I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4825 

To enhance defense and security cooperation with India, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 22, 2016 

Mr. HOLDING introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To enhance defense and security cooperation with India, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S.-India Defense 

5 Technology and Partnership Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ENHANCING DEFENSE AND SECURITY COOPERA7 TION WITH INDIA. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The United States and India face mutual 

2 security threats and a robust defense partnership is 

3 in the interest of both countries. 

4 (2) The relationship between the United States 

5 and India has developed over the past decade to be6 come a multifaceted, major strategic partnership 

7 rooted in shared democratic values and the pro8 motion of mutual prosperity, greater economic co9 operation, regional peace, security, and stability. 

10 (3) In 2012, the Department of Defense began 

11 an initiative to increase senior-level oversight and 

12 engagement on defense cooperation between the 

13 United States and India, which is referred to as the 

14 U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative 

15 (DTTI). 

16 (4) On June 3, 2015, the Government of the 

17 United States and the Government of India entered 

18 into an executive agreement entitled ‘‘Framework 

19 for the U.S.-India Defense Relationship’’, which re20 newed and updated the previous defense framework 

21 agreement between the United States and India, ex22 ecuted on June 28, 2005. 

23 (5) Consistent with the Framework for the 

24 U.S.-India Defense Relationship and the goals of the 

25 DTTI, it is in the interest of United States national 


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1 security to improve defense cooperation and the 

2 alignment of systems with India, achieve greater 

3 interaction between the armed forces of both coun4 tries, increase the flow of technology and investment, 

5 develop capabilities and partnerships in co-develop6 ment and co-production, and strengthen two-way de7 fense trade. 

8 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that— 

10 (1) the United States-India defense partnership 

11 is vital to regional and international stability and se12 curity; 

13 (2) the interest of United States national secu14 rity can be improved by further advancing the goals 

15 of the Framework for the U.S.-India Defense Rela16 tionship and the effective operation of the DTTI; 

17 (3) the President should take action to— 

18 (A) formalize India’s status as a major 

19 partner of the United States; 

20 (B) designate an official with experience in 

21 defense acquisition and technology to reinforce 

22 and ensure, through interagency policy coordi23 nation, the success of the Framework for the 

24 U.S.-India Defense Relationship; 


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1 (C) approve and facilitate the transfer of 

2 advanced technology in the context of, and in 

3 order to satisfy, combined military planning 

4 with the Indian military for missions such as 

5 humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 

6 counter piracy, and maritime domain aware7 ness; 

8 (D) strengthen the effectiveness of the 

9 DTTI and the durability of the Department of 

10 Defense’s ‘‘India Rapid Reaction Cell’’; 

11 (E) resolve issues impeding United States12 India defense trade, security cooperation, and 

13 co-production and co-development opportunities; 

14 (F) collaborate with the Government of 

15 India to develop mutually agreeable mechanisms 

16 to verify the security of defense technology in17 formation and equipment, such as tailored 

18 cyber security and end use monitoring arrange19 ments; 

20 (G) promote policies that will encourage 

21 the efficient review and authorization of defense 

22 sales and exports to India, including the treat23 ment of military sales and export authorizations 

24 to India in a manner similar to that of the 

25 United States closest defense partners; 


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1 (H) pursue greater government-to-govern2 ment and commercial military transactions be3 tween the United States and India; and 

4 (I) support the development and alignment 

5 of India’s export control and procurement re6 gimes with those of the United States and mul7 tilateral control regimes; and 

8 (4) the President’s commitment to enhancing 

9 defense and security cooperation with India should 

10 be considered a priority with respect to advancing 

11 United States interests in the South Asia and great12 er Indo-Pacific regions. 

13 (c) MILITARY CONTINGENCY PLANS.—The President 

14 is encouraged to coordinate with India on an annual basis 

15 to develop military contingency plans for addressing 

16 threats to mutual security interests of both countries. 

17 (d) ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, on an 

19 annual basis, carry out an assessment of the extent 

20 to which India possesses strategic operational capa21 bilities to execute military operations of mutual in22 terest between the United States and India. 

23 (2) USE OF ASSESSMENT.—The President shall 

24 ensure that the assessment described in paragraph 

25 (1) is used to inform the review by the United 


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1 States of applications to sell or export defense arti2 cles, defense services, or technical data under the 

3 Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.). 

4 (3) FORM.—The assessment described in para5 graph (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 

6 be in classified form. 

7 (4) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 

8 ‘‘strategic operational capabilities’’ means the ability 

9 to execute military operations of mutual security in10 terest while sustaining minimal damages and casual11 ties, through the use of military means, possessed in 

12 sufficient quantity, including weapons, command, 

13 control, communication, intelligence, surveillance, 

14 and reconnaissance capabilities. 

15 (e) FOREIGN MILITARY SALES AND EXPORT STATUS

16 UNDER ARMS EXPORT CONTROL ACT.—The Arms Ex17 port Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) is amended— 

18 (1) in sections 3(d)(2)(B), 3(d)(3)(A)(i), 

19 3(d)(5), 36(b)(1), 36(b)(2), 36(b)(6), 36(c)(2)(A), 

20 36(c)(5), 36(d)(2)(A), 62(c)(1), and 63(a)(2), by in21 serting ‘‘India,’’ before ‘‘or New Zealand’’ each place 

22 it appears; 

23 (2) in section 3(b)(2), by inserting ‘‘the Govern24 ment of India,’’ before ‘‘or the Government of New 

25 Zealand’’; and 


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1 (3) in sections 21(h)(1)(A) and 21(h)(2), by in2 serting ‘‘India,’’ before ‘‘or Israel’’ each place it ap3 pears. 

Æ 


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