(a) In General.—
The Secretary of Defense may carry out a program using the pay authority specified in subsection (d) to fix the rate of basic pay for positions described in subsection (c) in order to assist the military departments in attracting and retaining high quality acquisition and technology experts in positions responsible for managing and performing complex, high-cost research and technology development efforts in the science and technology reinvention laboratories of the Department of Defense.
(b) Approval Required.—
The program may be carried out in a military department only with the approval of the service acquisition executive of the military department concerned.
(c) Positions.—The positions described in this subsection are positions in the science and technology reinvention laboratories of the Department of Defense that—
(d) Rate of Basic Pay.—The pay authority specified in this subsection is authority as follows:
(e) Limitations.—
(1) In general.—
The authority in subsection (a) may be used only to the extent necessary to competitively recruit or retain individuals exceptionally well qualified for positions described in subsection (c).
(2) Number of positions.—
The authority in subsection (a) may not be used with respect to more than five positions in each military department at any one time, unless the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in concurrence with the Secretaries of the military departments concerned, authorizes the transfer of positions from one military department to another.
(f) Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories of the Department of Defense Defined.—
In this section, the term “science and technology reinvention laboratories of the Department of Defense” means the laboratories designated as science and technology reinvention laboratories by section 4121(b) of this title.