§2.Bolstering industrial resilience with allies in Indo-Pacific region
This section establishes a security cooperation initiative, referred to as the Partnership, led by the Secretary of Defense in coordination with the Secretary of State to strengthen cooperation among the defense industrial bases of the United States and allied and partner countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Partnership's objectives include (1) enabling production and supply of materials to equip U.S. and allied forces in support of the national security strategy (under 50 U.S.C. 3043), Secretary of Defense policy guidance (under 10 U.S.C. 113(g)), and future-years defense program (under 10 U.S.C. 221); (2) expanding industrial base capability, capacity, workforce, supply chain security, interoperability, and resilience; (3) identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities; (4) advancing research and development for technological superiority; (5) promoting co-development, co-production, and procurement collaboration; (6) promoting defense innovation, information sharing, standardization, and reduced barriers to cooperation; and (7) other matters as determined appropriate by the Secretary of Defense.
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary of Defense must designate a senior civilian official at the Assistant Secretary level or above to lead Partnership efforts and notify congressional defense committees of the designation (or any change) within 30 days. The Secretaries must establish a process to invite allies and partners—including Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, the Philippines, and New Zealand—to participate.
To implement the Partnership, the Secretary of Defense may enter agreements and memoranda of understanding; establish working groups and technical exchanges; provide technical assistance and capacity-building using title 10 authorities; use funds authorized for international cooperation, industrial base resilience, or related purposes; and engage industry, capital providers, academia, and other stakeholders.
The Secretary of Defense must submit annual reports to congressional defense committees on March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter through 2031, assessing shared vulnerabilities, supply chain efforts, joint initiatives (including those involving classified technologies), upcoming priorities, legislative recommendations, and other matters; and provide annual briefings beginning December 1, 2026, through 2030, on progress toward objectives.
The authority under this section terminates on December 31, 2030.