10 USC § 4272 - Independent technical risk assessments

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s4272"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 4272 - Independent technical risk assessments"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "4272"
section_name: "Independent technical risk assessments"
chapter_number: 322
chapter_name: "MAJOR SYSTEMS AND MAJOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAMS GENERALLY"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE SPECIFICALLY TO MAJOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAMS"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "ACQUISITION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2261, § 2448b; amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title IX, § 902(73), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1552; renumbered § 4272 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1847(e)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4256; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VIII, § 806(b)(1), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1974.)"
---


# § 4272. Independent technical risk assessments

**(a)** **In General.—** With respect to a major defense acquisition program, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct or approve independent technical risk assessments before any decision to grant Milestone B approval for the program pursuant to section 4252 of this title, any decision to enter into low-rate initial production or full-rate production, or at any other time considered appropriate by the Secretary, that includes the identification of any critical technologies or manufacturing processes that have not been successfully demonstrated in a relevant environment.

**(b)** **Guidance.—** The Secretary shall issue guidance and a framework for the conduct, execution, and approval of independent technical risk assessments.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2261, § 2448b; amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title IX, § 902(73), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1552; renumbered § 4272 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1847(e)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4256; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VIII, § 806(b)(1), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1974.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2024—Subsec. (a).  struck out dash after “risk assessments” and par. (2) designation before “before any decision” and struck out par. (1) which read as follows: “before any decision to grant Milestone A approval for the program pursuant to , that identifies critical technologies and manufacturing processes that need to be matured; and”.

2021—, renumbered  as this section.

Subsec. (a)(1). , substituted “section 4251” for “section 2366a”.

Subsec. (a)(2). , substituted “section 4252” for “section 2366b”.

2019— added subsecs. (a) and (b) and struck out former subsecs. (a) and (b) which read as follows:

“(a) .—With respect to a major defense acquisition program, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that an independent technical risk assessment is conducted—

“(1) before any decision to grant Milestone A approval for the program pursuant to , that identifies critical technologies and manufacturing processes that need to be matured; and

“(2) before any decision to grant Milestone B approval for the program pursuant to , any decision to enter into low-rate initial production or full-rate production, or at any other time considered appropriate by the Secretary, that includes the identification of any critical technologies or manufacturing processes that have not been successfully demonstrated in a relevant environment.

“(b) .—The Secretary shall issue guidance and a framework for categorizing the degree of technical and manufacturing risk in a major defense acquisition program.”

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2021 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see , set out as a note preceding .

### Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to major defense acquisition programs that reach Milestone A after , see , set out as a note under .