FEDERAL · 10 U.S.C. · Chapter SUBCHAPTER I—MODULAR OPEN SYSTEM APPROACH IN DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPON SYSTEMS
Requirements relating to availability of major system interfaces and support for modular open system approach
10 U.S.C. § 4403
Title10 — Armed Forces
ChapterSUBCHAPTER I—MODULAR OPEN SYSTEM APPROACH IN DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPON SYSTEMS
This text of 10 U.S.C. § 4403 (Requirements relating to availability of major system interfaces and support for modular open system approach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Bluebook
10 U.S.C. § 4403.
Text
The Secretary of each military department shall—
(1)coordinate with the other military departments, the defense agencies, defense and other private sector entities, national standards-setting organizations, and, when appropriate, with elements of the intelligence community with respect to the specification, identification, development, and maintenance of major system interfaces and standards for use in major system platforms, where practicable;
(2)ensure major system interfaces are adequately designated and defined to achieve a modular open system approach and are delivered with supporting documentation necessary to enable the integration of components or modules provided by a third party into the modular system;
(3)ensure that sufficient systems engineering and development expertise an
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Related
Loeh v. United States
53 Fed. Cl. 2 (Federal Claims, 2002)
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History
(Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, §805(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2255, §2446c; amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VIII, §840(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1499; renumbered §4403, Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1851(b)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4272; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVIII, §1832(b), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1253.)
Editorial Notes
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
Prior sections 4411 to 4414 were renumbered sections 7481 to 7484 of this title, respectively.
A prior section 4415, added Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title III, §319(a)(1), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1077; amended Pub. L. 100–526, title I, §106(c), Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2625, related to United States Army School of the Americas, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 106–398, §1 [[div. A], title IX, §911(b)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A-228.
Prior sections 4416 and 4417 were renumbered sections 7486 and 7487 of this title, respectively.
Amendments
2025—Par. (2). Pub. L. 119–60 amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: "ensure that major system interfaces incorporate commercial standards and other widely supported consensus-based standards that are validated, published, and maintained by recognized standards organizations to the maximum extent practicable;".
2021—Pub. L. 116–283 renumbered section 2446c of this title as this section.
2019—Par. (6). Pub. L. 116–92 added par. (6).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2021 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Jan. 1, 2017, see section 805(a)(4) of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 4401 of this title.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2025—Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, §811(a)(7), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 948, struck out item 4423 "Requirements and limitations for weapon system component or technology prototype projects". Amendment was made pursuant to operation of section 102 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Pilot Program on Development of Reentry Vehicles and Related Systems
Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVI, §1645, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 598, as amended by Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XVI, §1625, Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2173, provided that:
"(a) In General.—The Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force, acting jointly or separately, may carry out a pilot program, to be known as the 'Reentry Vehicle Flight Test Bed Program', to assess the feasibility of providing regular flight test opportunities that support the development of reentry vehicles and reentry systems to—
"(1) facilitate technology upgrades tested in a realistic flight environment;
"(2) expand the availability of operationally qualifiable vendors within the defense industrial base;
"(3) provide an enduring, high-cadence test bed to mature technologies for planned reentry vehicles and reentry systems; and
"(4) transition technologies developed under other programs and projects relating to long-range ballistic or hypersonic strike missiles from the research and development or prototyping phases into operational use.
"(b) Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements.—
"(1) Authority.—In carrying out a pilot program under this section, each Secretary may, subject to paragraph (2), award grants and enter into contracts or other agreements with appropriate entities for the conduct of relevant flight tests of reentry vehicles and reentry systems.
"(2) Grant and contract requirements.—
"(A) Merit-based grants.—Any grant under paragraph (1) shall be awarded through merit-based selection procedures.
"(B) Competitive contract procedures.—Any contract or other agreement under paragraph (1) shall be awarded using competitive procedures (as defined in section 3012 of title 10, United States Code).
"(3) Use of funds.—An entity that receives a grant, or enters into a contract or other agreement, as part of a pilot program carried out under this section shall use the grant, or any amount received under the contract or other agreement, to carry out one or more of the following activities:
"(A) Conducting flight tests to develop or validate—
"(i) aeroshell design;
"(ii) thermal protective systems;
"(iii) guidance and control systems;
"(iv) sensors;
"(v) communications;
"(vi) environmental sensors; or
"(vii) other relevant technologies.
