U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act of 2023
This bill increases the authorization of appropriations for the Department of Defense in carrying out research, development, test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis with Israel, to establish capabilities for countering unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The bill also requires DOD to report to Congress on the status of U.S.-Israeli cooperation to counter UAS capabilities and to provide an assessment of the UAS threat to the United States and Israel from Iran and associated proxies of Iran.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4709 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4709
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020,
to make improvements relating to cooperation between the United States
and Israel to counter unmanned aerial systems, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 18, 2023
Mr. Gottheimer (for himself, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Crow, Mr.
Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr.
Goldman of New York, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. James, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr.
Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Kean of New Jersey, Mr.
LaLota, Mr. Lieu, Ms. Mace, Mr. Mast, Mr. Meuser, Mr. Nickel, Mr.
Peters, Mr. Rutherford, Ms. Scholten, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Slotkin, Mr.
Smith of Missouri, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Torres
of New York, Mr. Trone, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Wasserman Schultz,
Mr. Wenstrup, Mr. Westerman, Ms. Wild, and Mr. D'Esposito) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed
Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020,
to make improvements relating to cooperation between the United States
and Israel to counter unmanned aerial systems, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES-ISRAEL COOPERATION TO
COUNTER UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The growing arsenal of unmanned aerial systems of Iran
includes--
(A) unmanned aerial systems that engage in
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and
(B) armed unmanned aerial systems capable of
striking battlefield targets, including loitering
munitions, also known as ``suicide drones'' or ``one-
way attack drones''.
(2) Iran-origin unmanned aerial systems represent a threat
to the Armed Forces and facilities of the United States in the
Middle East, as well as to United States allies and partners
such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
(3) In February 2018, Iran allegedly launched an armed
unmanned aerial vehicle from Syria into Israeli airspace which
was ultimately destroyed by Israeli warplanes.
(4) In September 2019, Iran launched cruise missiles and
loitering munitions at key oil installations in Saudi Arabia.
(5) Throughout the takeover of Yemen by the Houthi,
beginning in 2014 and continuing into the present, the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds-Force, the al-Ghadir Missile
Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace
Force, and the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad organization
of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has supported the
capabilities of Yemeni rebels, including through the provision
of unmanned aerial systems and other relevant technology, such
as cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Such support enables
the Houthis to routinely strike civilian targets in both Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
(6) In January 2021, Iran-backed Shiite militia groups in
Iraq launched armed unmanned aerial vehicles at Saudi Arabia.
(7) In March 2021, Iran attempted to send two delta-wing
unmanned aerial vehicles toward Israel which were ultimately
downed by Israeli warplanes over the territory of an
undisclosed Arab country.
(8) In July 2021, Iran launched an attack employing
unmanned aerial vehicles, including loitering munitions against
a Liberian-flagged, Israeli-operated tanker, ``M/T Mercer
Street'', near the coast of Oman that killed two people, a
British and a Romanian national.
(9) On March 27 and 28, 2022, Secretary of State Blinken
met in Israel with counterparts from the governments of Israel,
Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco to
promote normalization in the region and declared, ``Our
commitment to the core principle that Iran can never acquire a
nuclear weapon is unwavering. One way or another, we will
continue to cooperate closely.''.
(10) In May 2022, Iran inaugurated an unmanned aerial
system factory in Tajikistan to manufacture and export the
Ababil-2, a multipurpose unmanned aerial system with
reconnaissance, combat, and suicide capabilities.
(11) On June 2, 2022, Iran-backed Hezbollah sent three
unmanned aerial vehicles toward the Israeli-controlled Karish
gas field, one of which was intercepted by an F-16 fighter jet,
and two of which were intercepted by Barak 8 missiles launched
from the Sa'ar 5-class corvette ``INS Eilat''.
(12) On July 2, 2022, the Israeli military reportedly shot
down three unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Hezbollah in
the vicinity of where an Israeli gas platform had been recently
installed in the Mediterranean Sea.
(13) On July 14, 2022, the United States and Israel adopted
the Joint Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership,
reaffirming the unbreakable bonds between the two countries and
the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of
Israel.
(14) In late August 2022, Iran reportedly sent its first
batch of Shahed-136 unmanned aerial systems to Russia for use
against Ukraine. While Russia is rebranding these systems the
Geran-2, United States officials revealed the agreement in the
summer of 2022.
(15) On September 12, 2022, Brigadier General Kioumars
Heydari, who heads the ground forces of the Armed Forces of
Iran, announced that the Armed Forces of Iran had developed the
Arash-2 unmanned aerial system specifically designed to attack
Tel Aviv and Haifa.
(16) On November 13, 2022, and on February 10, 2023, Iran-
origin unmanned aerial systems allegedly targeted Israeli-owned
oil tankers off the coast of Oman.
(17) On February 14, 2023, United States forces in Syria
reportedly shot down an Iran-origin unmanned aerial vehicle
surveilling United States positions around oil facilities.
(18) On November 1, 2021, the Secretary of Defense and the
Defense Minister of Israel signed a memorandum of understanding
establishing the United States-Israel Operations Technology-
Working Group, which includes six sub-working groups, including
sub-working groups focused on countering unmanned aerial
systems and directed energy capabilities.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should--
(1) enhance ongoing cooperation with Israel in researching,
developing, and fielding, as expeditiously as possible,
mutually beneficial technologies and capabilities to counter
unmanned aerial systems, for the purpose of addressing common
military requirements and growing threats;
(2) exchange with Israel information about the evolving
threat of Iran-origin unmanned aerial systems; and
(3) use the United States-Israel Operations-Technology
Working Group established pursuant to section 1299M(c) of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public
Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 4014), or any successor working group,
as the epicenter of such efforts.
(c) Report on United States-Israel Cooperation to Counter Unmanned
Aerial Systems.--Section 1278 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92; 133 Stat. 1702; 22 U.S.C. 8606
note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(4), by striking ``$40,000,000'' and
inserting ``$55,000,000'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections
(g) and (h), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new
subsections:
``(e) Report on Status of Cooperation and Certain Iranian Threat.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
subsection, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report containing the following:
``(1) An assessment of the status of cooperation between
the United States and Israel on countering unmanned aerial
systems, including an assessment of--
``(A) capabilities to counter unmanned aerial
systems under research and development;
``(B) capabilities to counter unmanned aerial
systems that have been fielded to the Armed Forces of
the United States or Israel pursuant to this section;
``(C) proposed changes to authorizations,
appropriations, or other provisions of law that would
result in more effective capabilities to counter
unmanned aerial systems and expedite the provision to
the Armed Forces of the United States and Israel of
capabilities to counter unmanned aerial systems; and
``(D) the extent to which the United States-Israel
Operations-Technology Working Group established
pursuant to section 1299M(c) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-
283; 134 Stat. 4014), or any successor working group,
is being used to carry out the activities described in
subsection (a)(1).
``(2) An assessment of the threat to the United States and
Israel posed by unmanned aerial systems from Iran and
associated proxies of Iran, including an assessment of deployed
or otherwise available anti-unmanned aircraft capabilities of
the United States and Israel and the adequacy of such
capabilities to offset such threat.
``(f) Unmanned Aerial System Defined.--In this section, the term
`unmanned aerial system' includes loitering munitions.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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