Improvements to air and missile defense acquisition

(a)

Assessment of air and missile defense systems and interceptors

(1)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State—(A)complete an assessment of United States and foreign specified partner air and missile defense systems and interceptors in the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command; and(B)submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the findings of the Secretary with respect to the assessment completed under subparagraph (A).(2)

Contents

The report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) shall include the following(A)A description of current air and missile defense systems and interceptors used by the United States and foreign specified partners to defend against attacks.(B)An analysis of current inventories and production rates of air and missile defense systems and interceptors produced by the United States and foreign specified partners.(C)An assessment of the number of air and missile defense systems deployed and interceptors expended to defend against attacks within the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command since October 7, 2023, disaggregated by—(i)the United States; and(ii)foreign specified partners.(D)An assessment of the air and missile defense systems within the area of the responsibility of the United States Central Command that have been damaged or destroyed in attacks since October 7, 2023.(E)An assessment of the air and missile defense systems and interceptors developed and produced by the United States for which the United States defense industry cannot fulfill the orders placed by foreign specified partners so as to necessitate acquisition from other sources.(b)

Strategy

(1)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State, submit to the congressional defense committees a strategy and implementation plan for cooperation with foreign specified partners to implement a multinational air and missile defense system and interceptor acquisition strategy to defend United States nationals and assets and foreign specified partners from attacks.(2)

Elements

The strategy and implementation plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:(A)A description of current efforts by the United States to engage foreign specified partners to prioritize air and missile defense needs, including coordination—(i)to replenish interceptor stock supplies;(ii)to facilitate the transfer and delivery of air and missile defense systems from the United States to foreign specified partners; and(iii)to increase air and missile defense system and interceptor supply bases located within the area of responsibility of Untied States Central Command. (B) An assessment of the feasibility and cost of creating an air and missile defense system and interceptor stockpile located within the area of responsibility of United States Central Command to be exclusively used by— (i) the United States; and (ii) foreign specified partners. (C)An assessment of the feasibility of establishing joint ventures, licensing agreements, and co-production and manufacturing partnerships between the United States and foreign specified partners to accelerate the production of air and missile defense systems and interceptors.(D)An identification of steps that can be taken to accelerate the joint research, development, acquisition, and transfer of alternative or lower-cost interceptor solutions and complementary air and missile defense capabilities between the United States and foreign specified partners, and the co-production of interceptors in the United States, where feasible.(E)An analysis of the legal, economic, and defense policy aspects of a closer air and missile defense acquisition partnership between the United States and foreign specified partners.(F)An analysis of lessons learned from air defense efforts in regional theaters, including Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa, the Caucasus, and the Horn of Africa.(3)

Protection of sensitive information

The strategy and plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall provide that any activity carried out pursuant to the strategy and plan is conducted in a manner that is consistent with protection of intelligence sources and methods and appropriately protects sensitive information and the national security interests of the United States.(4)

Form

The strategy and implementation plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.(c)

Missile Defense Agency regional working group

(1)

Establishment

(A)Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Missile Defense Agency shall, in consultation with the commander of United States Central Command, and the Secretary of State, establish a working group—(i)to facilitate the systematic and regular sharing of lessons learned on the battlefield to inform future air and missile defense requirements, including research, development, testing, evaluation, production, procurement, training, and doctrine; and(ii)to integrate ideas, policies, proposals, findings, and best practices into regional strategy and other relevant regional planning documents relating to missile defense.(B)The working group established under subparagraph (A) shall be known as the Multilateral Middle East Missile and Drone Defense Working Group (in this section referred to as the Working Group).(C)The Working Group shall consist of representatives of the following:(i)The United States.(ii)Foreign specified partners.(iii)Such others as the Director considers appropriate.(2)

Duties and responsibilities of Director

The Director shall, in consultation with the Commander of United States Central Command, lead the working group and be responsible for regularly engaging with foreign specified partners to exchange information and develop best practices to expand upon existing efforts to integrate air and missile defenses and to replenish and expand interceptor inventories and air and missile defense capacity.(3)

Convening

The Working Group shall convene not less frequently than once every six months, with meeting frequency determined by the Director, in consultation with the Commander of United States Central Command and foreign specified partners.(4)

Annual reports

(A)Not later than one year after the date of the establishment of the Working Group, and not less frequently than annually thereafter, the Director shall, in consultation with the commander of the United States Central Command, submit to the congressional defense committees an annual report on the activities of the Working Group.(B)Each report submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall include, for the period covered by the report, the following:(i)A list of partner governments participating in the Working Group and a description of the degree of participation of each partner.(ii)A description of the meetings conducted.(iii)A summary of battlefield lessons learned shared through the Working Group, including lessons derived from operations against attacks in the area of responsibility of United States Central Command. (iv) An identification of capability gaps among the United States and foreign specified partners and recommendations for how such gaps should be addressed to inform future air and missile defense requirements. (v)Such recommendations for legislative or administrative action as the Director may have to improve the effectiveness of the Working Group.(C)Each report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.(d)

Definitions

In this section:(1)The term air and missile defense systems means air and missile defense articles, unmanned aerial defense articles, rocket defense articles, including kinetic and nonkinetic capabilities, and all of their component parts, including command and control centers, sensors, radars, and launchers.(2)The term attacks means missile, manned and unmanned aerial system, and rocket attacks from Iran and armed groups linked to Iran.(3)The term congressional defense committees has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.(4)The term foreign specified partners means allies and partners in the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command.(5)The term interceptors means air and missile, unmanned aerial, nonkinetic payloads, and rocket defense articles designed to detect, track, disable, or destroy incoming missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems, and rockets.