Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4711
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-29T06:06:42Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation establishes a United States-Ukraine Strategic Defense Innovation Working Group to explore ways to jointly develop, produce, acquire, and transfer certain unmanned defense systems and related technologies between the two countries.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Clarifies terms such as "covered system" (low-cost, expendable unmanned systems like aerial, underwater, or surface vehicles, plus counter-unmanned capabilities and command systems), "Secretary" (Secretary of Defense), and the Working Group itself.
- Establishment: Requires the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to form the Working Group within 90 days, co-chaired by senior Defense Department officials including the Under Secretary of Defense, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit, and others. Ukrainian participants include the Ministry of Defense, military forces, the Brave1 Defense Tech Cluster, and a NATO-Ukraine center.
- Duties: The group must analyze Ukraine's methods for rapidly developing and fielding unmanned systems, identify useful Ukrainian-designed systems for U.S. forces, recommend their inclusion in existing U.S. programs, develop technology transfer agreements and a reciprocal defense procurement memorandum, and assess testing U.S.-made systems in Ukraine.
- Prioritization and Pathways: Focuses on fast-tracking Ukrainian systems through supply chain reviews, cost analyses, scaling production using U.S. civilian manufacturing, and alternative fielding routes if standard requirements are not met.
- Reporting: Mandates an initial briefing to congressional defense committees within 120 days, followed by semiannual progress reports covering system evaluations, acquisition authorities, supply chain security, and barriers to cooperation.
- Termination: The Working Group ends after five years, with a possible one-year extension if justified for national security.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill creates a new formal bilateral working group and associated processes for defense technology cooperation with Ukraine. It does not directly amend existing statutes but introduces mechanisms to accelerate joint ventures, production agreements, and technology sharing beyond standard procurement rules.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases coordination demands on the Department of Defense, State Department, and related units for ongoing meetings, reporting, and agreement development.
- Citizens and Industry: May expand opportunities for U.S. manufacturers to partner on unmanned systems production and could influence domestic supply chains by prioritizing non-adversarial sourcing.
- International Relations: Strengthens defense ties with Ukraine through shared technology frameworks and testing arrangements, potentially affecting broader NATO-related cooperation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. Department of Defense entities (including the Defense Innovation Unit and Joint Special Operations Command).
- Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, military forces, and defense technology clusters.
- Congressional defense committees.
- NATO-Ukraine joint centers.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation addresses intellectual property ownership, data sharing protocols, and export controls in joint defense projects. It emphasizes secure information exchange while protecting background rights, which could raise questions about technology security and congressional oversight of international defense agreements.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 2026-06-09: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act — issued 2026-06-09 — PDF (11 pages)