"(B) Expanding flight test opportunities through low-cost, high-cadence platforms.
"(c) Coordination.—If the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Air Force, acting jointly or separately, carries out a pilot program under this section, such Secretary or Secretaries shall ensure that the activities under the pilot program are carried out in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Director of the Missile Defense Agency.
"(d) Semiannual Briefings.—Not later than March 1 and September 1 of each year in which the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Air Force, acting jointly or separately, carries out a pilot program under this section, such Secretary or Secretaries shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the activities of the pilot program.
"(e) Termination.—The authority to carry out a pilot program under this section shall terminate on December 31, 2029."
Prior Provisions
Prior sections 4411 to 4414 were renumbered sections 7481 to 7484 of this title, respectively.
A prior section 4415, added Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title III, §319(a)(1), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1077; amended Pub. L. 100–526, title I, §106(c), Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2625, related to United States Army School of the Americas, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 106–398, §1 [[div. A], title IX, §911(b)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A-228.
Prior sections 4416 and 4417 were renumbered sections 7486 and 7487 of this title, respectively.
Amendments
2025—Par. (2). Pub. L. 119–60 amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: "ensure that major system interfaces incorporate commercial standards and other widely supported consensus-based standards that are validated, published, and maintained by recognized standards organizations to the maximum extent practicable;".
2021—Pub. L. 116–283 renumbered section 2446c of this title as this section.
2019—Par. (6). Pub. L. 116–92 added par. (6).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2021 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Jan. 1, 2017, see section 805(a)(4) of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 4401 of this title.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2025—Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, §811(a)(7), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 948, struck out item 4423 "Requirements and limitations for weapon system component or technology prototype projects". Amendment was made pursuant to operation of section 102 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Pilot Program on Development of Reentry Vehicles and Related Systems
Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVI, §1645, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 598, as amended by Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XVI, §1625, Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2173, provided that:
"(a) In General.—The Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force, acting jointly or separately, may carry out a pilot program, to be known as the 'Reentry Vehicle Flight Test Bed Program', to assess the feasibility of providing regular flight test opportunities that support the development of reentry vehicles and reentry systems to—
"(1) facilitate technology upgrades tested in a realistic flight environment;
"(2) expand the availability of operationally qualifiable vendors within the defense industrial base;
"(3) provide an enduring, high-cadence test bed to mature technologies for planned reentry vehicles and reentry systems; and
"(4) transition technologies developed under other programs and projects relating to long-range ballistic or hypersonic strike missiles from the research and development or prototyping phases into operational use.
"(b) Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements.—
"(1) Authority.—In carrying out a pilot program under this section, each Secretary may, subject to paragraph (2), award grants and enter into contracts or other agreements with appropriate entities for the conduct of relevant flight tests of reentry vehicles and reentry systems.
"(2) Grant and contract requirements.—
"(A) Merit-based grants.—Any grant under paragraph (1) shall be awarded through merit-based selection procedures.
"(B) Competitive contract procedures.—Any contract or other agreement under paragraph (1) shall be awarded using competitive procedures (as defined in section 3012 of title 10, United States Code).
"(3) Use of funds.—An entity that receives a grant, or enters into a contract or other agreement, as part of a pilot program carried out under this section shall use the grant, or any amount received under the contract or other agreement, to carry out one or more of the following activities:
"(A) Conducting flight tests to develop or validate—
"(i) aeroshell design;
"(ii) thermal protective systems;
"(iii) guidance and control systems;
"(iv) sensors;
"(v) communications;
"(vi) environmental sensors; or
"(vii) other relevant technologies.
"(B) Expanding flight test opportunities through low-cost, high-cadence platforms.
"(c) Coordination.—If the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Air Force, acting jointly or separately, carries out a pilot program under this section, such Secretary or Secretaries shall ensure that the activities under the pilot program are carried out in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Director of the Missile Defense Agency.
"(d) Semiannual Briefings.—Not later than March 1 and September 1 of each year in which the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Air Force, acting jointly or separately, carries out a pilot program under this section, such Secretary or Secretaries shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the activities of the pilot program.
"(e) Termination.—The authority to carry out a pilot program under this section shall terminate on December 31, 2029."
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10 U.S.C. § 4403, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/usc/10/4403.