Department of Defense Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III

This is the first in series of posts about the Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III.

The Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III program is one of three active authorities in the Defense Production Act, which was first signed into law in 1950 and was last renewed in 2018. The Title III program provides the President broad authority to ensure the timely availability of essential domestic industrial resources to support national defense and homeland security requirements through the use of highly tailored economic incentives. Specifically, the program is designed to create, maintain, protect, expand, or restore domestic industrial base capabilities. The DPA Title III Office reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. The DPA Title III Office provides direction, guidance, and oversight to the DPA Title III program within the Department of Defense (DoD). The program is executed through the careful selection and implementation of projects designed to mitigate critical shortfalls in domestic defense industries.

According to law (Title 50, Chapter 55, Section 4533), DPA Title III has three broad focus areas:

SUSTAIN CRITICAL PRODUCTION

“...to create, maintain, protect, expand, or restore industrial base capabilities essential for national defense.”

COMMERCIALIZE R&D INVESTMENTS

“...from Government sponsored research and development to commercial applications.”

SCALE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

“...for the increased use of emerging technologies in security program applications and the rapid transition of emerging technologies.”