[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7178 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7178

 To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, 
to make improvements relating to cooperation between the United States 
and Israel to counter unmanned systems across warfighting domains, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 2026

 Mr. Gottheimer (for himself, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Lieu, Mr. Bacon, Mr. 
 Valadao, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms. 
 Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, and 
 Mr. LaLota) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, 
to make improvements relating to cooperation between the United States 
and Israel to counter unmanned systems across warfighting domains, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES-ISRAEL COOPERATION TO 
              COUNTER UNMANNED SYSTEMS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The growing arsenal of unmanned systems of Iran 
        includes--
                    (A) unmanned systems that engage in intelligence, 
                surveillance, and reconnaissance; and
                    (B) armed unmanned systems capable of striking 
                battlefield targets, including loitering munitions, 
                also known as ``suicide drones'' or ``one-way attack 
                drones''.
            (2) Iran-origin unmanned systems represent a threat to the 
        Armed Forces and facilities of the United States in the Middle 
        East, as well as to United States allies and partners such as 
        Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
            (3) In February 2018, Iran allegedly launched an armed 
        unmanned aerial vehicle from Syria into Israeli airspace which 
        was ultimately destroyed by Israeli warplanes.
            (4) In September 2019, Iran launched cruise missiles and 
        loitering munitions at key oil installations in Saudi Arabia.
            (5) Throughout the takeover of Yemen by the Houthi, 
        beginning in 2014 and continuing into the present, the Islamic 
        Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds-Force, the al-Ghadir Missile 
        Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace 
        Force, and the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad organization 
        of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has supported the 
        capabilities of Yemeni rebels, including through the provision 
        of unmanned systems and other relevant technology, such as 
        cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Such support enables 
        the Houthis to routinely strike civilian targets in both Saudi 
        Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
            (6) In January 2021, Iran-backed Shiite militia groups in 
        Iraq launched armed unmanned aerial vehicles at Saudi Arabia.
            (7) In March 2021, Iran attempted to send two delta-wing 
        unmanned aerial vehicles toward Israel which were ultimately 
        downed by Israeli warplanes over the territory of an 
        undisclosed Arab country.
            (8) In July 2021, Iran launched an attack employing 
        unmanned aerial vehicles, including loitering munitions against 
        a Liberian-flagged, Israeli-operated tanker, ``M/T Mercer 
        Street'', near the coast of Oman that killed two people, a 
        British and a Romanian national.
            (9) On November 1, 2021, the Secretary of Defense and the 
        Defense Minister of Israel signed a memorandum of understanding 
        establishing the United States-Israel Operations Technology-
        Working Group, which includes six sub-working groups, including 
        sub-working groups focused on countering unmanned systems and 
        directed energy capabilities.
            (10) On March 27 and 28, 2022, Secretary of State Blinken 
        met in Israel with counterparts from the governments of Israel, 
        Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco to 
        promote normalization in the region and declared, ``Our 
        commitment to the core principle that Iran can never acquire a 
        nuclear weapon is unwavering. One way or another, we will 
        continue to cooperate closely.''.
            (11) In May 2022, Iran inaugurated an unmanned system 
        factory in Tajikistan to manufacture and export the Ababil-2, a 
        multipurpose unmanned system with reconnaissance, combat, and 
        suicide capabilities.
            (12) On June 2, 2022, Iran-backed Hezbollah sent three 
        unmanned aerial vehicles toward the Israeli-controlled Karish 
        gas field, one of which was intercepted by an F-16 fighter jet, 
        and two of which were intercepted by Barak 8 missiles launched 
        from the Sa'ar 5-class corvette ``INS Eilat''.
            (13) On July 2, 2022, the Israeli military reportedly shot 
        down three unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Hezbollah in 
        the vicinity of where an Israeli gas platform had been recently 
        installed in the Mediterranean Sea.
            (14) On July 14, 2022, the United States and Israel adopted 
        the Joint Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership, 
        reaffirming the unbreakable bonds between the two countries and 
        the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of 
        Israel.
