§10412 Designation of Senior Official for Department of Defense Activities Relating To, and Implementation Plan For, the Aukus Partnership

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must, within 90 days after December 22, 2023, pick a senior civilian official to oversee all Department of Defense work on the AUKUS partnership. The Secretary, working with the Administrator for Nuclear Security and the Secretary of State, must also send an implementation plan to the relevant congressional committees within the same 90‑day deadline. The plan must show timelines and milestones and say which milestones depend on other defense needs or on decisions by Australia or the United Kingdom. It must look at effects on industry, such as submarine construction capacity, restarting production of highly enriched uranium for submarine reactors, materials like high‑grade steel, and coordination of sourcing among the three countries. The plan must list needed staff and resources, including hiring foreign disclosure officers and other personnel for transfers; propose ways to improve information sharing (policy changes, written guidelines, an AUKUS handling caveat, and reduced NOFORN use); explain how private intellectual property will be protected; and recommend any legal or policy updates. Within 60 days after the plan is sent, and then every April 1 and October 1 through 2029, the designated official must brief the congressional defense committees and the House and Senate foreign affairs committees on progress.