Conduct and purchase defense-relevant research and development
Conduct basic, applied and advanced research and development internally, through military departments, by contract, or by agreement with another federal agency.
Contracts & purchases
177 capability records
Explore capabilities
Search the complete inventory by action, citation, mechanism or office. Open a record to examine its conditions.
Fund external R&D through grants and cooperative agreements
Provide assistance for defense-relevant research; use a cooperative agreement when substantial federal involvement is expected, and a grant when it is not.
Grants & cooperative agreementsCooperation & exchanges
Negotiate research OTs, cost sharing and contingent repayments
Use research transactions outside procurement contracts, grants and cooperative agreements; negotiate advances and repayment clauses that credit designated research-support accounts.
Other transactions
Prototype technology, processes and business arrangements with flexible OTs
Carry out directly defense-relevant prototypes, including proofs of concept, business processes, reverse engineering for obsolescence, commercial-technology pilots and agile development.
Other transactions
Award follow-on production or sustainment after a successful prototype OT
Implement or expand successful prototype results through a follow-on production contract or transaction, including sustainment; a successful consortium subproject need not await all other subprojects.
Other transactions
Buy experimental products, services, demonstrations and prototypes
Purchase or modify purchases, domestically or abroad, of experimental/test demonstrations, prototypes, products, supplies, parts, auxiliary services and design for defense development.
Other statutory tools
Include bridge prototype or initial production units in a research contract
A competitively selected general-solicitation research contract may contain line items/options for development, demonstration, initial production or initial/additional items arising from its work.
Contracts & purchases
Award cash, noncash, contract or agreement prizes for defense innovation
Competitively reward research, technology, prototypes and transition-improving management practices; accept outside funds or nonmonetary prize contributions.
Contracts & purchasesPrizes
Accelerate commercialization through the Rapid Innovation Program
Use competitive contracts, cooperative agreements and OTs to transition innovative small-business/laboratory/prototype technologies into defense acquisition programs.
Other statutory tools
Fund multistakeholder innovation partnerships and allocate DIU project funding
DIU can support joint research/innovation partnerships with funding, resources, participation and technical advice, and allocate its available funds to selected Service innovation projects.
Cooperation & exchanges
Exchange laboratory resources and receive partner funding through CRADAs
Collaborate with nonfederal parties using laboratory staff, facilities, equipment and IP; accept and retain partner funds and negotiate invention rights.
Cooperation & exchanges
Sponsor research through FFRDCs within approved missions
Use research contracts and long-term sponsored research institutions; work placed with FFRDCs must remain within sponsoring agreement purpose, mission and scope unless statutory exception applies.
Other statutory tools
Share underused laboratory capabilities and undertake public-private work
STRL partnership centers can permit private use of underused capabilities, perform cooperative work, leverage private recapitalization and credit receipts to cost-bearing funds.
Other statutory tools
Use partnership intermediaries to connect labs, firms and universities
Contract or enter qualifying agreements with state/local-associated intermediary organizations for technology-transfer and cooperative-activity support.
Cooperation & exchanges
Reinvest laboratory and test-organization funds in innovation, transition, people and minor infrastructure
Directors may use statutory 2–4% mechanisms for research, transition, workforce development and qualifying infrastructure; fixed customer surcharge up to 4% may support these purposes.
Other statutory tools
Fund small-business research and commercialization through SBIR
Set aside qualifying extramural R&D funding for phased competitive small-business innovation awards, including permitted direct-to-Phase II routes.
Other statutory tools
Pair small firms and research institutions through STTR
Fund cooperative R&D between an eligible small business and research institution, with phased transition toward commercialization.
Other statutory tools
Purchase SBIR/STTR-derived technology through Phase III awards
Make follow-on awards, including qualifying sole-source awards, for development, testing, production or services derived from prior SBIR/STTR work using non-SBIR/STTR funding.
Contracts & purchases
Match outside capital with strategic breakthrough Phase II awards
Make milestone-linked SBIR strategic breakthrough awards up to $30m per small business including affiliates across up to 48 months, with matching resources and acquisition commitment.
Other statutory tools
Pay for commercialization, IP, cybersecurity and business assistance
Authorize SBIR/STTR recipients to purchase assistance or use staff/training to improve commercialization and screen foreign involvement; qualifyingI-Corps participation can be supported.
Other statutory tools
Build research capacity in eligible states through DEPSCoR
Competitively fund university research, instrumentation and graduate assistance, and facilitate laboratory collaboration in eligible states and territories.
