[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2318 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2318

To develop a strategy for deploying ground-based theater-range missiles 
          in the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2023

   Ms. Ernst introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To develop a strategy for deploying ground-based theater-range missiles 
          in the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rings of Fire Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. INDO-PACIFIC MISSILE STRATEGY.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The 2022 National Defense Strategy states: ``The 
        [People's Republic of China (PRC)] has expanded and modernized 
        nearly every aspect of the [People's Liberation Army (PLA)], 
        with a focus on offsetting U.S. military advantages. The PRC is 
        therefore the pacing challenge for the Department.''.
            (2) The 2020 report of the Department of Defense entitled 
        ``Annual Report to Congress Involving the People's Republic of 
        China'' states that--
                    (A) ``[t]he PRC has more than 1,250 ground-launched 
                ballistic missiles (GLBMs) and ground-launched cruise 
                missiles (GLCMs) with ranges between 500 and 5,500 
                kilometers. The United States currently fields one type 
                of conventional GLBM with a range of 70 to 300 
                kilometers and no GLCMs.''; and
                    (B) ``[i]n 2021, the [People's Liberation Army 
                Rocket Force] launched approximately 135 ballistic 
                missiles for testing and training. This was more than 
                the rest of the world combined excluding ballistic 
                missile employment in conflict zones.''.
            (3) In 2019, the United States withdrew from the 
        Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminated 
        ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range 
        capability between 500 and 5,500 kilometers and their 
        associated launchers, due to the Russian Federation's 
        continuing violation of the treaty.
            (4) The United States does not deploy or develop ground-
        based intermediate-range missiles.
            (5) In September 2021, the United States entered a security 
        partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia (commonly 
        known as ``AUKUS''). In April 2022, AUKUS leaders committed to 
        ``commence new trilateral cooperation on hypersonic 
        technologies, counter-hypersonic defense systems, and 
        electronic warfare capabilities, as well as to deepen 
        cooperation . . . on defense innovation.''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) United States conventional ground-based theater-range 
        missile systems in the Indo-Pacific region provide operational 
        and strategy utility in--
                    (A) availability of persistent, prompt, and 
                survivable strike options;
                    (B) deterrence of enemy attack or escalation;
                    (C) imposition of operational costs on enemy 
                forces;
                    (D) responsive strikes against time-critical enemy 
                targets; and
                    (E) destruction of high-value targets to enable 
                other joint forces; and
            (2) an Indo-Pacific Missile Strategy should--
                    (A) provide coherent direction to concept and 
                capability development, including procurement, 
                deployment, and employment;
                    (B) distribute integrated capabilities at 
                operationally relevant ranges;
                    (C) coordinate and differentiate strike missions 
                among United States military services and its allies; 
                and
                    (D) pursue co-development and co-production of 
                capabilities with partners, including through existing 
                institutional mechanisms.
    (c) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        submit to the congressional defense committees (as defined in 
        section 101 of title 10, United States Code) a strategy for 
        deploying ground-based theater-range missile in the Indo-
        Pacific region.
            (2) Elements.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of gaps in conventional theater-
                range precision strike capabilities in the area of 
                responsibility of the United States Indo-Pacific 
                Command.
                    (B) An identification of military requirements for 
                conventional ground-based theater-range missile 
                systems, including range, propulsion, payload, launch 
                platform, weapon effects, and other operationally 
                relevant factors.
                    (C) An identification of prospective basing 
                locations in the area of responsibility of the United 
                States Indo-Pacific Command.
                    (D) A description of operational concepts for 
                employment, including integration with short-range and 
                multi-domain fires, in denial operations in the Western 
                Pacific.
                    (E) An identification of prospective allies and 
                institutional mechanisms for co-development of new 
                theater-range conventional missiles.
                    (F) An assessment of the cost, schedule, and 
                feasibility of ground-based theater-range missiles 
                programs, including any potential cost-sharing 
                structure through existing institutional mechanisms.
                    (G) The designation of a theater component 
                commander responsible for theater missile strategy.
            (3) Form.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) may be 
        submitted in classified form but shall include an unclassified 
        summary.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Ground-based theater-range missile.--The term ``ground-
        based theater-range missile'' means a conventional mobile 
        ground-launched ballistic or cruise missile system with a range 
        between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.
            (2) Intermediate-range.--With respect to a missile system, 
        the term ``intermediate-range'' means a missile system with a 
        range between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers.
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