Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, abbreviated USD (R&E), is a senior official of the United States Department of Defense. The USD (R&E) is charged with the development and oversight of technology strategy for the DoD. The post (or effectively the same post) has at various times had the titles Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)), or Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E). The latter title has itself historically varied between the rank of under secretary and that of assistant secretary.

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Logo of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Incumbent James G. Mazol (acting) since January 20, 2025
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Reports to	Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense
Nominator	The President with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term length	No fixed term
Website	Office of the Under Secretary

USD (R&E) is the principal staff advisor for research and engineering matters to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense. In this capacity, USD (R&E) serves as the chief technology officer (CTO) for the Department of Defense charged with the development and oversight of DoD technology strategy in concert with the department's current and future requirements. The goal of USD (R&E) is to extend the capabilities of current war fighting systems, develop breakthrough capabilities, hedge against an uncertain future through a set of scientific and engineering options, and counter strategic surprise. USD (R&E) also provides advice and assistance in developing policies for rapid technology transition.

From 1987 until 1 February 2018, ASD(R&E) was subordinate to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. On 1 February 2018, the research and engineering were split into an independent office, with the head position being elevated from an assistant secretary to an under secretary level. The remaining acquisition office became the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S).

Organization

Organizations included under the USD (R&E) include the following. As of February 2018, organizational relationships remained to be finalized as the organization was being formed. The organizational structure was finalized in July 2018. Agencies marked with an asterisk (*) are not part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

• • Technical Director of Defense Research and Engineering for AI
  • Technical Director of Defense Research and Engineering for 5G
• Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology
  • Deputy Director for Strategic Technology Protection and Exploitation
    • *
  • Deputy Director for Research, Technology, and Laboratories
  • Defense Technical Information Center*
• Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Advanced Capabilities
  • Deputy Director for Mission Engineering and Integration
  • Deputy Director for Developmental Test and Evaluation
    • *
• Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Biotechnology
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Autonomy
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Cyber
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Directed Energy
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for FNC3
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Hypersonics
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Microelectronics
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Quantum Science
  • Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Space
• Director of Space Development Agency
• Under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, the Strategic Capabilities Office was moved from a subordinate unit under USD(R&E) to a direct report to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
• Defense Innovation Unit
• Missile Defense Agency*
• DARPA*

Upon the February 2018 reorganization, the USD (R&E) assumed responsibility for administering the Small Business Innovation Research and Rapid Innovation Fund programs.

History

The National Security Act of 1947 and its 1949 amendments established the Department of Defense, including the establishment of two statutory boards: a Munitions Board, and a Research and Development Board. In June 1953, President Eisenhower's Reorganization Plan No. 6 abolished the boards as such, and created six new Assistant Secretaries of Defense. Two of these assistant secretary positions—Applications Engineering, and Research and Development—were combined in March 1957 to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)).

Under the DoD Reorganization Act of 1958 (PL 85-599, effective 6 August 1958), the position of ASD (R&E) was abolished and replaced by a Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E).

From 19 May 1961, until 15 July 1965, a Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering held the additional title of ASD(R&E), on the theory that this position reported to, in rank, an under secretary—the DDR&E. On 21 October 1977, PL 95-140 made the rank of the DDR&E unambiguous by renaming it to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD (R&E)).

The history of Department of Defense management of science and technology up to the 1980s is described at greater length in a report available from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

The Military Retirement Reform Act of 1986 expanded the scope of USD (R&E) position to encompass acquisition and logistics, as well as technology, and it was renamed USD(AT&L). A subordinate position at the assistant secretary level was reestablished with the previous title DDR&E. However, budget control of the technology portfolio was kept by USD(AT&L), diminishing the importance of the DDR&E position subsequently.

On 7 January 2011, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act with several redesignated titles within the Department of Defense. These changes included renaming the DDR&E as, once again, ASD(R&E).

On 1 February 2018, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics was split into two new offices: the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (R&E) and the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

The latest restructuring establishes three new Assistant Secretary of Defense positions, along with eight Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense, replacing the role of Deputy Chief Technology Officer.

