[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3626 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3626
To authorize the Secretary of Defense to carry out research,
development, test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis with the
United Kingdom, to establish directed energy capabilities that address
threats to the United States, deployed forces of the United States, or
the United Kingdom, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 5, 2019
Mr. Ted Lieu of California (for himself, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Langevin,
and Mr. Lamborn) 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 authorize the Secretary of Defense to carry out research,
development, test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis with the
United Kingdom, to establish directed energy capabilities that address
threats to the United States, deployed forces of the United States, or
the United Kingdom, 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 ``United States-United Kingdom
Directed Energy Cooperation Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Directed energy platforms are electromagnetic systems
capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated
energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical
damage that degrades or neutralizes an adversarial capability.
These systems include high-energy lasers that emit photons and
high-power microwaves that release radiofrequency waves.
(2) Directed energy platforms hold enormous potential for
non-lethal, defensive capabilities, including protection
against advanced missiles and swarms of unmanned aerial
systems.
(3) At a fraction of the per-use cost of kinetic defense
platforms, directed energy capabilities could greatly enhance
the deterrence posture of the United States and protect against
emerging threats such as hypersonic and maneuverable missiles.
(4) Collaboration between the United States and the United
Kingdom on the development and application of directed energy
weapon technologies can be traced back to 2010. The UK/US
Directed Energy Symposium was created under bilateral exchange
agreements between the United States and the United Kingdom,
covering topics such as high-energy lasers, modeling and
simulation, and protection against high-power radio frequency
weapons.
(5) In response to technological advances and emerging
threats, the United States has increased investments in next-
generation directed energy capabilities and is exploring the
potential for boost-phase ballistic missile defense with the
Low-Power Laser Demonstrator program. Existing programs within
each service branch are developing technologies to protect
members of the Armed Forces from rocket, artillery, mortar, and
unmanned aerial systems.
(6) In 2017, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence
awarded <brit-pound>30M to an international defense consortium
to build a prototype for the Laser Directed Energy Weapon
(LDEW) Capability Demonstrator. The air defense system will be
capable of engaging targets in land and maritime environments.
(7) In 2017, the United Kingdom's Minister for Defence
Procurement Harriett Baldwin said, ``The UK has long enjoyed a
reputation as a world leader in innovation and it is truly
ground-breaking projects like the Laser Directed Energy Weapon
which will keep this country ahead of the curve. The Defense
Innovation Initiative and <brit-pound>800M Defense Innovation
Fund aim to encourage imagination, ingenuity and
entrepreneurship, in pursuit of maintaining a military
advantage in the future.''.
(8) In 2018, while offering remarks at the Directed Energy
Summit, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Michael Griffin expressed support for the United States
partnering with allies to develop directed energy technologies.
(9) In 2019, the United States Missile Defense Review
highlighted the promise that high-powered laser technology
holds for boost-phase ballistic missile defense.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES-UNITED KINGDOM DIRECTED ENERGY CAPABILITIES
COOPERATION.
(a) Authority.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, upon request of
the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Defence and with
the concurrence of the Secretary of State, is authorized to
carry out research, development, test, and evaluation
activities, on a joint basis with the United Kingdom, to
establish directed energy capabilities that address threats to
the United States, deployed forces of the United States, or the
United Kingdom. Any activities carried out pursuant to such
authority shall be conducted in a manner that appropriately
protects sensitive information and the national security
interests of the United States and the national security
interests of the United Kingdom.
(2) Report.--The activities described in paragraph (1) may
be carried out after the Secretary of Defense submits to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth the
following:
(A) A memorandum of agreement between the United
States and the United Kingdom regarding sharing of
research and development costs for the capabilities
described in paragraph (1), and any supporting
documents.
(B) A certification that the memorandum of
agreement--
(i) requires sharing of costs of projects,
including in-kind support, between the United
States and the United Kingdom;
(ii) establishes a framework to negotiate
the rights to any intellectual property
developed under the memorandum of agreement;
and
(iii) requires the United States Government
to receive semiannual reports on expenditure of
funds, if any, by the Government of the United
Kingdom, including a description of what the
funds have been used for, when funds were
expended, and an identification of entities
that expended the funds.
(b) Support in Connection With Activities.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense is authorized to
provide maintenance and sustainment support to the United
Kingdom for the directed energy capabilities research,
development, test, and evaluation activities authorized in
subsection (a)(1). Such authority includes authority to install
equipment necessary to carry out such research, development,
test, and evaluation.
(2) Report.--The support described in paragraph (1) may not
be provided until 15 days after the Secretary of Defense
submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a report
setting forth a detailed description of the support to be
provided.
(3) Matching contribution.--The support described in
paragraph (1) may not be provided unless the Secretary of
Defense certifies to the appropriate committees of Congress
that the Government of the United Kingdom will contribute to
such support--
(A) an amount equal to not less than the amount of
support to be so provided; or
(B) an amount that otherwise meets the best efforts
of the United Kingdom, as mutually agreed to by the
United States and the United Kingdom.
(c) Lead Agency.--The Secretary of Defense shall designate an
appropriate research and development entity of a military department as
the lead agency of the Department of Defense in carrying out this
section.
(d) Semiannual Report.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress on a semiannual basis a report
that contains a copy of the most recent semiannual report provided by
the Government of the United Kingdom to the Department of Defense
pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B)(iii).
(e) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the
Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Homeland Security, the
Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
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