            (15) In late August 2022, Iran reportedly sent its first 
        batch of Shahed-136 unmanned systems to Russia for use against 
        Ukraine. While Russia is rebranding these systems the Geran-2, 
        United States officials revealed the agreement in the summer of 
        2022.
            (16) On September 12, 2022, Brigadier General Kioumars 
        Heydari, who heads the ground forces of the Armed Forces of 
        Iran, announced that the Armed Forces of Iran had developed the 
        Arash-2 unmanned system specifically designed to attack Tel 
        Aviv and Haifa.
            (17) On November 13, 2022, and on February 10, 2023, Iran-
        origin unmanned systems allegedly targeted Israeli-owned oil 
        tankers off the coast of Oman.
            (18) Since 2022, Russia has used Iran-origin Shahed 
        unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with enhanced navigation 
        systems to evade Ukrainian air defenses, resulting in hundreds 
        of civilian casualties.
            (19) On February 14, 2023, United States forces in Syria 
        reportedly shot down an Iran-origin unmanned aerial vehicle 
        surveilling United States positions around oil facilities.
            (20) On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a 
        brutal, unprovoked attack from Gaza into Israel, killing more 
        than 1,200 people, including at least 30 Americans, according 
        to the Israeli military and the Department of State. The attack 
        involved a significant number of unmanned systems.
            (21) Between late 2023 and 2024, United States forces in 
        Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed militias 
        using armed unmanned systems, resulting in American casualties.
            (22) In June 2025, Iran launched a series of unmanned 
        system attacks against targets in Israel, including both 
        military installations and critical infrastructure. The scale 
        and coordination of the attack demonstrated the expanding 
        operational capabilities of Iran.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States should--
            (1) enhance ongoing cooperation with Israel in researching, 
        developing, and fielding, as expeditiously as possible, 
        mutually beneficial technologies and capabilities to counter 
        unmanned systems, for the purpose of addressing common military 
        requirements and growing threats;
            (2) exchange with Israel information about the evolving 
        threat of Iran-origin unmanned systems;
            (3) conduct joint training exercises and develop 
        information-sharing mechanisms to maximize the exchange of 
        technical expertise, data, and tactics related to emerging 
        unmanned systems and associated threats;
            (4) coordinate with acquisition program offices of the 
        United States Armed Forces and Israeli military service 
        departments, components, and commands to expedite the 
        deployment of relevant systems and enhance military readiness; 
        and
            (5) use the United States-Israel Operations-Technology 
        Working Group established pursuant to section 1299M(c) of the 
        National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public 
        Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 4014), or any successor working group, 
        as the epicenter of such efforts.
    (c) Report on United States-Israel Cooperation To Counter Unmanned 
Systems.--Section 1278 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92; 133 Stat. 1702; 22 U.S.C. 8606 
note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(4), by striking ``$55,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$100,000,000'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
        (f) and (g), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(e) Annual Reports.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress on an annual basis a report 
containing--
            ``(1) a description of the activities authorized in 
        subsection (a)(1) conducted during the preceding fiscal year, 
        including--
                    ``(A) an assessment of progress made by the United 
                States and Israel in addressing threats and 
                requirements relating to unmanned systems (as such term 
                is defined in section 319 of title 14, United States 
                Code);
                    ``(B) an assessment of the harmonization of such 
                activities authorized in subsection (a)(1) with other 
                programs of the United States Government or programs of 
                contractors of the Department of Defense;
                    ``(C) an update on efforts to transition 
                capabilities to acquisition program managers for 
                fielding by the United States Armed Forces or Israeli 
                military services, components, and commands; and
                    ``(D) recommendations for future activities to be 
                conducted under this section and associated funding; 
                and
            ``(2) an assessment of the threat to the United States and 
        Israel posed by unmanned aerial systems from Iran and 
        associated proxies of Iran, including an assessment of deployed 
        or otherwise available anti-unmanned aircraft capabilities of 
        the United States or Israel and the adequacy of such 
        capabilities to offset such threat.''.
    (d) Unmanned System Defined.--In this section, the term ``unmanned 
system'' has the meaning given that term in section 319 of title 14, 
United States Code.
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