EconDefense
ACQ-43 / Acquisition, transition and contract finance

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.

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At a glance

Possible toolACQ-43 · Other statutory tools
Legal basis10 U.S.C. §3602

Authority holder: USD(A&S) establishes pathways; Service acquisition executives/authorized decision authorities execute

Other statutory tools

Mechanism tags describe the source text; they do not expand the authority.

Availability and verification

Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.

Requirements and limits

Eligibility & prerequisites

  • Prototype aims at operational demonstration/residual capability within 5 years; fielding aims at production in 6 months and fielding in 5 years.
  • Merit consideration, acquisition/funding strategy, test and transition plan.

Limits & exclusions

  • A pathway is not its own contract instrument, appropriation or general statutory waiver.
  • Regulatory waivers differ from statutory changes; statute directs seeking Congress for statutory waiver.

Funding conditions

  • Funded program plan and valid instrument; streamlined process does not create money.

Read the funding and execution guide

Who contributes what

Need & planning

  • Operational requirement owner; Service/component portfolio acquisition executive and program manager

Resources

  • Sponsoring Service/component appropriations manager and comptroller

Approval

  • Service/component acquisition executive and authorized contracting authority, at applicable threshold

Execution

Partners & review

  • User command
  • Counsel, fiscal, engineering, testing, logistics and security staff as applicable

Office links are editorial matches to the original role text, not verified delegations. Composite labels and unmatched actors are preserved.

Coordination pathway

Operational sponsor → Service acquisition executive/PAE → rapid-pathway decision and funded strategy → program/contracting team → test and transition.

Actor and execution-role sources

Legal basis

  • 10 U.S.C. §3602Primary statutory text; primary GovInfo baseline and amendment audit identified in research narrative.

What this research establishes

Legal powerSource and conditions recorded
EligibilityProject-specific check needed
Available fundsBalances not verified
DelegationValid signature authority must be checked
ExecutionOffice capacity and approvals must be checked

Confidence: High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.

Currentness: GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation.

Research target: October 2, 2026. A record-specific last-review date is not supplied. Publication date is not legal-currentness certification.

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