I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7987 
To require the Secretary of Defense to seek cooperation with allies and 
partners in the Middle East to identify an architecture and develop 
an acquisition approach for certain countries in the Middle East to 
implement an integrated air and missile defense capability to protect 
the people, infrastructure, and territory of such countries from cruise 
and ballistic missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems, and rocket 
attacks from Iran, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2022 
Mrs. RODGERS of Washington (for herself, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mrs. WAGNER, 
Mr. TRONE, Mr. BACON, and Mr. PANETTA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to seek cooperation 
with allies and partners in the Middle East to identify 
an architecture and develop an acquisition approach for 
certain countries in the Middle East to implement an 
integrated air and missile defense capability to protect 
the people, infrastructure, and territory of such countries 
from cruise and ballistic missiles, manned and unmanned 
aerial systems, and rocket attacks from Iran, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Deterring Enemy 
Forces and Enabling National Defenses Act of 2022’’ or 
the ‘‘DEFEND Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. MIDDLE EAST INTEGRATED AIR AND MISSILE DE-
FENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
seek to cooperate with allies and partners in the Middle 
East to identify an architecture and develop an acquisition 
approach for the countries specified in subsection (b) to 
implement an integrated air and missile defense capability 
to protect the people, infrastructure, and territory of such 
countries from cruise and ballistic missiles, manned and 
unmanned aerial systems, and rocket attacks from Iran 
and groups linked to Iran. 
(b) COUNTRIES SPECIFIED.—The countries specified 
in this subsection are as follows: 
(1) Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. 
(2) Iraq. 
(3) Israel. 
(4) Jordan. 
(5) Egypt. 
(6) Such other regional allies or partners of the 
United States as the Secretary may identify. 
(c) STRATEGY.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the congressional defense com-
mittees a strategy on cooperation with allies and 
partners in the Middle East to identify an architec-
ture and develop an acquisition approach for the 
countries specified in subsection (b) to implement an 
integrated air and missile defense capability to pro-
tect the people, infrastructure, and territory of such 
countries from cruise and ballistic missiles, manned 
and unmanned aerial systems, and rocket attacks 
from Iran and groups linked to Iran. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The strategy submitted under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of the threat of ballistic 
and cruise missiles, manned and unnamed aer-
ial systems, and rocket attacks from Iran and 
groups linked to Iran to the countries specified 
in subsection (b). 
(B) A description of current efforts to co-
ordinate indicators and warnings from such at-
tacks with the countries specified in subsection 
(b). 
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(C) A description of current systems to de-
fend against attacks in coordination with the 
countries specified in subsection (b). 
(D) An explanation of how an integrated 
air and missile defense architecture would im-
prove collective security in the region covered by 
the countries specified in subsection (b). 
(E) A description of efforts to engage spec-
ified foreign partners in establishing such an 
architecture. 
(F) An identification of elements of the in-
tegrated air and missile defense architecture 
that— 
(i) can be acquired and operated by 
specified foreign partners; and 
(ii) can only be provided and operated 
by members of the Armed Forces. 
(G) An identification of any challenges in 
establishing an integrated air and missile de-
fense architecture with specified foreign part-
ners. 
(H) An assessment of progress, and key 
challenges, in the implementation of the strat-
egy using such metrics identified under para-
graph (4). 
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(I) Recommendations for improvements in 
the implementation of the strategy based on the 
metrics identified under paragraph (4). 
(J) Such other matters as the Secretary 
considers relevant. 
(3) PROTECTION
OF
SENSITIVE
INFORMA-
TION.—Any activity carried out under paragraph (1) 
shall be conducted in a manner that appropriately 
protects sensitive information and the national secu-
rity interests of the United States. 
(4) METRICS.—The Secretary shall identify 
metrics to assess progress in the implementation of 
the strategy required in paragraph (1). 
(5) FORMAT.—The strategy submitted under 
paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified 
form, but may include a classified annex. 
(d) FEASIBILITY STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall— 
(A) complete a study on the feasibility and 
advisability of establishing a fund for an inte-
grated air and missile defense system to 
counter the threats from cruise and ballistic 
missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems, 
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and rocket attacks for the countries specified in 
subsection (b) from Iran and groups linked with 
Iran; and 
(B) submit to the congressional defense 
committees the findings of the Secretary with 
respect to the study completed under subpara-
graph (A). 
(2) ASSESSMENT
OF
CONTRIBUTIONS.—The 
study completed under paragraph (1)(A) shall in-
clude an assessment of funds that could be contrib-
uted by allies and of the United States and countries 
that are partners with the United States. 
(e) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘congressional defense 
committees’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
101(a) of title 10, United States Code. 
Æ 
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