U.S. Code > Title 10 Armed Forces > Subtitle A—General Military Law (§§ 101—2925) > PART I—ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS (§§ 101—490) > CHAPTER 4—OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (§§ 131—144) > § 133. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics

§ 133. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics

(a) There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Under Secretary shall be appointed from among persons who have an extensive management background.
(b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics shall perform such duties and exercise such powers relating to acquisition as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe, including—
(1) supervising Department of Defense acquisition;
(2) establishing policies for acquisition (including procurement of goods and services, research and development, developmental testing, and contract administration) for all elements of the Department of Defense;
(3) establishing policies for logistics, maintenance, and sustainment support for all elements of the Department of Defense;
(4) establishing policies of the Department of Defense for maintenance of the defense industrial base of the United States; and
(5) the authority to direct the Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of all other elements of the Department of Defense with regard to matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility.
(c) The Under Secretary—
(1) is the senior procurement executive for the Department of Defense for the purposes of section 1702 (c) of title 41;
(2) is the Defense Acquisition Executive for purposes of regulations and procedures of the Department providing for a Defense Acquisition Executive; and
(3) to the extent directed by the Secretary, exercises overall supervision of all personnel (civilian and military) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense with regard to matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility, unless otherwise provided by law.
(d)
(1) The Under Secretary shall prescribe policies to ensure that audit and oversight of contractor activities are coordinated and carried out in a manner to prevent duplication by different elements of the Department. Such policies shall provide for coordination of the annual plans developed by each such element for the conduct of audit and oversight functions within each contracting activity.
(2) In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary shall consult with the Inspector General of the Department of Defense.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall affect the authority of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to establish audit policy for the Department of Defense under the Inspector General Act of 1978 and otherwise to carry out the functions of the Inspector General under that Act.
(e)
(1) With regard to all matters for which he has responsibility by law or by direction of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
(2) With regard to all matters other than matters for which he has responsibility by law or by direction of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Secretaries of the military departments.