10 U.S.C. § 118 — Materiel readiness metrics and materiel readiness objectives for major weapon systems

(a) Materiel Readiness Metrics. Each head of a Department element listed in section 111(b)(1)-(10) must create and maintain metrics for how ready the military's equipment is. These metrics must let the Department check whether service members can carry out the strategic framework required by section 113(g)(1)(B)(vii), and follow the guidance the Secretary of Defense issues under section 113(g)(1)(B). (b) Required Metrics. At minimum, these metrics must include a set procedure and a way of calculating four things for each major weapon system - broken down by mission, design series, variant, or class: materiel availability, operational availability, operational capability, and materiel reliability. (c) Materiel Readiness Objectives. Within one year of this subsection becoming law, each element head described in (a) must set materiel readiness objectives - target levels - for each major weapon system. Each year after that, they must review and update these objectives, and include any changes in the materials sent to Congress supporting the President's budget under section 1105 of title 31. (d) Budget Justification. Within five days of the Secretary of Defense sending Congress the President's budget materials, the Secretary must send the House and Senate defense committees an annual report on major weapons systems sustainment covering the future years defense program under section 221. This report must include: an assessment of materiel availability, operational availability, and materiel reliability for each major weapon system; and a detailed explanation of anything - like infrastructure, workforce, or supply chain issues - that could stop the Department or a military department from meeting its readiness objectives. (e) Funding Estimates. Within the same five-day window, the Director of Cost Assessment and Performance Evaluation must send the defense committees a full estimate of the funds needed to meet the readiness objectives from (c), covering the future-years defense program. For each major weapon system, by mission, design, variant, or class, this estimate must show: funds already obligated in operation and maintenance accounts for the second fiscal year before the budget year; funds the Director expects will be obligated in those accounts by the end of the year before the budget year; and funds budgeted and planned across the future years defense program in those accounts. (f) Definitions. "Major weapon system" has the meaning from section 101(a). "Materiel availability" means the percentage of a weapon system's total inventory that can currently perform its assigned mission. "Materiel readiness objective" means the minimum availability level needed to meet the strategic framework and guidance from subsection (a). "Materiel reliability" means the probability a weapon system will work without failing over a set period. "Operational availability" means the percentage of time a weapon system is capable of operating. "Operationally capable" means the system can perform its mission and has no problems with any of its subsystems.