Office holders

The table below includes both the various names which this position has been named over time, as well as all the holders of those various offices. Acting officers have a beige background.

Name	Tenure	SecDef(s) Served Under	President(s) Served Under
Chairman, Research and Development Board
Vannevar Bush	30 September 1947 – 14 October 1948	James V. Forrestal	Harry Truman
Karl T. Compton	15 October 1948 – 14 March 1950	James V. Forrestal Louis A. Johnson	Harry Truman
William Webster	15 March 1950 – 31 July 1951	Louis A. Johnson George C. Marshall	Harry Truman
Walter G. Whitman	1 August 1951 – 29 June 1953	George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett Charles E. Wilson	Harry Truman Dwight Eisenhower
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research and Development)
Donald A. Quarles	1 September 1953 – 14 August 1955	Charles E. Wilson	Dwight Eisenhower
Clifford C. Furnas	1 December 1955 – 15 February 1957	Charles E. Wilson	Dwight Eisenhower
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Applications Engineering)
Frank D. Newbury	18 August 1953 – 17 March 1957	Charles E. Wilson	Dwight Eisenhower
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering)
Frank D. Newbury	18 March 1957 – 17 May 1957	Charles E. Wilson	Dwight Eisenhower
Paul D. Foote	10 September 1957 – 31 October 1958	Charles E. Wilson Neil H. McElroy	Dwight Eisenhower
John H. Rubel (as Deputy DDR&E)	19 May 1961 – 15 June 1963	Thomas S. Gates Robert S. McNamara	Dwight Eisenhower John F. Kennedy
Eugene G. Fubini (as Deputy DDR&E)	3 July 1963 – 15 July 1965	Robert S. McNamara	John F. Kennedy
Director, Defense Research and Engineering
Herbert F. York	30 December 1958 – 30 April 1961	Neil H. McElroy Thomas S. Gates Robert S. McNamara	Dwight Eisenhower
			John F. Kennedy
Harold Brown	8 May 1961 – 30 September 1965	Robert S. McNamara	John F. Kennedy
John S. Foster, Jr.	1 October 1965 – 21 June 1973	Robert S. McNamara Clark M. Clifford Melvin R. Laird Elliot L. Richardson	Lyndon Johnson Richard Nixon
Malcolm R. Currie	21 June 1973 – 20 January 1977	James R. Schlesinger Donald H. Rumsfeld	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
William J. Perry	11 April 1977 – 21 October 1977	Harold Brown	Jimmy Carter
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
William J. Perry	4 November 1977 – 20 January 1981	Harold Brown	Jimmy Carter
Walter B. LaBerge	21 January 1981 – 10 March 1981	Caspar W. Weinberger	Ronald Reagan
James P. Wade, Jr.	11 March 1981 – 6 May 1981
Richard D. DeLauer	7 May 1981 – 4 November 1984
James P. Wade, Jr.	1 December 1981 – 5 July 1985
Donald A. Hicks	6 August 1985 – 10 October 1986
Director, Defense Research and Engineering
Robert C. Duncan	17 December 1987 – 30 November 1989	Frank C. Carlucci III William H. Taft IV (Acting) Richard B. Cheney	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
Charles M. Herzfeld	12 March 1990 – 18 May 1991	Richard B. Cheney	George H. W. Bush
Victor H. Reis	3 December 1991 – 31 May 1993	Richard B. Cheney Leslie Aspin, Jr.	George H. W. Bush William Clinton
Anita K. Jones	1 June 1993 – 23 May 1997	Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry William S. Cohen	William Clinton
Hans M. Mark	1 July 1998 – 10 May 2001	William S. Cohen Donald H. Rumsfeld	William Clinton George W. Bush
Ronald M. Sega	14 August 2001 – 3 August 2005	Donald H. Rumsfeld	George W. Bush
John J. Young Jr.	2 November 2005 – 20 November 2007	Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates	George W. Bush
Alan R. Shaffer	21 November 2007 – 1 July 2009	Robert M. Gates	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Zachary J. Lemnios	2 July 2009 – 7 January 2011	Robert M. Gates	Barack Obama
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering)
Zachary J. Lemnios	7 January 2011 – 30 November 2012	Leon Panetta	Barack Obama
Alan R. Shaffer	1 December 2012 – 12 June 2015	Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ashton B. Carter
Stephen P. Welby	13 June 2015 – 13 December 2015	Ashton B. Carter
Stephen P. Welby	14 December 2015 – 20 January 2017
Mary J. Miller	20 January 2017 – 1 February 2018	James Mattis	Donald Trump
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Ellen Lord	1 February 2018 – 15 February 2018	James Mattis	Donald Trump
Michael D. Griffin	19 February 2018 – 10 July 2020	James Mattis Mark Esper
Michael Kratsios	10 July 2020 – 20 January 2021	Mark Esper
Terry Emmert	20 January 2021 – 24 July 2021	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden
Heidi Shyu	25 July 2021 – January 20, 2025	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden
James G. Mazol	20 January 2025 – Incumbent	Pete Hegseth	Donald Trump

