To authorize the establishment of a Baltic Security Initiative for the purpose of strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Baltic countries.

This amendment aims to add a new section, titled the Baltic Security Initiative, to the bill. Its purpose is to allow the Secretary of Defense to create an initiative to deepen security cooperation with the military forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Objectives of the Initiative

The initiative focuses on the following goals:

• Achieving national security objectives by deterring aggression from the Russian Federation and implementing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's new Strategic Concept.

• Enhancing regional planning and cooperation for the Baltic countries regarding capabilities such as:

  • Long-range precision fire systems.
  • Integrated air and missile defense.
  • Maritime domain awareness.
  • Land forces development and stockpiling large caliber ammunition.
  • Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
  • Special operations forces development.
  • Security enhancements and coordination with Poland.
  • Other capabilities determined by the Secretary.

• Improving cyber defenses and resilience to hybrid threats for Baltic military forces.

Strategy and Funding

The Secretary must submit a strategy report to the Senate and House Committees on Armed Services within one year. This strategy must consider existing security assistance, threats from Russian aggression (including the 2022 invasion of Ukraine with Belarus' support), and threats from the People's Republic of China.

For funding, the amendment authorizes $350,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2028. Additionally, Congress expresses that the Secretary should try to get matching funds from the participating Baltic countries.