Other statutory tools
Strengthen HBCU and minority-serving defense research and education
Support covered institutions through competitive grants, agreements, contracts, scholarships, fellowships, instrumentation, faculty support and partnerships.
Other statutory tools
Contract directly for university students’ temporary technical services
Obtain temporary/intermittent student technical support for defense R&D laboratories, directly or through nonprofit employers.
Contracts & purchases
Provide STEM scholarships and fellowships tied to service
Fund critical national-security STEM education, arrange internships, appoint successful participants and convert qualifying appointments into career service.
People & expertise
Direct-hire laboratory scientists, engineers, students and qualified veterans
STRL directors can appoint eligible specialists outside ordinary competitive hiring procedures, convert qualifying students and manage lab workforce within budget.
People & expertise
Recruit eminent experts with special appointment and pay flexibility
Specified labs and agencies can appoint eminent scientific/engineering experts and, at OSC, finance/investment experts using tailored appointment, compensation and term rules.
People & expertise
Offer enhanced pay for critical laboratory technology positions
Set elevated basic pay for narrowly defined high-end STRL research/technology and acquisition experts to recruit or retain exceptional personnel.
Other statutory tools
License federally owned inventions to commercialize technology
Obtain/protect federal patents and grant nonexclusive, exclusive or partially exclusive licenses, royalty-free or for consideration, while retaining government-use rights.
Licensing & IP
Buy patents, copyrights, software, technical data and infringement releases
Acquire ownership/licensing rights, technical/design/process data and software useful to military-department supplies or processes, including releases for past infringement.
Licensing & IP
Retain government-use rights and conditionally intervene in federally funded inventions
Under covered small-business/nonprofit funding agreements, allow contractor title while retaining a paid-up government license; invoke statutory march-in only on specified findings.
Other statutory tools
Use patented inventions for the government with compensation liability
28 U.S.C. 1498 supplies a compensation remedy against the United States for patented inventions used/manufactured by or for it without license; contractor protection requires government authorization or consent.
Other statutory tools
Obtain and enforce technical-data rights for competition, repair and integration
Acquire negotiated data rights, enforce federally funded rights, challenge unsupported restrictions, and use specified private-data exceptions for emergency repair or integration.
Licensing & IP
Finance, furnish, lend, lease or sell specialized contractor research/test facilities
An R&D contract may acquire or construct necessary specialized research/development/test facilities and equipment at U.S. expense and make them available to the contractor.
Loans & guaranteesProperty & leases
Sell commercial access to designated DoD test ranges and facilities
Contract with commercial entities for commercial test/evaluation activity at a designated Major Range and Test Facility Installation, recovering costs.
Other statutory tools
Acquire military supplies and services through competitive contracts
Service Secretaries perform statutory equipping, supply and related departmental functions through lawful acquisitions; competitive procedures are the baseline for covered procurements.
Contracts & purchases
Limit competition or use sole-source procedures for defined statutory reasons
Use documented exceptions for unique sources, compelling urgency, industrial mobilization/essential research capacity, international commitments, express statutes, national-security secrecy or public interest.
Other statutory tools
Create task/delivery-order contracts and place repeat orders
Establish single- or multiple-award contracts for recurring property/services and place orders without a new full standalone procurement each time.
Contracts & purchases
Commit to multiyear equipment purchases and economic-order quantities
Contract across program years to stabilize demand and permit economic production and advance component buys, subject to findings and legislative controls.
Contracts & purchases
Buy qualifying services on a multiyear basis
Use up to 5 program-year contracts for installation support, complex-equipment maintenance, specialized training, base services and environmental remediation when statutory conditions are met.
Other statutory tools
Acquire commercial solutions through general solicitations and follow-on awards
Competitively select commercial products, services or nondevelopmental items via general solicitation with peer, technical or operational review and use authorized follow-on production routes.
Other statutory tools
Provide advance, progress, partial and performance-based contract payments
Finance performance of authorized property/services contracts and accelerate eligible small-business payments; tailored commercial-payment rules are available.
Contracts & purchases
Rapidly acquire urgent capabilities and make limited emergency funding/waiver decisions
Respond to documented combat, contingency or cyber deficiencies through accelerated acquisition/deployment; specified determinations unlock bounded use of available funds and selected legal waivers.
Other statutory tools
Use middle-tier rapid prototyping and fielding pathways
Run streamlined 2–5 year rapid-prototyping or rapid-fielding programs with coordinated requirements, resources and acquisition decisions.
Other statutory tools
Continuously acquire, develop and update software and covered hardware
Use statutory applications and embedded-systems software pathways for iterative delivery, commercial cloud use and qualifying software-embedded hardware.
