Justification

Justification for Change Request

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

National Security and Critical Technology Assessments

of the U.S. Industrial Base

OMB Control No. 0694-0119

Expiration Date: 01/31/2013

BIS is requesting an increase in respondents/responses and burden hours in order to support new requirements by the Department of Defense. A copy of a March 18, 2011 letter from Deputy Secretary of Defense Lynn is included as a supplementary document in ROCIS. After this letter was received by BIS, DOD identified three additional areas in which industrial base assessments are needed: (1) Space Industry; (2) Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance - C4ISR; and (3) Underwater Acoustics. A copy of an April 20, 2011 letter from the Air Force, requesting a survey of the U.S. Space Industry is also included as a supplementary document in ROCIS.

The surveys of DOD contractors will address DOD concerns that proposed and projected future budget cuts may have a deleterious effect on key suppliers, particularly at the lower tiers of the defense industrial base. These surveys will give Defense insights into small and medium-sized companies, especially regarding production capabilities, research and development activities and workforce infrastructure, which could be jeopardized by these cutbacks. Loss of any of these unique industrial base assets could have serious implications for U.S. national and economic security.

The requested increases are 12,100 respondents/responses and 169,400 burden hours.