FY2025 NDAA: Security Cooperation

INSIGHTi

FY2025 NDAA: Security Cooperation

September 30, 2024

Background

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) broadly defines “security cooperation” (also known as SC) as

department interactions with foreign security establishments to build security relationships that promote

specific U.S. security interests, develop allied and partner nation military and security capabilities for

self-defense and multinational operations, and provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access

to allies and partners. DOD policy states that by encouraging and enabling cooperation between the

United States forces and partner nations’ forces to achieve strategic objectives, security cooperation

programs are a key tool for achieving U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. SC includes

DOD-administered SC programs (authorized under Title 10, U.S.C.) and DOD-implemented State

Department security assistance programs (authorized under Title 22, U.S.C.). In addition to grant-based

programs, SC encompasses the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and enables U.S. and partner

nations’ international armaments cooperation. For more background on SC, see CRS In Focus IF11677,

Defense Primer: DOD “Title 10” Security Cooperation.

The House- and Senate-passed versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

(FY2025 NDAA; H.R. 8070; S. 4638) include multiple proposals pertaining to SC programs, such as

specific regional initiatives, the export of U.S. defense articles, and SC workforce development. Table 1

summarizes selected provisions from H.R. 8070 and S. 4638 and selected items of interest noted in the

corresponding House and Senate reports accompanying their respective versions of the FY2025 NDAA

(H.Rept. 118-529; S.Rept. 118-188). Security cooperation provisions related to Israel, Taiwan, and

Ukraine are discussed below the table.

Table 1. Selected Security Cooperation Proposals in the FY2025 NDAA Bills

House-Passed H.R. 8070

Senate-Passed S. 4638

Proposals Related to SC Programs

Congressional Research Service

https://crsreports.congress.gov

IN12430

CRS INSIGHT

Prepared for Members and

Committees of Congress

Congressional Research Service

House-Passed H.R. 8070

2

Senate-Passed S. 4638

No similar provision.

Section 1201 would amend Chapter 16 Title 10, U.S.C., to

authorize the Secretary of Defense to accept, retain, and

expend contributions, including money, personal property,

and services, from foreign governments with shared national

security interests, to carry out security cooperation.

Two provisions would amend Section 333 of Title 10,

U.S.C., to authorize the Secretary of Defense to conduct or

support programs to build the capacity of foreign security

forces for the purpose of “counter-illegal, unreported, and

unregulated fishing operations” (§1237) and “space domain

awareness and defensive space operations” (§1610).

Section 1202 would amend Section 333 of Title 10, U.S.C.,

to authorize the Secretary of Defense to conduct or

support programs to build the capacity of foreign security

forces for the purpose of “disaster risk reduction or

response operations,” “space domain awareness and space

operations,” and “foreign internal defense operations.” The

provision would also extend the period of availability of

funds from two to three years.

Section 1204 would amend Section 1212 of the FY2023

NDAA (P.L. 117-263) to extend the Defense Operational

Resilience International Cooperation pilot program through

2027.

Section 1209 would amend Section 1212 of the FY2023

NDAA (P.L. 117-263) to extend the Defense Operational

Resilience International Cooperation pilot program through

2030 and increase the annual amount authorized from $10

million to $15 million.

No similar provision.

Section 1203 would add a new Section 336 under Title 10,

U.S.C., that would authorize the Secretary of Defense to

build the capability and capacity of foreign civilian medical

support entities for resilience in crisis and conflict.

No similar provision.

Section 1208 and Section 1215 would amend Section 1208

of the FY2023 NDAA (P.L. 117-263) and Section 1210E of

the FY2021 NDAA (P.L. 116-283), respectively, in order to

continue efforts to implement the Women, Peace, and

Security Act of 2017.

Section 1201 would extend to up to two years the

availability of funds authorized for State Partnership Program

activities (SPP, §341 of Title 10, U.S.C.). Additionally, Section

1739 would require the Under Secretary of Defense for

Policy, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the

Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to conduct a feasibility

and benefits study on expanding SPP to Brunei, Micronesia,

Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Vanuatu.