Other statutory tools
Fund high-value accelerated procurement and fielding of innovative technologies
Use competitive merit-based procurement/fielding awards under §3604(APFIT), prioritizing small and nontraditional suppliers and technologies that address defense needs.
Contracts & purchases
Purchase metered consumption-based capabilities with flexible lifecycle funding
Buy a combined software/hardware/data/labor capability as a service billed by actual usage at fixed-price units; use authorized incremental funding and advance payments.
Contracts & purchases
Request enhanced rapid contracting for COCOM operational needs
A combatant commander can make written determinations to senior contracting officials for defined contingency, CBRN/cyber response, humanitarian/peacekeeping and below-armed-conflict directed operations.
Other statutory tools
Conduct COCOM experiments and make findings supporting transition
Each combatant commander can conduct experimentation, prototyping and technology demonstrations addressing command operational needs and support acquisition with written operational-need findings.
Other statutory tools
Start urgent development before the next budget cycle
With Secretary of Defense approval, a Service Secretary may initiate urgent/emerging development to exploit new technology or respond to threats using bounded rapid acquisition/funding authorities.
Other statutory tools
Use an alternative iterative, data-driven test pathway
For covered programs, integrate developmental/operational testing around unified objectives and ongoing data while preserving independent DOT&E evaluation.
Other statutory tools
Grant extraordinary national-defense contractual relief
Under Presidential authorization during qualifying emergency, enter/amend/modify contracts and make advances where necessary to facilitate national defense, subject to statutory safeguards.
Contracts & purchasesGrants & cooperative agreements
Indemnify unusually hazardous research/development work
Military-department R&D contracts may promise U.S. indemnification for defined unusually hazardous direct-performance third-party claims and contractor-property loss not otherwise insured/compensated.
Other statutory tools
Assume classified-contract work-in-process risk that cannot be commercially insured
DoD must not require contractors to bear specified work-in-process loss when classification prevents obtaining insurance or processing a claim under covered fixed-price product contracts.
Contracts & purchasesSecurity & information
Reimburse contractor independent R&D through allowable contract costs
Treat qualifying independent research and development as allowable indirect expense under defense contracts while preserving statutory contractor independence in technology selection.
Contracts & purchasesFunds & shared services
Retain licensing royalties and reinvest in inventors and laboratory missions
Retain laboratory invention licensing receipts, reward inventors and eligible contributors, and reinvest statutory balances in technology transfer, workforce and mission research.
Licensing & IP
Request DIU commercial-technology adoption and integration support through BOOST
Portfolio acquisition executives, program managers and product support managers can request DIU assistance identifying, adopting and integrating commercial technologies into programs of record or fielded capabilities.
Other statutory tools
Prioritize defense contracts and allocate scarce industrial resources
Require capable suppliers to accept and prioritize national-defense orders and allocate materials, services, and facilities. This is economic mobilization authority, not a general nationalization power.
Contracts & purchases
Guarantee private loans for defense production capacity
The President may authorize a guaranteeing procurement agency to guarantee private-institution loans supporting essential defense production and services.
Loans & guarantees
Make direct loans to private enterprises for productive capacity
Finance defense-related capacity, processes and essential materials, including exploration, development and mining, through DPA direct loans.
Loans & guarantees
Underwrite industrial capacity through purchases, offtake commitments and targeted subsidies
Purchase industrial resources or critical technology items for use or resale, encourage mining, and support production or technology transition; conditioned subsidies can sustain threatened high-cost domestic material sources.
Contracts & purchases
Install industrial equipment and improve government or private plants
Procure/install government-owned equipment in government and private industrial facilities; modify or expand private facilities and transfer installed equipment under express DPA terms.
Other statutory tools
Organize supervised voluntary industry agreements with limited antitrust defense
Establish voluntary agreements and plans for defense preparedness, with statutory safeguards that can protect conforming actions from antitrust liability.
Other statutory tools
Compel industrial information needed to administer DPA authorities
Obtain reports, inspect records, and issue subpoenas for information necessary to administer or enforce the DPA.
Security & information
Finance or refinance dual-use critical technology with OSC direct loans
Provide loans for eligible investments in enumerated covered technology categories; the legal form is capital assistance, not an unrestricted equity fund.
Loans & guarantees
Guarantee private loans for OSC-eligible investments
OSC can guarantee loans for eligible investments with established private-lender rates, stated guaranteed principal percentage and credit controls.
