republic-os/legal/us/code/title-10/chapter-24/section-492.md

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LegalText	10 U.S.C. § 492	Biennial assessment and report on the delivery platforms for nuclear weapons and the nuclear command and control system	us	united_states_code	code_section	10	ARMED FORCES	24	NUCLEAR POSTURE	492	10 U.S.C. § 492	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc10@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t10/s492	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-10/usc10.xml	0e46fac1173ccec7efc9969382a425a667859a7f755f7a5d5a7a2dd76c1de6df	06a2679d38355c44f4219c983fdad34009233205d6ba271593a4c1b17a739ec1	19a5ea9a37ddc4b9492676b61acbca4dee90953586308fba6d3a37ee29373286	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

10 U.S.C. § 492 - Biennial assessment and report on the delivery platforms for nuclear weapons and the nuclear command and control system

Text

(a) Biennial Assessments.— (1) For each even-numbered year, each covered official shall assess the safety, security, reliability, sustainability, performance, and military effectiveness of, and the ability to meet operational availability requirements for, the systems described in paragraph (2) for which such official has responsibility.

(2) The systems described in this paragraph are the following:

(A) Each type of delivery platform for nuclear weapons.

(B) The nuclear command and control system.

(b) Biennial Report.— (1) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, each covered official shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Nuclear Weapons Council established by section 179 of this title a report on the assessments conducted under subsection (a).

(2) Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) The results of the assessment.

(B) An identification and discussion of any capability gaps or shortfalls with respect to the systems described in subsection (a)(2) covered under the assessment.

(C) An identification and discussion of any risks with respect to meeting mission or capability requirements.

(D) In the case of an assessment by the Commander of the United States Strategic Command, if the Commander identifies any deficiency with respect to a nuclear weapons delivery platform covered under the assessment, a discussion of the relative merits of any other nuclear weapons delivery platform type or compensatory measure that would accomplish the mission of such nuclear weapons delivery platform.

(E) An identification and discussion of any matter having an adverse effect on the capability of the covered official to accurately determine the matters covered by the assessment.

(c) Report to President and Congress.— (1) Not later than March 1 of each year following a year for which a report under subsection (b) is submitted, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the President a report containing—

(A) each report under subsection (b) submitted during the previous year, as originally submitted to the Secretary;

(B) any comments that the Secretary considers appropriate with respect to each such report;

(C) any conclusions that the Secretary considers appropriate with respect to the safety, security, reliability, sustainability, performance, or military effectiveness of the systems described in subsection (a)(2); and

(D) any other information that the Secretary considers appropriate.

(2) Not later than March 15 of each year during which a report under paragraph (1) is submitted, the President shall transmit to the congressional defense committees the report submitted to the President under paragraph (1), including any comments the President considers appropriate.

(3) Each report under this subsection may be in classified form if the Secretary of Defense determines it necessary.

(d) Covered Official Defined.— In this section, the term “covered official” means—

(1) the Commander of the United States Strategic Command;

(2) the Director of the Strategic Systems Program of the Navy;

(3) the Commander of the Global Strike Command of the Air Force; and

(4) the Commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe.

(Added Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title X, § 1041(a), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1573, § 490a; renumbered § 492, Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1031(b)(3)(A)(i), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1918; amended Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title XVI, § 1642, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3650; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XVI, § 1666, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1774.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2019—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 116–92 added par. (4). 2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–291 inserted “, and the ability to meet operational availability requirements for,” after “military effectiveness of”. 2013—Pub. L. 112–239 renumbered section 490a of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Initial Assessment and ReportsPub. L. 112–81, div. A, title X, § 1041(b), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1574, as amended by Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1031(b)(4), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1919; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title X, § 1091(b)(6), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 876, provided that: “Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 31, 2011], each covered official, as such term is defined in subsection (d) of section 492 of title 10, United States Code, shall conduct an initial assessment as described by subsection (a) of such section and submit an initial report as described by subsection (b) of such section. The requirements of subsection (c) of such section shall apply with respect to the report submitted under this subsection.” [Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title X, § 1091(b), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 876, provided in part that the amendment made by section 1091(b)(6) is effective as of Jan. 2, 2013, and as if included in Pub. L. 112–239 as enacted.]