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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7178 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7178
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 systems across warfighting domains, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 21, 2026
Mr. Gottheimer (for himself, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Lieu, Mr. Bacon, Mr.
Valadao, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms.
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, and
Mr. LaLota) 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 systems across warfighting domains, 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
2026''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES-ISRAEL COOPERATION TO
COUNTER UNMANNED SYSTEMS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The growing arsenal of unmanned systems of Iran
includes--
(A) unmanned systems that engage in intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance; and
(B) armed unmanned systems capable of striking
battlefield targets, including loitering munitions,
also known as ``suicide drones'' or ``one-way attack
drones''.
(2) Iran-origin unmanned 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 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 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 systems and
directed energy capabilities.
(10) 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.''.
(11) In May 2022, Iran inaugurated an unmanned system
factory in Tajikistan to manufacture and export the Ababil-2, a
multipurpose unmanned system with reconnaissance, combat, and
suicide capabilities.
(12) 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''.
(13) 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.
(14) 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.
(15) In late August 2022, Iran reportedly sent its first
batch of Shahed-136 unmanned 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.
(16) 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 system specifically designed to attack Tel
Aviv and Haifa.
(17) On November 13, 2022, and on February 10, 2023, Iran-
origin unmanned systems allegedly targeted Israeli-owned oil
tankers off the coast of Oman.
(18) Since 2022, Russia has used Iran-origin Shahed
unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with enhanced navigation
systems to evade Ukrainian air defenses, resulting in hundreds
of civilian casualties.
(19) 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.
(20) On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a
brutal, unprovoked attack from Gaza into Israel, killing more
than 1,200 people, including at least 30 Americans, according
to the Israeli military and the Department of State. The attack
involved a significant number of unmanned systems.
(21) Between late 2023 and 2024, United States forces in
Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed militias
using armed unmanned systems, resulting in American casualties.
(22) In June 2025, Iran launched a series of unmanned
system attacks against targets in Israel, including both
military installations and critical infrastructure. The scale
and coordination of the attack demonstrated the expanding
operational capabilities of Iran.
(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 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 systems;
(3) conduct joint training exercises and develop
information-sharing mechanisms to maximize the exchange of
technical expertise, data, and tactics related to emerging
unmanned systems and associated threats;
(4) coordinate with acquisition program offices of the
United States Armed Forces and Israeli military service
departments, components, and commands to expedite the
deployment of relevant systems and enhance military readiness;
and
(5) 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
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 ``$55,000,000'' and
inserting ``$100,000,000'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections
(f) and (g), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new
subsections:
``(e) Annual Reports.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress on an annual basis a report
containing--
``(1) a description of the activities authorized in
subsection (a)(1) conducted during the preceding fiscal year,
including--
``(A) an assessment of progress made by the United
States and Israel in addressing threats and
requirements relating to unmanned systems (as such term
is defined in section 319 of title 14, United States
Code);
``(B) an assessment of the harmonization of such
activities authorized in subsection (a)(1) with other
programs of the United States Government or programs of
contractors of the Department of Defense;
``(C) an update on efforts to transition
capabilities to acquisition program managers for
fielding by the United States Armed Forces or Israeli
military services, components, and commands; and
``(D) recommendations for future activities to be
conducted under this section and associated funding;
and
``(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 or Israel and the adequacy of such
capabilities to offset such threat.''.
(d) Unmanned System Defined.--In this section, the term ``unmanned
system'' has the meaning given that term in section 319 of title 14,
United States Code.
<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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