Loans & guaranteesInvestment & capital
Support financial structuring, due diligence and credit servicing
Provide technical assistance to OSC applicants/recipients; charge limited transaction fees, accept specified professional services, and use other agencies’ personnel/facilities by agreement.
Other statutory tools
Convene public/private capital and vet agency investment transactions
A National Security Capital Forum connects financiers, firms, partner nations and agencies and acts as a clearinghouse for potential loan/equity transactions by agencies with their own authorities.
Investment & capital
Fund supply-chain capacity and workforce through grants and agreements
Use contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and other transactions; provide private-sector incentives to create, maintain, protect, expand or restore essential domestic industrial-base capabilities. Express eligible uses include workforce, facilities and production infrastructure.
Grants & cooperative agreements
Award funding to third-party investment entities for small and medium firms
Make awards to intermediaries supporting investments in small/medium entities working in defense-interest areas that benefit DoD missions.
Investment & capital
Offset market manipulation and sustain strategic-material supplies
Provide subsidies to offset market manipulation; use conditioned material subsidy payments, including loss-making resale or purchase commitments, for specified supply risks.
Other statutory tools
Create durable demand through industrial-base offtake commitments
Make purchase commitments for federal use or resale, critical-mineral development, components, production capacity and dual-use technology transition.
Contracts & purchases
Construct and improve private or government industrial facilities
Expressly procure/install equipment, construct private facilities, modify production processes, transfer government equipment and construct facilities for eligible supply chains.
Other statutory tools
Qualify substitutes, restrict sourcing to reliable sources and create reserves
Support material/component substitutes and production incentives; use reliable-source restrictions, stockpiles, reserves and lead-time planning. Excess acquired materials may transfer to National Defense Stockpile without acquisition reimbursement.
Other statutory tools
Use a time-limited industrial innovation pilot for credit and third-party debt/equity investment
An uncodified pilot expressly lists loans, guarantees, purchase commitments, cost-sharing and third-party awards supporting debt/equity investment in small/medium manufacturers.
Investment & capital
Acquire, store, rotate and dispose of strategic and critical materials
Build and manage defense reserves with procurement, storage, processing and rotation; FY26 amendments permit disposal through the most recent annual materials plan rather than only transaction-specific disposal legislation.
Other statutory tools
Refine, recycle, recover and qualify strategic materials and sources
Process/rotate stockpile materials, recover strategic materials from federal waste/end-of-life equipment, qualify reliable-source facilities and contract for recycling.
Other statutory tools
Loan strategic materials and barter to maintain reserves
Loan stockpile material to DOE or military departments with repayment assurance; use authorized barter and fair-market-value materials transfers to pay acquisition or processing costs.
Loans & guarantees
Co-fund bankable feasibility studies for reliable mineral sources
Help fund technical/economic studies for strategic-material projects; associated project loans or debt purchases require separate DPA congressional authorization and Presidential determination.
Other statutory tools
Use multiyear and advance procurement for U.S.-processed critical minerals
Contract over multiple years and undertake advance procurement to support critical minerals processed domestically.
Contracts & purchases
Operate reimbursable supply and industrial businesses with working-capital funds
Finance inventories and common industrial/commercial services; recover costs from customer appropriations and support capital assets under specified rules.
Funds & shared services
Partner with private firms at depots and arsenals
Designated Centers of Industrial and Technical Excellence may execute public-private work-sharing and allow use of underutilized equipment/facilities to sustain skills and reduce ownership costs.
Other statutory tools
Sell government industrial products or services to non-DoD customers
Designated working-capital industrial facilities may sell articles/services not available from U.S. commercial sources; Army cannon/ammunition facilities use their distinct §7543 route.
Other statutory tools
Commercialize underused Army ammunition facilities through ARMS
Make eligible GOCO ammunition facilities available using facility-use contracts, property management, leases and in-kind consideration, maintaining mobilization capacity while lowering ownership cost.
Other statutory tools
Guarantee commercial tenant loans at eligible Army ammunition facilities
ARMS expressly permits loan guarantees to establish commercial activity using eligible facilities, potentially administered with SBA or USDA.
Loans & guarantees
Buy, accept, exchange or condemn land for authorized military purposes
Acquire interests needed for authorized military projects; §2663 adds defined-purpose condemnation, limited low-cost/urgent acquisitions, surveys, and advance purchase options.
Property & leasesCooperation & exchanges
Lease non-excess defense property for cash or in-kind consideration
Outlease temporarily unneeded, non-excess property; accept improvements, new facilities, utilities and industrial-equipment contributions as consideration.
