H. R. 7776—547 
SEC. 1638. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MIS-
SILE SITE ACTIVATION TASK FORCE FOR SENTINEL PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) TASK FORCE.—There is established within the Air Force 
Global Strike Command a directorate to be known as the Sen-
tinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Site Activation Task 
Force (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(2) SITE ACTIVATION TASK FORCE.—The Task Force shall 
serve as the Site Activation Task Force (as that term is defined 
in Air Force Instruction 10–503, updated October 14, 2020) 
for purposes of overseeing and coordinating the construction 
of fixed facilities and emplacements and the installation and 
checkout of supporting subsystems and equipment leading to 
the deployment and achievement of full operational capability 
of the LGM–35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile 
weapon system at each intercontinental ballistic missile wing 
for use by the Air Force Global Strike Command in support 
of plans and operations of the United States Strategic Com-
mand. 
(b) DIRECTOR.— 
(1) HEAD.—The Task Force shall be headed by the Director 
of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization. 
(2) APPOINTMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Air Force shall 
appoint the Director from among the general officers of 
the Air Force. 
(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—In appointing the Director, the 
Secretary shall give preference to individuals with expertise 
in intercontinental ballistic missile operations and large 
construction projects. 
(3) TERM OF OFFICE.— 
(A) TERM.—The Director shall be appointed for a term 
of three years. The Secretary may reappoint the Director 
for one additional three-year term. 
(B) REMOVAL.—The Secretary may remove the Director 
for cause at any time. 
(4) DUTIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall— 
(i) oversee and coordinate the activities of the Air 
Force in support of— 
(I) the deployment of the LGM–35A Sentinel 
intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system; 
and 
(II) the retirement of the LGM–30G Minute-
man III intercontinental ballistic missile weapon 
system; and 
(ii) subject to the authority, direction, and control 
of the Commander of the Air Force Global Strike Com-
mand, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the 
Secretary of the Air Force, prepare, justify, and execute 
the personnel, operation and maintenance, and 
construction budgets for such deployment and retire-
ment. 
(B) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sub-
section shall be construed to supersede or otherwise alter 
the 
organizational 
relationships 
and 
responsibilities
H. R. 7776—548 
regarding oversight and management of the LGM–35A Sen-
tinel as a Major Capability Acquisition Program, as out-
lined in Department of Defense Instruction 5000.85, ‘‘Major 
Capability Acquisition’’, dated November 4, 2021. 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORT TO SECRETARIES.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
until the date specified in subsection (e), the Director, in con-
sultation with the milestone decision authority (as defined in 
section 4251(d) of title 10, United States Code) for the LGM– 
35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, shall 
submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the 
Air Force a report on the progress of the Air Force in achieving 
initial and full operational capability for the LGM–35A Sentinel 
intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system. 
(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days after 
receiving a report under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of the Air Force shall jointly submit to 
the congressional defense committees the report. 
(3) FORM.—The report under paragraph (1) shall be sub-
mitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. 
(4) QUARTERLY BRIEFING.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days 
thereafter until the date specified in subsection (e), the Sec-
retary of the Air Force shall provide to the congressional 
defense committees a briefing regarding the progress made 
on activities by the Task Force to bring the LGM–35A Sentinel 
intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system to operational 
capability at each intercontinental ballistic missile wing. 
(d) WEAPON SYSTEM DESIGNATION.— 
(1) WEAPON SYSTEM.—For purposes of nomenclature and 
life cycle maintenance, each wing level configuration of the 
LGM–35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile shall be 
considered a weapon system. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘weapon system’’ has the meaning given 
the term in Department of the Air Force Pamphlet 63– 
128, updated February 3, 2021. 
(B) The term ‘‘wing level configuration’’ means the 
complete arrangement of subsystems and equipment of the 
LGM–35A 
Sentinel 
intercontinental 
ballistic 
missile 
required to function as a wing. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate not later 
than 90 days after the date on which the Commander of the United 
States Strategic Command and the Commander of the Air Force 
Global Strike Command (or the heads of successor agencies of 
the United States Strategic Command and the Air Force Global 
Strike Command) jointly declare that the LGM–35A Sentinel inter-
continental ballistic missile weapon system has achieved full oper-
ational capability. 
SEC. 1639. PROHIBITION ON REDUCTION OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL 
BALLISTIC MISSILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsection (b), none 
of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise 
made available for fiscal year 2023 for the Department of Defense
H. R. 7776—549 
may be obligated or expended for the following, and the Department 
may not otherwise take any action to do the following: 
(1) Reduce, or prepare to reduce, the responsiveness or 
alert level of the intercontinental ballistic missiles of the United 
States. 