Section 415 would amend Section 115 of Title 10, U.S.C., to

exempt those active-duty or full-time National Guard

Bilateral Affairs Officers that are part of SPP from activeduty end strength limits and modify annual security

cooperation reporting requirements. The Senate-passed bill

would also authorize a funding increase for the Air and

Army National Guard to initiate seven new SPP

partnerships.

Section 1203 would modify the authority under Section

1210A of the FY2020 NDAA (P.L. 116-92) to require that all

Department of Defense support pursuant to stabilization

activities is provided on a reimbursable basis. The provision

would also remove Afghanistan from the list of specified

countries.

Section 1207 would extend the authority under Section

1210A of the FY2020 NDAA (P.L. 116-92) through

December 31, 2027, for the Secretary of Defense to provide

support for the stabilization activities of other federal

agencies. The provision would also modify the requirements

for concurrence, reporting, and notification.

No similar provision.

Section 1213 would extend the temporary increase in the

amount authorized for all support provided to friendly

foreign countries under Section 331 of Title 10, U.S.C.,

through FY2026. The provision would also require the

Secretary of Defense to submit a plan to support the

multinational security support mission in Haiti utilizing

Section 331 programs.

Congressional Research Service

3

House-Passed H.R. 8070

Senate-Passed S. 4638

Proposals Related to the Middle East and Africa

Section 1211 would extend and modify the authority under

Section 1236 of the FY2015 NDAA (P.L. 113-291) to

provide assistance to Iraq to counter the Islamic State of

Iraq and Syria through December 31, 2025.

Section 1222 would extend the authority under Section

1236 of the FY2015 NDAA (P.L. 113-291) to provide

assistance to Iraq to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and

Syria through December 31, 2025, among additional

modifications.

No similar provision.

Section 1226 would require the Secretary of Defense to

submit a report the House and Senate Armed Services

Committees that assesses equipment provided by the

United States to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Section 1212 would extend the authority under Section

1209 of the FY2015 NDAA (P.L. 113-291) to provide

assistance to vetted Syrian groups to counter the Islamic

State of Iraq and Syria through December 31, 2025.

Section 1221 would extend the authority under Section

1209 of the FY2015 NDAA (P.L. 113-291) to provide

assistance to vetted Syrian groups to counter the Islamic

State of Iraq and Syria through December 31, 2025, among

additional modifications.

Section 1216 would require the Secretary of Defense, using

existing authorities, including Section 311 of Title 10, U.S.C.,

to establish a subject matter expert exchange program

between the U.S. military and partner forces in the Middle

East to advance regional integration.

Section 1211 would require the Secretary of Defense, using

existing authorities, including Section 311 of Title 10, U.S.C.,

to establish a subject matter expert exchange program

between the U.S. military and partner forces in the Middle

East to advance regional integration.

Section 1765 would require the Secretary of Defense to

brief Congress on the adequacy of institutional capacity

building in countries within the area of responsibility of the

U.S. Africa Command to strengthen governance in the

defense sectors of such countries.

S.Rept. 118-188 would direct the Secretary of Defense to

submit a report to the defense committees assessing force

posture requirements and access agreements in the Sahel

and West Africa to support U.S. counterterrorism strategy,

and strategic competition, among other things.

H.Rept. 118-529 directs the Secretary of Defense to brief

the House Armed Services Committee on any current and

future plans to utilize existing authorities to increase air

defense for counter unmanned aerial systems in Jordan to

protect United States and partner interests.

Section 1536 would require the Secretary of Defense to

work with Jordan to establish further air and missile defense

capabilities and bolster Jordan’s participation in a multilateral

integrated air and missile defense architecture.

Section 1248 would require the Secretary of Defense to

submit a report detailing how to improve U.S.-Morocco

interoperability and cooperation through the African Lion

exercise to continue to address growing threats in Africa.

S.Rept. 118-188 notes the importance of the U.S.-Morocco

security relationship to regional security.

Section 1233 would require military exercises in the U.S.

Central Command area of responsibility to conduct an

annual counter-tunneling exercise with Israel.