Property & leases
Grant infrastructure easements across military property
Grant rights-of-way for transportation, utilities, communications and other advisable purposes on controlled or reserved lands.
Grants & cooperative agreementsProperty & leases
Lease overseas non-family-housing structures and associated land
Acquire foreign real estate by lease for military purposes without turning every overseas presence need into land ownership.
Property & leases
Acquire and construct authorized military facilities
Undertake congressionally authorized construction, site preparation, land acquisition, utilities and integral equipment, with planning/design authority.
Other statutory tools
Execute limited unspecified minor military construction
Carry out minor projects without individual project authorization within statutory aggregate authorization, project thresholds and funding rules.
Other statutory tools
Use tightly conditioned emergency or war construction authorities
§2803 addresses urgent projects that cannot await next authorization; §2808 covers war or a declared emergency requiring armed forces.
Other statutory tools
Use construction other transactions and successful follow-on awards
New §2808a permits non-contract/grant/cooperative-agreement transactions for facility construction or repair, including design, prototyping, piloting and execution.
Other transactions
Use long-term facility construction/operation service contracts
Contract for construction, management and operation of child care, utilities, supply, troop housing, transient quarters, medical and other permitted support facilities.
Contracts & purchases
Repair or convert existing facilities with O&M funds
Restore existing facilities or convert their use without enlarging external dimensions.
Other statutory tools
Lend to or guarantee loans for military housing developers
Finance eligible military family or unaccompanied housing acquisitions/construction through direct loans and guarantees.
Loans & guarantees
Buy equity, partnership interests or debt in eligible military housing projects
Express direct investment authority includes stock, other equity instruments, limited-partnership interests and bonds/debt instruments.
Investment & capitalCooperation & exchanges
Guarantee housing occupancy or rental revenue and make differential payments
Give eligible military housing providers contractual occupancy/revenue assurance or payments supplementing service members’ rent.
Loans & guarantees
Convey or lease land and facilities for military housing privatization
Transfer or lease existing property to eligible entities and use proceeds for statutory housing-improvement activities.
Property & leases
Buy, sell or share installation services with State/local/tribal governments
Enter sole-source IGSAs for services already provided by one party for its own use, seeking mission effectiveness or economies; FY26 expressly includes ordnance disposal.
Other statutory tools
Cost-share buffers, easements, water rights and resilience with partners
REPI-type agreements acquire willing-seller interests and support habitat, encroachment avoidance and installation resilience; can match other federal conservation/resilience programs.
Property & leases
Convey utility systems and contract for long-term service and upgrades
Transfer military utility systems to utility entities; procure services and contribute authorized project funds toward system improvements. FY26 broadens post-conveyance monetary contributions.
Contracts & purchasesProperty & leases
Anchor on-base or private energy production through long-term contracts
Procure output and operation of energy-production facilities on controlled or private land; support energy/fuel agreements under incorporated geothermal authority.
Contracts & purchases
Finance efficiency improvements through energy savings performance contracts
Private contractor finances conservation equipment/services in return for a share of guaranteed savings; agencies may combine appropriations and private financing.
Contracts & purchases
Accept utility rebates and obtain utility-financed conservation improvements
Participate in demand/conservation programs, accept generally available incentives, and let utilities advance eligible design/implementation costs for repayment.
Other statutory tools
Sell electricity from alternate-energy and cogeneration facilities
Sell or authorize contractor sale of qualifying generation to utilities and credit proceeds to specified energy accounts.
Other statutory tools
Exchange military land for other property or qualifying acquisition
Trade real property for other land/interests or encroachment-mitigation acquisition; an expanded services/facility exchange pilot depends on its guidance-triggered window.
Property & leasesCooperation & exchanges
Sell, transfer or donate excess/surplus defense property through disposal pathways
Dispose of property through GSA-administered or delegated processes and specific defense conservation/BRAC authorities, using competitive sales or statutory public-benefit transfers.
Property & leases
Fund cleanup and contract/cooperate for defense environmental remediation
Carry out Defense Environmental Restoration Program, including offsite contamination and eligible former/Guard sites; obtain services from agencies, tribes, owners of covenant property and conservation nonprofits.
Contracts & purchasesCooperation & exchanges
Support defense-dependent communities, industrial diversification and workforce infrastructure
Grant and cooperate with affected communities for reuse, adjustment, diversification, encroachment/resilience, public infrastructure and defense-industrial workforce support.
Other statutory tools
Co-fund civilian infrastructure supporting installation readiness and quality of life
Provide grants/cooperative agreements for community transport, schools, hospitals, utilities, emergency-response and other facilities, including FY26 demolition additions.
