2022-19909. Defense Science Board; Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting

AGENCY:

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

Notice of Federal Advisory Committee meeting.

SUMMARY:

The DoD is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Defense Science Board (DSB) will take place.

DATES:

Closed to the public Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed to the public Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed to the public Friday, September 16, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

The address of the closed meeting is the Executive Conference Center, 4075 Wilson Blvd., Floor 3, Arlington, VA 22203 on September 14-15, 2022 and 3140 Defense Pentagon, Room 2A528 on September 16, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Kevin Doxey, [phone] (Voice), [phone] (Facsimile), [e-mail] (Email). Mailing address is Defense Science Board, 3140 Defense Pentagon, Room 2A528, Washington, DC 20301-3140. Website: http://www.acq.osd.mil/​dsb/​. The most up-to-date changes to the meeting agenda can be found on the website.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This meeting is being held under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.), appendix), the Government in the Sunshine Act (title 5 U.S.C., section 552b), and title 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), sections 102-3.140 and 102-3.150.

Due to circumstances beyond the control of the Designated Federal Officer, the Defense Science Board was unable to provide public notification required by 41 CFR 102-3.150(a) concerning its September 14-16, 2022 meeting. Accordingly, the Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150(b), waives the 15-calendar day notification requirement.

Purpose of the Meeting: The mission of the DSB is to provide independent advice and recommendations on matters relating to the DoD's scientific and technical enterprise. The objective of the meeting is to obtain, review, and evaluate classified information related to the DSB's mission. DSB membership will meet to discuss the 2022 DSB Summer Study on Technology Superiority (“the Summer Study”).

Agenda: The DSB meeting on the Summer Study will begin on September 14, 2022 at 8 a.m. with administrative opening remarks from Mr. Kevin Doxey, the Executive Director and Designated Federal Officer, and a classified overview of the objectives of the Summer Study from Dr. Eric Evans, the DSB Chair. Next, the DSB members will meet in a plenary session to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States. Following a break, the DSB members will continue to meet to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States. Following a break, the DSB members will continue their discussion in breakout groups. The meeting will adjourn at 5 p.m. On September 15, 2022, beginning at 8 a.m., the DSB members will again meet to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States. Following a break, the DSB members will meet in a plenary session to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States. Following a break, the DSB members will continue to meet in a plenary session to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States, will continue this discussion in breakout groups, and finally will meet in plenary to continue to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States. The meeting will adjourn at 4 p.m. On September 16, 2022, beginning at 10 a.m., the DSB members will meet to discuss classified concepts, capabilities, and strategies that may enhance the military technological advantage of the United States. Following a break, the DSB members will meet with the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Kathleen Hicks, to conduct a tabletop exercise in which members deliberate on and respond to various simulated and interactive scenarios. DSB members will provide findings and recommendations related to options for strategic, operational, and budgetary decisions that can be made to protect and strengthen DoD interests. The meeting will adjourn at 4:15 p.m.

Meeting Accessibility: In accordance with section 10(d) of the FACA and 41 CFR 102-3.155, the DoD has determined that the DSB meeting will be closed to the public. Specifically, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in consultation with the DoD Office of the General Counsel, has determined in writing that the meeting will be closed to the public because it will consider matters covered by 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1). The determination is based on the consideration that it is expected that discussions throughout will involve classified matters of national security concern. Such classified material is so intertwined with the unclassified material that it cannot reasonably be segregated into separate discussions without defeating the effectiveness and meaning of the overall meetings. To permit the meeting to be open to the public would preclude discussion of such matters and would greatly diminish the ultimate utility of the DSB's findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Defense and to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

Written Statements: In accordance with section 10(a)(3) of the FACA and 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, interested persons may submit a written statement for consideration by the DSB at any time regarding its mission or in response to the stated agenda of a planned meeting. Individuals submitting a written statement must submit their statement to the DSB DFO provided in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section at any point; however, if a written statement is not received at least three calendar days prior to the meeting, which is the subject of this notice, then it may not be provided to or considered by the DSB until a later date.

Dated: September 9, 2022.

Aaron T. Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.