Section 1206 would amend Section 1279 of the FY2016

NDAA (P.L. 114-92) to expand cooperation with Israel to

improve anti-tunneling technologies and increase the limit

on the amount authorized for such activities.

Sections 1512 require the Secretary of Defense to submit a

strategy to improve the use of joint air and missile defense

partner sharing network capabilities with allies and partners

in the Middle East.

Section 1615 would require the Secretary of Defense to

provide a strategy for improved cooperation between the

United States and Middle Eastern allies and partners to

improve partner sharing network capabilities. The provision

would also require the establishment of an artificial

intelligence forum to help promote coordination.

Section 1607 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

consultation with the Secretary of State, to assess space and

satellite security and identify opportunities for multilateral

agreements to protect ally and partner countries in U.S.

Central Command’s area of responsibility.

Section 1288 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

consultation with the Secretary of State, to provide a

strategy for cooperation on space and satellite capability

with Middle East allies and partners.

Congressional Research Service

4

House-Passed H.R. 8070

Senate-Passed S. 4638

Proposals Related to Europe and Eurasia

No similar provision.

Section 1232 would amend the Ukraine Security Assistance

Initiative (USAI; §1250 of the FY2016 NDAA; P.L. 114-92) to

provide an additional two years for the period of

performance across fiscal years, would waive a limitation

regarding reimbursable support in support of USAI, and

would add a subsection entitled “Statement of Policy.”

H.Rept. 118-529 directs the Secretary of Defense, in

coordination with the Secretary of each military department,

to submit a report to the House Armed Services

Committee on lessons learned by the respective military

departments from the war in Ukraine.

Section 1235 would require the Secretary of Defense to

provide a report to the Committees on Armed Services on

DOD’s efforts to identify, disseminate, and implement

lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.

No similar provision.

Section 1233 would extend the authority under Section

1251 of the FY2016 NDAA (P.L. 114-92) to train Eastern

European national security forces through December 31,

2027. The provision would also add Cyprus to the list of

eligible countries to receive training.

Section 1767 would require the Secretary of Defense to

establish a common defense key within the Baltic states to

share ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket

Systems (HIMARS) among such states for training and

operational purposes.

No similar provision.

No similar provision.

Section 1214 would require the Secretary of Defense to

assess whether continued defense cooperation with Georgia

aligns with U.S. security interests.

No similar provision.

Section 6231 of the Senate amendment package to S. 4638

would amend the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease

Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-118) to extend it through FY2026 and

add a new reporting requirement.

Proposals Related to the Indo-Pacific

No similar provision.

Section 1241 would authorize the Indo-Pacific Security

Initiative, under which the Secretary of Defense would be

authorized to provide security assistance to foreign partner

security forces and defense ministries in the Indo-Pacific as

well as regional security organizations within the region. The

provision would also authorize the Secretary to replenish

foreign partners who have provided defense articles or

services to partners in the Indo-Pacific.

No similar provision.

Section 1242 would require the Secretary of Defense, with

the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to engage with

appropriate officials from Japan, Australia, and the Republic

of Korea for the purpose of establishing multilateral security

assistance initiatives with the national security forces of

mutual foreign partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

No similar provision.

Section 1245 would amend the Indo-Pacific Maritime

Security Initiative (Section 1263 of the FY2016 NDAA, P.L.

114-92) to authorize assistance to partner non-military

governmental organizations that have maritime security

among their functional responsibilities.

Congressional Research Service

5

House-Passed H.R. 8070

Senate-Passed S. 4638

Section 1304 would direct the Secretary of Defense to

establish a medical readiness program in the Indo-Pacific

region in order to partner with countries and facilitate

access to foreign medical facilities during peacetime and

wartime operations.

Section 721 would require the Secretary of Defense to

establish a medical readiness program to partner with

countries in the Indo-Pacific region to gain access to foreign

medical facilities during peacetime and wartime operations

and to maintain military-wide strategies for medical

readiness in the region.