Other statutory tools
Allow covered private borrowing costs in production and sustainment contracts
A discretionary pilot permits reasonable market-rate interest, bond discounts and capital refinancing costs to become allowable and allocable direct or indirect costs for covered inventory-management and capacity-expansion contracts. The financing is supplied by an independent financing entity; this is not a new DoD direct-loan or guarantee program.
Contracts & purchases
Jointly research and develop conventional defense technology with allies and friendly partners
Enter cooperative R&D agreements, share cash and noncash project costs, and acquire domestic or foreign equipment for side-by-side testing.
Cooperation & exchanges
Reciprocally use foreign and U.S. defense test facilities
Agree to reciprocal testing of defense equipment and collect reimbursement for U.S. facility support.
Cooperation & exchanges
Co-develop, co-produce and jointly procure defense articles through international project agreements
Use cooperative-project contracting, partner procurement and project property-disposal arrangements; NATO support/procurement partnerships separately permit common acquisition including armaments.
Contracts & purchasesCooperation & exchanges
Acquire, sell, loan or exchange reciprocal logistics support through ACSAs
Acquire foreign logistics support and enter cross-servicing agreements to exchange eligible supplies/services by reimbursement, replacement-in-kind or equal-value exchange.
Loans & guaranteesCooperation & exchanges
Receive and spend foreign contributions to joint defense projects
Credit participating foreign-country or NATO cash contributions to DoD appropriations and use them for that participant’s project expenses.
Cooperation & exchanges
Accept host-nation property, services and supplies for U.S. forces
Accept and use real property or its use, supplies and services under mutual-defense/occupation arrangements, plus customary reciprocal courtesies.
Property & leases
Use foreign burden-sharing cash for infrastructure and deployed support
Accept designated-country/regional-organization cash for local labor, construction, supplies/services and specified NATO deployed/rotational support, including costs in another country.
Other statutory tools
Finance relocation of U.S. forces with host-nation contributions
Accept host-nation cash, irrevocable letters of credit or blocked-account drawing rights to fund force relocation within that nation.
Cooperation & exchanges
Execute NATO common-funded infrastructure and accept project contributions
Accept U.S. host-nation designation for NATO Security Investment Program projects and use NATO/member contributions and qualifying U.S. NSIP funds.
Cooperation & exchanges
Contribute to a multinational dual-use venture capital fund
Make a specifically authorized contribution to the NATO Innovation Fund, rather than infer a general authority to invest equity.
Investment & capital
Pool allied transport, patient-movement and communications services
Enter tailored reciprocal transportation and patient-movement arrangements, including SEOS and ATARES participation. Separately exchange allied communications support and related supplies/services for equivalent value.
Other statutory tools
Partner across Five Eyes military medical research, logistics and care interoperability
Enter Five Eyes agreements covering medical R&D/trials, education, credentialing, biodefense, logistics and patient movement.
Other statutory tools
Contract for allied overseas repair and prototype distributed product support
Demonstrate and field contested-logistics support, shared parts, prepositioning and advanced manufacturing near point of use through existing contracting, partnership and OT authorities. The Overseas Workload Program separately permits NATO/MNNA firms to compete for overseas DoD maintenance, repair and overhaul.
Contracts & purchases
Train, equip and sustain foreign national security forces for enumerated missions
Build partner capacity with defense articles/services, training, supplies and small-scale construction for nine listed missions, including military intelligence and defensive cyber.
Other statutory tools
Support partner operations with logistics, equipment loans, training and small construction
Provide support for SecDef-designated coalition, combined, military or stability operations within statutory categories.
Loans & guarantees
Strengthen partner defense financial management and institutions
Assign advisors/trainers to build ministries’ governance, internal controls, resource-management and core defense competencies.
Other statutory tools
Pay for combined training and exercises and partner incremental expenses
Train U.S. forces with friendly military or similar-function national security forces and pay permitted exercise, partner and small-construction costs; special-operations training has a separate path.
Other statutory tools
Exchange defense personnel and pay eligible foreign-partner liaison/travel expenses
Reciprocal or nonreciprocal exchanges, R&D assignments to supporting foreign industry, and narrowly eligible cooperation travel/liaison support.
Cooperation & exchanges
Conduct National Guard State Partnerships and share activity costs
Establish National Guard partnerships with foreign military, security and disaster/emergency organizations and pay eligible U.S. and foreign incremental costs.
Cooperation & exchanges
Sell DoD stocks or procure defense articles/services for foreign customers
Government-to-government sales from stocks and procurement for cash sales, with recipient undertakings to meet costs and cancellation liabilities.
