Bill > HR7540

This bill, titled the "United States-Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Unified Research, and Enhanced Security Act of 2026" or "United States-Israel FUTURES Act of 2026," aims to strengthen defense cooperation between the United States and Israel by establishing a new "United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative." This initiative, to be set up by the Secretary of Defense with Israel's Minister of Defense, will focus on expanding and speeding up joint research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation in defense technologies. The bill emphasizes shared democratic values and strategic interests, recognizing Israel as a key ally and innovator in defense technology, building on a 2016 memorandum of understanding for military assistance and missile defense. The initiative will identify technologies for integration into U.S. systems, conduct collaborative research, facilitate technology transition, establish joint ventures and manufacturing partnerships, coordinate with various defense entities to avoid duplication, and promote joint training and information sharing. Cooperative efforts will span areas like counter-unmanned systems, anti-tunneling, missile defense, artificial intelligence, directed energy, cyber defense, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies. The Secretary of Defense will coordinate with other federal departments and agencies and is required to provide interim and annual reports to Congress on the initiative's progress, activities, and impact, with public updates also mandated to the extent possible without compromising security. The bill authorizes $150 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to carry out these provisions.