Section 1080 would require the Commander of U.S. IndoPacific Command to conduct at least one tabletop exercise

to assess the ability of the U.S. military and the militaries of

allies and partners to confront aggressive adversarial threats

in the Indo-Pacific region while simultaneously confronting

extreme weather hazards.

No similar provision.

No similar provision.

Section 1250 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

coordination with the Secretary of State, to submit a plan

for advancing trilateral security cooperation among the

United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

Section 1313 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

coordination with the Secretary of State, to ensure that

Taiwan is “appropriately considered” for enhanced defense

industrial base cooperation activities. The provision would

also require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to

the Armed Services Committees assessing the feasibility and

advisability of entering into one or more defense industrial

agreements with Taiwan.

Section 1253 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

coordination with the Secretary of State, to ensure that

Taiwan is “appropriately considered” for enhanced defense

industrial base cooperation activities. The provision would

also require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to

the Armed Services Committees assessing the feasibility,

advisability, and benefits of entering into one or more

defense industrial agreements with Taiwan.

Proposals Related to U.S. Defense Exports

H.Rept. 118-529 would direct the Director of the Defense

Security Cooperation Agency to brief the House Armed

Services Committee on the status of enhancements to the

Security Cooperation Information Portal (SCIP).

Section 1212 that would require the Director of the

Defense Security Cooperation Agency to submit a plan to

modernize and streamline the information technology

infrastructure used to carry out end-use monitoring

functions.

No similar provision.

Section 904 would require the Under Secretary of Defense

for Policy to include the Deputy Assistant Secretary of

Defense for International and Industry Engagement in the

planning for, or attendance at, any meetings with foreign

partners or allies related to foreign military sales or certain

other international cooperation activities. The provision also

requires a study on DOD’s capacity to support expanded

demand for security cooperation.

Section 808 would require the Under Secretary of Defense

for Acquisition and Sustainment to ensure that major

defense acquisition program guidance is revised to integrate

the global demand under Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Direct

Commercial Sales, and other relevant transfer authorities.

H. Rept. 118-529 directs the Secretary of Defense to brief

the House Committee on Armed Services on the FMS

Continuous Process Improvement Board and the Security

Cooperation Execution Focus Forum.

Section 1289 would require the Secretary of Defense to

issue guidance to the defense acquisition workforce and the

security cooperation workforce governing the execution of

Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and establish an FMS

Continuous Process Improvement Board.

H.Rept. 118-529 directs the Secretary of Defense to brief

the House Armed Services Committee on the feasibility and

desirability of establishing a contracting office in the Army

dedicated to processing non-program of record acquisitions

for Foreign Military Sales and building partner capacity

programs.

No similar provision.

Congressional Research Service

6

House-Passed H.R. 8070

Senate-Passed S. 4638

Other SC Proposals

H.Rept. 118-529 would direct the Director of the Defense

Security Cooperation Agency to brief the House Armed

Services Committee on planned funding levels for Global

Fragility Act implementation in FY2025.

No similar provision.

No similar provision.

Section 1201 would amend Chapter 16 Title 10, U.S.C., to

authorize the Secretary of Defense to accept, retain, and

expend contributions, including money, personal property,

and services, from foreign governments with shared national

security interests, to carry out security cooperation.

Section 1202 would amend Section 383 of Title 10, U.S.C.,

to add an element to the reporting requirements for

Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation (AM&E) of security

cooperation activities. H.Rept. 118-529 would direct the

Secretary of Defense to brief the House Armed Services

Committee on DOD’s plans for funding AM&E for security

cooperation through FY2030.

No similar provision.

No similar provision.

Section 1210 would temporarily authorize military training

under Section 321 of Title 10, U.S.C., to the national

security forces of Costa Rica and Panama and pay for

specified expenses related to such training through

December 31, 2030.

Section 1246 would require the Secretary of Defense to

submit a report to the defense committees assessing the

effectiveness of multilateral exercises in the eastern

Mediterranean and the potential benefits of including

Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab

Emirates.

No similar provision.

Section 1009 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

consultation with the heads of other departments, to submit

a report on DOD’s operational planning to “defeat Mexican

drug cartels,” including an identification of any gaps in

Mexican military assets and capabilities for which the United

States military could provide assistance.