Contracts & purchases
Arrange authorized foreign military credit and loan guarantees
Finance foreign defense procurement and guarantee eligible financing through Presidential/State-supervised statutory programs administered with DoD support.
Loans & guarantees
Lease or loan defense articles to foreign partners
Provide temporary access to qualifying DoD stocks under AECA leasing or separate authorized assistance-loan pathways.
Loans & guaranteesProperty & leases
Transfer excess articles or draw down existing resources for authorized partner needs
Use excess-defense-article grants/sales or Presidential drawdowns under distinct statutory triggers.
Other statutory tools
Provide civilian humanitarian and civic support with military operations
Perform limited medical/veterinary care, rudimentary public works, water/sanitation and related assistance serving basic civilian needs; broader humanitarian assistance has a separate funding pathway.
Other statutory tools
Transport donated relief and furnish foreign disaster assistance
Carry nongovernmental relief supplies on a space-available basis or, when directed by the President, provide transport, supplies, services and equipment for foreign disasters.
Other statutory tools
Train partners to clear explosive hazards and secure/dispose munitions
Provide humanitarian demining and stockpiled conventional-munitions technical assistance, training, equipment and support.
Other statutory tools
Supply goods, equipment and services to reduce foreign WMD proliferation threats
Cooperative Threat Reduction supports weapons/material security, elimination, transport, bio-threat detection and partner contacts; emergent/urgent branches offer additional conditional flexibility.
Other statutory tools
Fund a partner agency to do complementary work DoD cannot do itself
Support other U.S. agencies’ foreign-assistance activities necessary to effectiveness of DoD Chapter16 programs and beyond DoD’s own authority.
Other statutory tools
Support partners facilitating ongoing authorized U.S. counterterrorism operations
Provide eligible material or financial support to foreign forces, irregular forces, groups or individuals supporting authorized U.S. SOF operations.
Other statutory tools
Finance foreign cryptologic-support arrangements
Pay expenses of foreign-country cryptologic arrangements with available intelligence/communications appropriations or qualifying other funds.
Security & information
Reuse proceeds of authorized counterintelligence operations
Offset necessary/reasonable operation costs and exceptional performance awards with proceeds when appropriated funding would be impracticable.
Security & information
Create and operate commercial arrangements to protect authorized foreign intelligence collection
Use ordinary commercial transactions, leases/employment contracts, financial accounts, permits and legal entities only as security for authorized DoD intelligence collection abroad.
Security & information
Pay confidential, extraordinary or emergency intelligence expenses
Use separate express expenditure mechanisms for MIP intelligence/CI and DIA NIP human-intelligence/CI purposes.
Security & information
Consolidate and transfer Defense intelligence appropriations into execution accounts
Establish intelligence-element transfer accounts, receive lawful DNI transfers and reimbursements, and refund balances to originating accounts.
Security & information
Accept foreign funding for joint military intelligence collection and analysis
DIA may accept and spend partner contributions to share expenses of joint/combined military intelligence collection and analysis.
Security & information
Protect classified contractor information and mitigate foreign ownership risks
Conduct industrial-security functions, assist other agencies, and integrate DCSA FOCI assessment with acquisition responsibility, contract conditions and oversight.
Security & information
Obtain narrowly authorized financial records or consumer reports for intelligence/counterterrorism
Invoke statutory financial-privacy exceptions for authorized foreign-intelligence/CI requests and the separate consumer-report disclosure power for authorized international-terrorism work.
Security & information
Share military information, equipment, facilities and expertise with civilian law enforcement
Provide lawfully collected information and controlled equipment/facility/training/maintenance support; selected equipment operations have enumerated statutory conditions. Separate authorities support Justice in specified WMD emergencies and bombing situations.
Security & information
Contract for and provide counterdrug or counter-transnational-crime support
Supply specified transport, training, equipment maintenance, communications, analysis, reconnaissance and limited construction support to qualifying agencies.
Contracts & purchases
Let States and localities buy eligible equipment through DoD
Provide a purchasing channel for counterdrug, homeland-security and emergency-response equipment procured by DoD for its own purposes.
Other statutory tools
Fund cryptologic research by private individuals and institutions
NSA grants support cryptologic research under an agency-specific express statutory grant authority.
Security & information
Exchange geospatial data and recycle map-sale receipts into foreign licensing fees
NGA can exchange/furnish mapping, charting and geomatics data/services under agreements and use map/publication sale proceeds for foreign data-acquisition fees.
