Budget transfer authority pilot for Army rapid technology transitions proposed

The House Armed Services Committee's chairman's mark of the fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill includes a provision that would give the defense secretary the authority to transfer money to the Army's acquisition office in the case of specific technologies that have an accelerated procurement or transition timeline.

At the Army acquisition chief’s request, the defense secretary would be able to transfer authorizations made available in research and development “for the purposes of procuring or otherwise rapidly transitioning new technologies.” The authority would cover six specific areas:

• Army aircraft procurement
• Army missile procurement
• Army weapons and tracked combat vehicles
• Army ammunition procurement
• Army “other” procurement
• Army operation and maintenance

The proposal would create a pilot program for FY-24 in which the defense secretary would be able to transfer authorizations of no more than $10 million for each procurement or “other transition activity,” according to the legislation.