(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—

(1) require expertise of an extremely high level in a scientific, technical, professional, or acquisition management field; and

(2) are critical to the successful accomplishment of an important research or technology development mission.

(d) Rate of Basic Pay.—The pay authority specified in this subsection is authority as follows:

(1) Authority to fix the rate of basic pay for a position at a rate not to exceed 150 percent of the rate of basic pay payable for level I of the Executive Schedule, upon the approval of the service acquisition executive concerned.

(2) Authority to fix the rate of basic pay for a position at a rate in excess of 150 percent of the rate of basic pay payable for level I of the Executive Schedule, upon the approval of the Secretary of the military department concerned.

(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.

(3) Term of positions.—The authority in subsection (a) may be used only for positions having a term of less than five years.

(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 1105(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (10 U.S.C. 2358 note).