August 1, 2025
Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen multilateral deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Section 1. Strategy to strengthen multilateral deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region
(a) In general
The Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement a strategy to strengthen multilateral deterrence against regional aggression in the Indo-Pacific region by expanding multilateral coordination with United States allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Australia, including by enhancing multilateral access and basing agreements, command and control structures, intelligence-sharing, and exercises and operations.
(b) Elements
The strategy required by subsection (a) shall—
(1)
describe current activities and identify future actions to be taken over the next 5 years by the Department of Defense—
(A)
to leverage reciprocal access agreements between the United States and allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Australia, to expand regional access for the military forces of such allies and partners, including for purposes of enhancing interoperability at locations across the Indo-Pacific region, pre-positioning munitions stockpiles, and jointly supporting and leveraging shared facilities, operational access, and infrastructure;
(B)
to improve command and control structures enabling enhanced multilateral coordination with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including through the Combined Coordination Center in the Philippines, the joint force headquarters of the United States in Japan, the Combined Forces Command in the Republic of Korea, and a potential combined coordination structure in Australia;
(C)
to expand intelligence-sharing and maritime domain awareness among the United States and allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including through the Bilateral Intelligence Analysis Cell in Japan and the Combined Coordination Center in the Philippines; and
(D)
to expand the scope and scale of multilateral military exercises and operations as well as basing infrastructure and posture in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly among the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Australia, including more frequent combined maritime operations through the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the Aleutian Islands;
(2)
fully consider strategic and operational contingencies for security of likely military and economic avenues of approach and trade routes across the South, Central, and North Indo-Pacific region; and
(3)
address the conduct of operations in accordance with such strategic and operational contingencies.
(c) Submission
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code) the written strategy required by subsection (a), including an identification of—
(1)
any changes to funding or policy required to strengthen multilateral deterrence among the United States and allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region against regional aggression; and
(2)
any additional resources required to carry out specific initiatives described in subsection (b), such as expanding regional access to the military forces of such allies and partners, improving command and control structures, expanding intelligence-sharing and maritime domain awareness, and expanding the scope and scale of multilateral exercises and operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
(d) Interim report on implementation
Not later than March 15, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code) a report on the progress of the implementation of the strategy required by subsection (a), including any resource or authority gaps identified in the ability of the Department of Defense to implement the strategy.
(e) Indo-Pacific region defined
In this section, the term Indo-Pacific region means—
(1)
the geographical area encompassing the area of responsibility of the United States Indo-Pacific Command; and
(2)
the Alaska theater of operations, including the entirety of the State of Alaska and the entirety of the oceans or other such maritime features bordering the State of Alaska.