S.Amdt. 5949

SA 5949, submitted by Mr. Bennet, aims to add a new section (SEC. 1252) to bill S. 4784. The purpose is to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to identify and report on defense systems, subsystems, critical components, or capabilities that can be co-produced or co-developed with India over a five-year period.

Key Requirements

• The Report: Within one year of the Act's enactment, a report must be sent to congressional defense committees. This report must include:

  • An identification of suitable systems for co-production or co-development.
  • A strategy for each system, including the mechanism for production (such as Foreign Military Sales or government-to-government agreements), milestones, a timeline, and the lead Department of Defense office.
  • A description of obstacles and the steps needed to fix them, including any necessary legislative, policy, or regulatory changes.

• Considerations: In choosing these systems, the Secretary of Defense must look at:

  • Capability gaps and operational demand for both the United States and India.
  • The industrial capacity of the Indian Government and defense firms.
  • The ability to improve interoperability and supply chain resilience.
  • Shared development of software, AI, cyber platforms, space technologies, combat vehicles, and munitions.
  • Export control and technology security requirements.
  • The risk of technology transferring to countries of concern, such as Russia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, and the People's Republic of China.

• Briefings: Starting two years after the Act is enacted, the Secretary of Defense must provide annual briefings to congressional defense committees regarding the progress of these arrangements and any changes to the list of systems.