To direct the Secretary of the Air Force to incorporate certain elements regarding depot-level maintenance coordination in at least one multinational exercise conducted in the area of operations of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, and for other purposes.
H.R. 4812 would require the Secretary of the Air Force to weave depot-level maintenance coordination into at least one multinational exercise annually within the area of operations of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The bill aims to improve cooperation on depot-level maintenance, repair, and sustainment with selected allied nations (the “covered nations”), including planning sessions, real-time logistics coordination, mutual recognition of airworthiness and maintenance certification, and emergency tabletop exercises in contested logistics environments. It also directs coordination with the Air Force Sustainment Center and relevant Air Force commands. In addition, the bill would mandate a congressional report within 12 months after enactment summarizing lessons learned from a Korea-Australia exercise, including extensive analysis and recommendations on potential co-sustainment activities, industry involvement, logistical challenges, legal/IP/ITAR issues, and future force-planning considerations. The list of covered nations includes Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, the United Kingdom, and any others designated by the Secretary of the Air Force.
Key Points
- 1Annual mandate to incorporate depot-level maintenance coordination into at least one multinational exercise in the INDOPAC area, including:
- 2- binational/multinational planning on co-sustainment and reducing transport needs;
- 3- real-time coordination to maintain munitions stocks and resupply routes;
- 4- mutual recognition of airworthiness and maintenance certification;
- 5- emergency tabletop exercises for cross-border breakdowns in contested logistics environments.
- 6Required collaboration with the Air Force Sustainment Center and participation by representatives from USINDOPAC, USAF Pacific, Air Mobility Command, and the Air Force Sustainment Center.
- 7Reporting requirement: within 12 months of enactment, a congressionally submitted report detailing lessons learned from a Korea-Australia exercise, with items including:
- 8- candidate systems for co-sustainment;
- 9- depot-level repair workload opportunities (e.g., testing equipment, line-replaceable units);
- 10- opportunities for Korean/Australian industry participation (including public-private partnerships);
- 11- potential logistical, workforce, housing, and workload challenges in host nations;
- 12- IP/data rights and ITAR-related impediments between OEMs/DoD and partner countries;
- 13- recommendations to ease depot maintenance partnerships (including potential changes to status of forces agreements);
- 14- analysis of Korea and Australia’s organic industrial base capabilities and gaps;
- 15- assessment of suitable maintenance activities (depot-level, preventive, corrective) for partnerships;
- 16- impact on allied contingency operations, interoperability, and regional resilience;
- 17- planning considerations tied to force generation, future aircraft programs, deployment schedules, and maintenance thresholds.
- 18Covered nation framework: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, United Kingdom, and any other nation designated by the Secretary of the Air Force.