To direct the Department of Defense to report to Congress on the efforts of the Department to coordinate with the defense industrial base for purposes of countering certain capabilities of the People's Liberation of Army.
Impact
The proposed bill outlines specific elements that should be included in the report, such as descriptions of current coordination efforts in various domains, plans for enhancing such coordination, and feedback from commercial partners related to the implications of rising tensions with the PLA. This initiative reflects a strategic move to bolster national security through enhanced military readiness and responsiveness, indicating the importance of aligning defense strategies with industrial capabilities.
Summary
House Bill 6902 aims to direct the Department of Defense to provide a detailed report to Congress regarding the coordination efforts with the defense industrial base to counter certain capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Specifically, the focus is on the command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) capabilities of the PLA. This report is mandated to be submitted by March 30, 2024, and it seeks to establish a framework for improved interagency and industrial collaboration in response to potential threats posed by the PLA.
Contention
While the bill serves a strategic purpose, it may also ignite debates surrounding the balance between defense spending and civil liberties, particularly concerning data sharing and information dissemination within the defense industrial sector. Additionally, concerns may arise regarding the potential overemphasis on countering the PLA capabilities, which some stakeholders might argue detracts from addressing other pressing domestic matters, such as cybersecurity threats from non-state actors.
To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct an operational assessment of the installation defense capabilities of the Department of Defense to defeat unmanned aircraft system.
To direct the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on Department of Defense restrictions on the employment of former Department employees by certain countries.
To require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to monitor efforts by the People's Republic of China to build or buy strategic foreign ports, and for other purposes.
To direct the Secretary of the Army to provide a briefing to Congress on the efforts of the Army to field passive multi-static radar detection technology for mobile counter-UAS systems, and for other purposes.
To direct the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense and the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency to jointly provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a briefing on the plan of the Department of Defense to transition away from the Joint Regional Security Stacks, and for other purposes.
To direct the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense to provide a briefing to Congress on security options for the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability program, and for other purposes.
To direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on challenges relating to information operations, and for other purposes.