Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
United States Department of Defense · Public domain · source
Post	Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Body	United States Department of Defense
Department	United States Department of Defense
Reports to	United States Secretary of Defense
Seat	Pentagon (building)
Formed	2018
Precursor	Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering is a senior executive position within the United States Department of Defense created to oversee advanced defense technology and innovation efforts across United States Armed Forces, coordinating with agencies such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The office interfaces with congressional committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, the United States House Committee on Armed Services, and executive entities including the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Security Council to align technology priorities with strategic guidance and acquisition policy.

History and Establishment

The position was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 and implemented during the reorganization that followed guidance from the 2018 National Defense Strategy and the 2017 National Security Strategy, reshaping roles previously held by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and responding to assessments from think tanks such as the RAND Corporation, the Center for a New American Security, and the Brookings Institution. Early debates over the office involved stakeholders including the Defense Innovation Unit, the Armed Services Committees, industry consortia like the Aerospace Industries Association, and academics from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Under Secretary provides technical leadership for research portfolios spanning partnerships with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Naval Research Laboratory, Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, and cross-cutting initiatives with the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy National Laboratories, and private firms like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon Technologies. Responsibilities include shaping technology roadmaps that affect programs such as F-35 Lightning II, MQ-9 Reaper, Virginia-class submarine, Columbia-class submarine, and collaboration on space efforts with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the United States Space Force. The office also leads efforts to integrate emergent fields such as quantum information science from Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley, artificial intelligence initiatives tied to OpenAI and Google DeepMind, hypersonics programs involving DARPA, and microelectronics strategies influenced by Semiconductor Industry Association.

Organizational Structure and Offices

The office oversees directorates and deputy under secretaries coordinating with components including the Defense Innovation Unit, Manufacturing Technology Program, Strategic Development Planning, and the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. It liaises with services’ science and technology organizations—Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Army Research Laboratory—and international partners such as NATO, United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, Australian Department of Defence, and the Japan Ministry of Defense on interoperability and standards. The Under Secretary’s staff includes policy advisors drawn from National Defense University, detailees from Defense Contract Management Agency, and fellows with prior service in entities like National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency.

Major Programs and Initiatives

Major initiatives have included acceleration of hypersonic weapon development in coordination with DARPA and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), microelectronics resilience programs linked to Department of Commerce efforts and the CHIPS Act stakeholders, AI ethics and governance frameworks influenced by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and National Institute of Standards and Technology, and joint programs for next-generation sensing that engage MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Programs under the office have intersected with strategic procurements like Next Generation Air Dominance, unmanned systems exemplified by MQ-25 Stingray, and cyber-defense efforts in partnership with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and commercial cybersecurity firms.

Budget and Acquisition Influence

The Under Secretary plays a significant role in shaping research budgets that feed into the Department of Defense Budget requests to Congress and coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget and appropriation processes in the United States Congress. Influence extends to science and technology portfolio decisions that affect major defense acquisition programs overseen by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and to prioritization of funding vehicles such as Other Transaction Authority used by entities including Defense Innovation Unit and consortiums with Small Business Innovation Research awardees. The office’s guidance affects contractors including General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Honeywell, and collaborations with academic partners like Carnegie Mellon University.

Notable Officeholders and Succession

Since its formation, the office has been held by senior leaders drawn from industry, academia, and previous Defense Department service, succeeding officials from the legacy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics portfolio. Notable figures associated with adjacent roles include leaders who served at DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and in administrations alongside Secretaries such as James Mattis, Mark Esper, and Lloyd Austin. Confirmations have been subject to Senate consideration by members like Senator Jack Reed and Senator Jim Inhofe.

Criticism, Oversight, and Accountability

The office has faced scrutiny from oversight bodies such as the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability over program cost growth, technology transition rates, and ethics issues related to industry ties including contractors like Palantir Technologies and Amazon Web Services. Debates involve academic commentators from Georgetown University and policy critiques in publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post, while reform proposals reference legislative instruments in the National Defense Authorization Act and recommendations by panels including the Defense Science Board and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Category:United States Department of Defense offices