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S. 5211Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A bill to require the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to submit a strategy for cyber cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.

Sponsored by Mike RoundsSen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Introduced August 3, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated August 7, 2026 at 11:47 PM UTC

The bill directs senior Defense Department officials to create a comprehensive strategy for cyber cooperation with allies and partners in the Indo‑Pacific region. The strategy must be developed within 180 days, submitted to congressional defense committees, and later implemented. It aims to improve defensive and offensive cyber operations, information sharing, training, and protection of critical infrastructure among the United States and its regional partners.

Key Provisions

  • Within 180 days of enactment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs must develop and submit a cyber‑cooperation strategy, coordinating with Indo‑Pacific Command and Cyber Command.
  • The strategy must identify DoD cyber requirements through 2040, covering defensive and offensive operations, secure information sharing, training, critical‑infrastructure protection, joint planning, and command‑and‑control structures.
  • It must assess existing cooperation activities, agreements, and capability gaps with Indo‑Pacific allies and partners.
  • A review of each ally’s cyber‑capacity, standards, and the responsibilities for cybersecurity (military, government, or commercial) is required, along with recommendations to address gaps.
  • The plan must outline actions, needed authorities, force‑posture changes, or legislative steps to strengthen cooperation, and propose expanded cyber exercises, workforce exchanges, and capacity‑building initiatives.
  • A funding and resourcing plan, plus identification of any resource gaps, must be submitted to Congress within the same 180‑day window.
  • Congressional defense committees must receive a briefing on the strategy, and a progress report on implementation by March 15, 2028, detailing actions taken, remaining gaps, barriers, and any additional resource needs.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

August 3, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

August 3, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

August 3, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued August 3, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5211

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 3, 2026

Mr. Rounds (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To require the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to submit a strategy for cyber cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.

1.

Strategy for cyber cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region

(a)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in coordination with the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command and the Commander of the United States Cyber Command, shall develop, submit to the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code), and commence implementation of a strategy to enhance and institutionalize cyber cooperation between the Department of Defense and allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

(b)

Elements

The strategy required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1)

An identification of the current and projected cyber cooperation requirements of the Department of Defense in the Indo-Pacific region through 2040, including requirements identified in theater security cooperation plans, relating to—

(A)

defensive cyberspace operations;

(B)

offensive cyber operations;

(C)

secure information sharing;

(D)

cyber training, exercises, and workforce development;

(E)

protection of critical infrastructure, communications networks, and defense industrial base networks;

(F)

joint planning and operational integration; and

(G)

command and control structures for joint cyber integration.

(2)

An identification of existing cyber cooperation activities, agreements, and capability gaps between the Department of Defense and allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

(3)

A strategic review of the cybersecurity capacity and cyber resilience of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region that includes the following:

(A)

With respect to each such ally or partner—

(i)

an assessment of the extent to which the ally or partner has expressed interest or has participated in existing United States Government or Department of Defense programs to assist in the the expansion of cybersecurity capacity across policies, technical architecture, and practices of the ally or partner, the results of any such participation, and an identification of any barriers to effective participation;

(ii)

an assessment of the extent to which the responsibility for cybersecurity capabilities and any exposure resulting from gaps in such capabilities lie with the military, another government entity, or the commercial sector of the ally or partner, and an assessment of the manner in which the structure contributes to opportunities for, or risks to, collaboration with the United States Armed Forces;

(iii)

an identification of the cybersecurity standards used by each ally or partner, and an assessment of the extent to which such standards overlap with United States cybersecurity standards; and

(iv)

in the case of an ally or partner that does not have shared cybersecurity standards with the United States, a review of the differences between standards, the manner in which such differences may create barriers to interoperability and collaboration with the Department of Defense, existing Department of Defense mitigation measures to ensure collaboration, and recommendations for more permanent solutions.

(B)

An identification of additional resources or authorities required to help address gaps in the cybersecurity architecture or practices of such allies and partners, including with respect to the National Guard’s State Partnership Program and consultations provided by the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security.

(C)

An identification of any capability gaps of such allies and partners with respect to cybersecurity capacity and cyber resilience that the Department of Defense may be able to address through security cooperation initiatives.

(4)

An identification of—

(A)

actions necessary to strengthen cyber cooperation, interoperability, intelligence and information sharing, cyber defense and cybersecurity integration, and combined cyber planning with such allies and partners;

(B)

any authorities, force posture adjustments, organizational changes, or legislative actions required to improve cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region; and

(C)

opportunities—

(i)

to expand bilateral and multilateral cyber exercises, cyber workforce exchanges, cyber capacity-building initiatives, and operational collaboration with such allies and partners;

(ii)

to leverage existing security cooperation mechanisms and multilateral partnerships to support the objectives of the strategy; and

(iii)

to enhance collaboration between the Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the United States Cyber Command, and the United States Indo-Pacific Command on cybersecurity cooperation with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

(c)

Funding plan

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in coordination with the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command and the Commander of the United States Cyber Command, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes—

(1)

a plan for funding and resourcing the implementation of the strategy developed under subsection (a) across the period covered by the most recent future-years defense program submitted to Congress under section 221 of title 10, United States Code, as of the date of the report; and

(2)

an identification of any resource gaps that would impede implementation of such strategy.

(d)

Briefing

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall provide the congressional defense committees with a briefing on the strategy required by subsection (a).

(e)

Implementation report

Not later than March 15, 2028, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the progress of the implementation of such strategy, including—

(1)

a description of actions taken to implement the strategy;

(2)

an assessment of remaining operational and capability gaps;

(3)

an identification of any barriers to implementation; and

(4)

recommendations for any additional authorities or resources required to carry out the strategy.

(f)

Form

The strategy, briefing, and report required by this section shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.