(2) Reduce, or prepare to reduce, the quantity of deployed 
intercontinental ballistic missiles of the United States to a 
number less than 400. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not 
apply to any of the following activities: 
(1) The maintenance or sustainment of intercontinental 
ballistic missiles. 
(2) Ensuring the safety, security, or reliability of interconti-
nental ballistic missiles. 
(3) Facilitating the transition from the Minuteman III 
intercontinental ballistic missile to the Sentinel interconti-
nental ballistic missile (previously referred to as the ‘‘ground- 
based strategic deterrent weapon’’). 
SEC. 1640. PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF REENTRY VEHICLES. 
(a) PLAN.—The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Sustainment, in consultation with the Administrator for Nuclear 
Security and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and 
Engineering, shall produce a plan for the development, during 
the 20-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
Act, of— 
(1) the Mark 21A reentry vehicle for the Air Force; 
(2) the Mark 7 reentry vehicle for the Navy; and 
(3) any other reentry vehicles for— 
(A) the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile 
weapon system; 
(B) the Trident II (D5) submarine-launched ballistic 
missile, or subsequent missile; and 
(C) any other long-range ballistic or hypersonic strike 
missile that may rely upon technologies similar to the 
technologies used in the missiles described in subpara-
graphs (A) and (B). 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The plan under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) with respect to the development of each reentry vehicle 
described in such subsection, describe— 
(A) timed phases of production for the reentry aeroshell 
and the planned production and fielding of the reentry 
vehicle; 
(B) the required developmental and operational testing 
capabilities and capacities, including such capabilities and 
capacities of the reentry vehicle; 
(C) the technology development and manufacturing 
capabilities that may require use of authorities under the 
Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.); 
and 
(D) the industrial base capabilities and capacities, 
including the availability of sufficient critical materials 
and staffing to ensure adequate competition between enti-
ties developing the reentry vehicle; 
(2) provide estimated cost projections for the development 
of the first operational reentry vehicle and the production of
H. R. 7776—550 
subsequent reentry vehicles to meet the requirements of the 
Navy and Air Force; and 
(3) provide for the coordination with and account for the 
needs of the development by the Department of Defense of 
hypersonic systems using materials, staffing, and an industrial 
base similar to that required for the development of reentry 
vehicles described in subsection (a). 
(c) ASSESSMENTS.— 
(1) COST PROJECTIONS.—The Director of the Office of Cost 
Assessment and Program Evaluation of the Department of 
Defense, in coordination with the Director of the Office of 
Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation of the National 
Nuclear Security Administration, shall conduct an assessment 
of the costs of the plan under subsection (a). 
(2) TECHNOLOGY
AND
MANUFACTURING
READINESS.—Not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Sustainment shall seek to enter into an agreement with a 
federally funded research and development center to conduct 
an assessment of the technology and manufacturing readiness 
levels with respect to the plan under subsection (a). 
(d) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees the plan under subsection (a) 
and the assessments under subsection (c). 
SEC. 
1641. 
TREATMENT 
OF 
NUCLEAR 
MODERNIZATION 
AND 
HYPERSONIC 
MISSILE 
PROGRAMS 
WITHIN 
DEFENSE 
PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS SYSTEM. 
(a) REVIEW AND BRIEFING.—Not later than January 1, 2023, 
and annually thereafter until January 1, 2028, the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly provide to the 
congressional defense committees a briefing, with respect to each 
nuclear 
weapons 
delivery 
system, 
missile 
warning 
system, 
hypersonic boost-glide missile system program, and weapon pro-
gram or nuclear security enterprise infrastructure project of the 
National Nuclear Security Administration, on— 
(1) which such programs or projects have been reviewed 
or considered for a determination of DX priority rating under 
part 700 of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations; 
(2) which, if any, such programs or projects have been 
assigned a DX priority rating, or have been determined to 
require such rating and a timeline for assignment; 
(3) any such programs or projects that have sought DX 
rating but have been denied assignment, including a rationale 
for denial; 
(4) any such program or project which had previously 
obtained a DX rating and the designation was unassigned; 
and 
(5) other related matters the Secretaries determine appro-
priate, including the potential impacts and risks to other pro-
grams. 
(b) MILESTONE REVIEW REQUIREMENT.—With respect to any 
program or project that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary 
of Energy identify under subsection (a)(1) as not having been 
reviewed or considered for a determination of DX priority rating