Quick Reaction Special Projects (QRSP)
Abstract
The Quick Reaction Special Projects (QRSP) Program Element develops risk-reducing prototypes and conducts experiments designed to develop capabilities in anticipation of emerging adversary threats, while addressing immediate needs of the Combatant Commands (CCMD). QRSP efforts support the Department’s goal to provide a hedge against technical uncertainty by leveraging commercial technologies and acting as an incubator for potentially game-changing capabilities. This Program Element also supports the Department of Defense’s (DoD) strategy to address future threats in a more competitive environment with resurgence of near-peer competitors and adversaries who have studied and worked to counter U.S. technological capabilities. QRSP provides an agile mechanism to affordably counter emerging technological threats, inform the requirements process, and help maintain DoD’s technical superiority, while fostering collaboration among other government agencies, DoD laboratories, academia, and the commercial sector. Funding in this Program Element enables the new Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) to anticipate and respond to emergent DoD issues and time-sensitive threats by selecting projects within the year of execution. Due to the relatively low average cost of projects, QRSP is able to explore higher-risk opportunities with potentially higher reward. Project selection is guided by Department-level strategies and priorities, such as the Chairman’s Gap Assessment, USD(R&E) strategic guidance, and CCMD Integrated Priority Lists (IPLs). The QRSP Program supports four major project codes that expedite development and transition of new capabilities to the warfighter. These project codes are: 1) Quick Reaction Fund (QRF), 2) Rapid Reaction Fund (RRF), 3) Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell (JRAC) support, and 4) Strategic Multi-Layered Assessment (SMA) Cell support. Focus areas within these project codes align to DoD science and technology priorities, including counter anti-access/area denial; counter weapons of mass destruction; target identification and tracking; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; low-cost precision engagement; counter-electronic warfare; technical risk assessments through wargaming; and, autonomous systems. The QRF objectives are to develop prototypes in response to emergent conventional warfare needs that take advantage of breakthroughs in rapidly evolving technologies and accelerate these capabilities to the warfighter. The QRF program initiates prototyping projects during the execution year to mature technologies critically needed for the CCMDs. QRF focus areas include anti-access and area denial, broad electronic warfare, and autonomous learning systems for processing and analyzing intelligence streams. The RRF objectives are to develop proof-of-concept prototypes to counter emerging irregular warfare threats, anticipate adversaries’ exploitation of new technologies, and expedite delivery of effective, affordable, and critically needed capabilities to the warfighter. RRF initiatives support the DoD Research and Engineering Enterprise mission to develop, demonstrate, assess, and rapidly field innovative and affordable concepts and technologies that meet time-sensitive operational needs as identified by CCMDs, military Service organizations, other Defense organizations, and interagency partners. RRF leverages emerging capabilities, such as advanced algorithms and software intelligence, to enable conceptual prototyping with agile technology insertion. The program also leverages existing capabilities in our traditional industrial bases and non-traditional suppliers in the commercial sector, academia, international arenas, and small businesses. The JRAC focus is on responding, in timeframes acceptable to the CCMDs, to Joint Urgent Operational Needs (JUONS) and Joint Emerging Operational Needs (JEONS) that are submitted by CCMDs and validated by the Joint Staff. To meet these objectives, JRAC leverages contingency and other rapid acquisition authorities. The SMA Cell's objective is to support CCMDs, Joint Force Commanders, and other government agencies by assessing complex operational and technical challenges, which require collaborative multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approaches. With input from across the U.S. Government, academia, and the private sector, the SMA Cell develops options to Joint Staff and CCMD-generated challenging problems to inform senior leadership. Each assessment is initiated at the request of CCMD senior leadership. Priorities for SMA Cell programs are set by the Joint Staff Deputy for Operations. SMA products are typically generated within six months and directly contribute to the decision-making process of the Joint Staff and CCMD senior leadership.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2019
- Source ID
- 0603826D8Z_3_0400_PB_2019
- Change Summary Explanation
- The FY 2017 increase is the net of congressional adjustments and other required execution year adjustments. In FY 2019, the baseline decrease is the net of a $2.000 million transfer out of the Hardware/Software (HW/SW) Assurance and Integrity Analysis project to Program Element 0604294D8Z (Trusted and Assured Microelectronics), and adjustments applied to fund other DoD requirements and priorities.
- Service Agency Name
- Office of the Secretary Of Defense
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
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