{
  "id": "ACQ-44",
  "category": "Software acquisition",
  "capability": "Continuously acquire, develop and update software and covered hardware",
  "summary": "Use statutory applications and embedded-systems software pathways for iterative delivery, commercial cloud use and qualifying software-embedded hardware.",
  "legal_basis": [
    {
      "citation": "10 U.S.C. §3603",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section3603&num=0&edition=prelim",
      "kind": "statute",
      "note": "Primary statutory text; primary GovInfo baseline and amendment audit identified in research narrative."
    }
  ],
  "authority_holder": "Secretary of Defense; Service/component acquisition decision officials",
  "actor_chain": {
    "planner": [
      "Operational requirement owner; Service/component portfolio acquisition executive and program manager"
    ],
    "resource_owner": [
      "Sponsoring Service/component appropriations manager and comptroller"
    ],
    "approver": [
      "Service/component acquisition executive and authorized contracting authority, at applicable threshold"
    ],
    "executor": [
      "Warranted contracting officer and program manager"
    ],
    "partners": [
      "User command",
      "Counsel, fiscal, engineering, testing, logistics and security staff as applicable"
    ]
  },
  "actor_sources": [
    {
      "title": "P.L. 119-60 §1802 / 10 U.S.C. 1732 — portfolio plans, budgets, execution and reporting chain",
      "url": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ60/html/PLAW-119publ60.htm"
    }
  ],
  "requirements": [
    "Proven technologies/solutions, ongoing user engagement and cybersecurity metrics; statutory rapid-delivery objectives.",
    "Covered hardware must meet commercial/nondevelopmental and embedded-software definition."
  ],
  "limits": [
    "Exemptions from selected planning frameworks are not exemptions from all procurement, cybersecurity or fiscal requirements.",
    "Normally not treated as MDAP absent specific USD(A&S)/Service acquisition executive designation."
  ],
  "funding": [
    "Appropriate software/hardware lifecycle funds; correct contracting instrument and sustained operations budget still needed."
  ],
  "coordination_path": "User/program team → software acquisition decision → contracting/software engineering/test/security → frequent evaluated delivery.",
  "availability": "Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.",
  "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.",
  "family": "Acquisition, transition and contract finance",
  "mechanisms": [
    "Other statutory tools"
  ],
  "goal_ids": [
    "prototype-to-use"
  ],
  "office_links": [
    {
      "office_id": "counsel-award-officials",
      "role": "executor",
      "label": "Warranted contracting officer and program manager"
    }
  ]
}