No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section expresses the sense of Congress that the United States and Israel share democratic values, strategic interests, and technological ties that support joint innovation to address security challenges; Israel advances U.S. interests as a strategic ally and leader in defense technology; the 2016 memorandum of understanding on military assistance and missile defense should continue; and the countries must expand cooperation—including rapid integration of jointly developed and Israeli-origin technologies—across emerging domains to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge and U.S. technological supremacy.
This section directs the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Minister of Defense of Israel, to establish the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative to expand and accelerate bilateral defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation by (1) identifying jointly developed or Israeli-origin technologies for integration into U.S. systems; (2) conducting collaborative research with government, private sector, and academic institutions; (3) facilitating transitions to procurement and acquisition; (4) establishing frameworks for joint ventures, licensing, and U.S.-based co-production; (5) coordinating with specified DoD components (e.g., Defense Innovation Unit, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency); and (6) promoting joint training and information-sharing. The initiative targets 10 domains, including counter-unmanned systems, anti-tunneling threats, missile and air defense technologies (including Golden Dome for America), artificial intelligence, directed energy, cyber defense, and defense industrial base cooperation. The Secretary of Defense must coordinate initiative activities with the Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce, and other relevant federal agencies.
This section requires the Secretary of Defense to provide the congressional defense committees (Committees on Appropriations and Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives) with (1) an interim briefing or written update within 180 days of enactment detailing steps to implement the initiative, early coordination with Israel, initial technology areas for cooperation, designated Department of Defense components, and early transition or prototyping activities; and (2) annual reports beginning one year after enactment describing program activities, progress toward shared security interests, collaboration with other U.S.-Israel programs, technologies transitioned to U.S. systems, industry partnerships, and future priorities and resource needs. Annual reports must be unclassified (with a possible classified annex), and the Secretary must post periodic unclassified updates on a public Department of Defense website describing activities and contributions to U.S. technological and military supremacy without compromising sensitive information.