Cooperation & exchangesLicensing & IPFunds & shared services
Jointly develop emerging technology with specified irregular-warfare technology partners
New FY26 law permits joint emerging-technology RDT&E with a defined preexisting partner set under safeguards, cost sharing and U.S. intellectual-property rights.
Cooperation & exchanges
Operate international education/research networks and fund university partnerships
Host bilateral and multilateral research, discussion and training; pay eligible participant costs, receive reimbursements, and use specified grants/contracts/cooperative agreements for Irregular Warfare Center higher-education partnerships.
Cooperation & exchanges
Share multinational education-center operating costs, facilities and personnel support
Fund U.S. participation and a share of operating costs at eligible multinational centers of excellence; furnish facilities, supplies, services and faculty support to the Inter-American Defense College.
Other statutory tools
Provide foreign partners with digital learning content and necessary information technology
Supply internet-based education, distributed learning and computer-assisted exercise content together with software/IT needed to use it.
Security & information
Buy goods or services through another federal organization
Use reimbursable interagency or intra-agency orders where the Economy Act tests are satisfied.
Other statutory tools
Credit authorized reimbursements to DoD accounts
Recover reimbursable services/supplies costs and charge fixed rates for specified facility-related overhead services.
Funds & shared services
Pool interim costs in military department management funds
Temporarily finance operations charged to two or more appropriations when costs cannot immediately be allocated.
Funds & shared services
Transfer funds under a specific annual transfer authority
Shift qualifying available funds between specified accounts using enacted transfer authority—not merely the existence of §2214.
Funds & shared services
Resource urgent combatant-command initiatives
Provide specified readiness, training, exercise, support, and cooperation funding through the Combatant Commander Initiative Fund.
Other statutory tools
Accept and use qualifying institutional or beneficiary gifts
Accept property, money, and specified services for covered DoD institutions and beneficiaries.
Funds & shared services
Accept defense contributions through the Defense Cooperation Account
Accept contributions of money/property, and specified foreign-government/international-organization services, for DoD use.
Cooperation & exchanges
Charge lawful fees for agency services or benefits
Set fees for a service or thing of value within statutory limits, rather than impose a general tax.
Funds & shared services
Settle and pay qualifying noncombat damage claims
Resolve specified property, injury, or death claims under the Military Claims Act or applicable Federal Tort Claims Act mechanism.
Funds & shared services
Hire temporary experts and consultants
Procure specialized expertise under express DoD authority and the temporary/intermittent expert-services framework.
People & expertise
Organize common supply or service execution across Services
Create/designate a Defense Agency or Field Activity to perform a common supply/service function when the statutory efficiency test is met.
Funds & shared services
Assess adversarial capital flows into defense-relevant businesses
Assess investments from governments of adversary countries, or entities organized under their laws or otherwise subject to their jurisdiction, in industries or businesses of interest to DoD, in consultation with other DoD and Federal components.
Other statutory tools
Prioritize critical technologies and assets needing capital assistance
Identify and prioritize promising critical technologies and assets for the Joint Force that need capital assistance, including those available from foreign entities.
Other statutory tools
Fund investments in critical technologies and assets
Fund investments in the critical technologies and assets identified for the Joint Force, including supply-chain technologies not always supported through direct investment.
Investment & capital
Coordinate technology scouting and acquisition investment decisions
Support outreach and coordination by DoD scouting and acquisition elements so their investment decisions can counter adversarial capital flows, including use of relevant authorities vested elsewhere in DoD or the Federal Government.
Investment & capital
Accelerate vital-asset development, construction, procurement and leasing
Identify, accelerate and sustain vital tangible and intangible national-security assets through establishment, research, development, construction, procurement, leasing, consolidation, alteration, improvement, modernization and repair.
Contracts & purchasesProperty & leases
Help DoD provide loans, loan guarantees and technical assistance
Help DoD provide capital assistance to entities, including foreign entities, whose investments facilitate the Department's efforts. The statutory definition covers loans, loan guarantees and technical assistance.
Loans & guarantees
Prototype and validate due-diligence analytical tools
Experiment with, prototype, test and validate government or commercial analytical tools, processes and tradecraft to improve DoD due diligence and investment analysis, including use of relevant delegated authorities vested in other components.
Other statutory tools
Assist commercial access and placement
Assist the Secretary of Defense in developing access and placement through commercial means.
Other statutory tools
Coordinate whole-of-government national-security solutions
Engage, coordinate and collaborate with DoD and other Federal components to improve efficiency and develop whole-of-government national-security solutions.
Other statutory tools