10 U.S.C. § 3102 — Objectives of the defense acquisition system

(a) In general. The Secretary of Defense must ensure that the defense acquisition system^* quickly provides the armed forces^* the capabilities needed to operate effectively, address changing threats, and sustain the United States military advantage as cost-effectively as practicable. (b) Guidance. The Secretary must issue guidance to carry out subsection (a). The guidance must prioritize end users and be validated through direct engagement, experimentation, and iteration. It must require: (1) every acquisition^*-system activity to help deliver capabilities quickly, improve the armed forces’ operational readiness, and enable Defense Department missions; (2) a leadership culture and organizational structure that empowers acquisition-system managers and encourages suitable delegation, collaboration, and mission-focused risk-taking; (3) enough acquisition-workforce members, properly trained and assigned; (4) resource decisions that prioritize best value^* and balance life-cycle cost, schedule, performance, and quantity through continuing tradeoff analysis informed by prototypes and direct end-user feedback; (5) adoption and integration of advanced digital engineering, model-based engineering, and simulation environments for rapid iterative design and technology insertion that maximize mission results; (6) active pursuit of innovative solutions, including acquiring and integrating commercial products and services, to improve effectiveness and responsiveness to emerging threats; and (7) workforce training and development that gives equal weight to functional and technical skills and to cross-functional integration, critical thinking, and innovative approaches that best solve operational problems.