Section 1011 would require the Secretary of Defense, in

consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a plan for

joint U.S.-Mexico military training for countering threats

posed by transnational criminal organizations.

Source: CRS analysis of legislation on Congress.gov.

Discussion

Ukraine

The House-passed and Senate-passed versions of an FY2025 NDAA include provisions that would

require the executive branch to provide reports on various aspects of the war in Ukraine. The Housepassed version would require at least three reports from the Secretary of Defense, including a report on

Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel trained within the United States (§1238), a report on the war in

Ukraine that includes information on material and equipment losses (§1240), and a report that would

include a strategy for U.S. involvement in Ukraine (§1245). The House-passed bill also would require a

report from the DOD Inspector General that would reconcile all U.S. assistance to Ukraine to include

details about the countries, entities, and individuals who received assistance (§1247).

Among the issues that Members considered during deliberations over both the House and Senate bills

were enhancing Ukraine’s defense industrial base and extracting lessons learned from the war in Ukraine;

Congressional Research Service

7

the Senate-passed version includes provisions requiring reports from DOD on these two issues (§1238

and §1235, respectively). The House-passed version does not include provisions on these two issues

within the bill itself but the accompanying committee report does direct DOD to submit a report on efforts

to facilitate defense production in Ukraine and a comprehensive report on lessons learned by each

military department from the war in Ukraine.

Taiwan

Both versions of an FY2025 NDAA contain several provisions that would encourage expanded U.S.

defense cooperation with Taiwan to enhance Taiwan’s ability to deter armed aggression by China. The

Senate-passed version would require the executive to submit a multiyear implementation plan for

supporting the establishment of a regional contingency stockpile for Taiwan (§1252). Both the Housepassed and Senate-passed versions would require the Secretary of Defense to expand defense industrial

base cooperation activities with Taiwan, including a feasibility study on entering into one or more defense

industrial agreements with Taiwan (§1313 and §1253, respectively). The House-passed bill also would

require new reports from the executive, including a feasibility assessment of establishing a strategic

partnership between the Defense Innovation Unit and the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (§254), a

classified feasibility assessment for the development of “asymmetric naval assets for a potential defense

of Taiwan” (§1319), and an annual report assessing a range of issues related to possible cross-Strait

conflict scenarios (§1321). The House-passed version also would direct the Secretary of Defense to invite

the naval forces Taiwan to future Rim of the Pacific exercises (§1318).

Israel

Several provisions in the House and Senate versions of an FY2025 NDAA would aim to enhance U.S.Israel cooperation and bolster Israel’s defense industrial base. Both the House-passed and Senate-passed

versions would authorize $500 million in missile defense funding per the terms of the current U.S.-Israel

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). In addition, both bills would continue to authorize defense funds

for the U.S.-Israel counter-tunnel ($30 million) and Emerging Technologies ($47.5 million—formerly

counter Unmanned Aerial Systems) programs. The House-passed bill would require military exercises in

the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to conduct at least one annual counter-tunneling exercise

with Israel (§1233). The Senate-passed bill would amend Section 1279 of the FY2016 NDAA (22 U.S.C.

8606 note) to expand cooperation with Israel to improve anti-tunneling technologies and increase the limit

on the amount authorized for such activities (§1206). The House-passed bill would require a biannual

report from the executive on the extent to which Israel is subject to aerial attacks, including descriptions

of munitions or components required for the replenishment of certain defense systems, funding

requirements for such replenishments, and the current stock levels of munitions and components that

would be used for such replenishments, among other matters (§1232). The House bill also would require

the Secretary of Defense to seek to establish a partnership between the Defense Innovation Unit of the

Department of Defense and appropriate counterparts of Israel (§1249).

Congressional Research Service

8

Author Information

Christina L. Arabia

Analyst in Security Assistance, Security Cooperation

and the Global Arms Trade

Disclaimer

This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff

to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of

Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of

information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.

CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United

States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However,

as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the

permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

IN12430 · VERSION 2 · NEW