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

Summary

Within 90 days after December 22, 2023, the Secretary of Defense must name a senior civilian to oversee Department of Defense work on the AUKUS partnership. In the same 90-day period, the Secretary, working with the Administrator for Nuclear Security and the Secretary of State, must send an implementation plan to the appropriate congressional committees describing DoD’s AUKUS efforts. The plan must show timelines and major milestones; note which milestones rely on non-AUKUS defense needs or on choices only Australia or the United Kingdom can make; explain effects on industry (submarine construction, restarting production of highly enriched uranium for reactors, materials and shipyard capacity, and supply coordination among the three countries); list staffing and resource needs including hiring foreign disclosure officers and other DoD personnel; propose better information-sharing rules and an AUKUS handling caveat with reduced NOFORN use; protect private intellectual property; and suggest needed legal or policy changes. The senior official must brief the congressional defense committees and the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees 60 days after the plan is sent and every April 1 and October 1 through 2029.