References

1. https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4035639/new-officials-sworn-in-at-the-department-of-defense/
2. Mehta, Aaron (2 February 2018). "The Pentagon's acquisition office is gone. Here's what the next 120 days bring". Defense News. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
3. "Report to Congress: Restructuring the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Organization and Chief Management Officer Organization" (PDF). 1 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
4. Mehta, Aaron (17 July 2018). "Revealed: The new structure for the Pentagon's tech and acquisition offices". Defense News. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
5. Johnnson, Derek B. (5 March 2018). "White House names deputy undersecretary for DOD R&E". FCW. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
6. Cumbers, John. ""With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" — Meet Alexander Titus The Department Of Defense's Head Of Biotechnology". Forbes. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
7. "Dr. Alexander Titus > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
8. "Dr. Kate Sixt". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 29 July 2024.^{[dead link‍]}
9. "Dr. Daniel J. Ragsdale > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
10. "Dr. Thomas J. Karr > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
11. 'FNC3' is an abbreviation of 'Fully-Networked Command, Control and Communications'
12. "Department of Defense Press Briefing on Hypersonics". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
13. "Ms. Nicole M. Petta > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
14. "Dr. Paul Lopata > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
15. Derek M. Tournear, Director of the Space Development Agency
16. Theresa Hitchens (6 Jan 2021) SMC, SDA Missile Warning Sat Ground Systems Won’t ‘Talk’ – For Now
17. "Draft BAA, Time-Sensitive Target Mission Payloads Demonstration (TSTMPD) Solicitation Number: HQ0034-19-BAA-TSTMPD-0001".
18. Sandra Erwin (17 February 2019). "Pentagon seeking proposals for how to use sensors in space to quickly target enemy missiles". SpaceNews.
19. Nathan Strout (11 Feb 2021) SDA to launch several demonstration satellites in 2021
20. ESRI app, Satellite Map
21. Theresa Hitchens (1 Apr 2021) Theater Commands OK SDA’s Sat Plans: EXCLUSIVE
22. (8 Oct 2020) SATELLITE SYSTEMS, SATCOM AND SPACE SYSTEMS UPDATE
23. Nate Turkin (28 Apr 2021) What focus areas are key to America’s future space capabilities?
24. Andrew Eversden (20 Aug 2020) US Army network team sets timeline for satellite constellations
25. O'Neil, William D. and Gene H. Porter, “What to Buy? The Role of Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E): Lessons from the 1970s,” IDA Paper P-4675 (Alexandria, Virginia: Institute for Defense Analyses, Jan 2011) http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA549549.
26. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Archived 26 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
27. "DOD Establishes Assistant Secretaries of Defense in the Office of the Under Secretary for".
28. "A History of the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering". DoD. 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
29. Tritten, Travis J. "Senate picks up the pace with confirmations of Pentagon chief manager, top Air Force weapons buyer". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
30. "Department of Defense Key Officials: September 1947–July 2020" (PDF). U.S. Department of Defense. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
31. Christine Thropp (23 Jul 2021) Senate Confirms Heidi Shyu as DOD’s Undersecretary for Research & Engineering

External links

• Official website