S.Amdt. 6718

SA 6718, 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 are suitable for co-development or co-production with India over a five-year period.

Key Requirements

• The Report: Within one year of the Act's enactment, a report must be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees. This report must include a strategy for each identified system, detailing the production mechanism, milestones, the office responsible for execution, and any obstacles that need to be addressed.

• Considerations: When picking these systems, officials must look at:

  • Operational demands and capability gaps for both the U.S. and India.
  • The industrial capacity of India's government and defense firms.
  • Potential to improve supply chain resilience and interoperability.
  • Shared development of hardware (like space technologies and munitions) and capabilities (like AI and cyber platforms).
  • Export control and technology security requirements.
  • The risk of sensitive technology transferring to countries including Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea based on India's relationships with them.

• Ongoing Accountability: Starting two years after the Act is enacted, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State must provide annual briefings to Congress on the progress of these arrangements, including any changes to the list of identified systems.