels. For vessel classes that already had Milestone A or an approval to enter a later acquisition phase when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 became law, the STA must be designated within 30 days after that enactment. For other classes, the STA must be named by the time the class reaches its first such approval. The STA must be a Navy Senior Executive Service employee in a technically qualified office that reports to the portfolio acquisition executive. Each STA serves a fixed term long enough to show the class meets its approved capability goals. If an STA leaves voluntarily, the Secretary must name a replacement and tell the congressional defense committees within 90 days. Only the Secretary may remove an STA involuntarily, and the Secretary must notify the congressional defense committees within 15 days with reasons and name a replacement within 90 days. The Secretary can reassign STAs for Navy mission needs, subject to those rules. Give each STA authority to set, check, and approve technical standards, tools, and processes for their ship class under applicable laws and DoD/Navy rules. The STA must also make sure every design requirement ties directly to a key performance goal or key system attribute and stop any requirement that is not needed for those goals. Starting January 1, 2021, the Navy cannot first obligate funds for the lead ship of a class unless the Secretary sends a written certification to the congressional defense committees at least 30 days before obligating funds. That certification must include the STA’s name and qualifications, an explanation of engineering and integration risks, the critical systems identified, dates and approvals for engineering and testing plans, the key technical knowledge goals and demonstrated performance, confirmation that plans will deliver needed knowledge before detail design and construction and are funded in the future-years defense program, evidence the plans have been effectively executed, and proof critical systems were tested in realistic conditions. Definitions: “class of naval vessels” means similar surface or undersea craft (manned, unmanned, or optionally manned), including new classes and major upgrades; “Milestone A” means the decision to begin technology maturation and risk reduction.