What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of the Air Force to train members of Israel's air force on how to operate KC-46 aircraft (a military refueling plane). The bill also requires the U.S. Defense Department to send KC-46 aircraft to Israel on a rotating basis until Israel has at least four of these planes fully operational.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of the Air Force; the Secretary of Defense; members of Israel's air force; the U.S. Air Force; the Committees on Armed Services in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of the Air Force must provide training facilities and resources within the United States to teach Israeli air force members how to operate KC-46 aircraft within 60 days of the bill becoming law (Sec. 2(a)).
• Training must cover how pilots and crew operate the KC-46 aircraft and how ground personnel maintain and repair it, using standards that meet U.S. Air Force and Israeli air force coalition operation requirements (Sec. 2(a)(2)).
• The Secretary of Defense must allow Israeli air force members associated with KC-46 aircraft to join the U.S. Air Force Military Personnel Exchange Program before they finish their training (Sec. 2(b)(1)).
• The Secretary of Defense must submit a report within 60 days of the bill becoming law describing how the U.S. Air Force can send KC-46 aircraft to Israel on a rotating basis (Sec. 3(a)).
• The Secretary of Defense must rotationally deploy one or more KC-46 aircraft to Israel until either one Israeli-owned KC-46 becomes fully operational or five years pass from when the bill becomes law, with deployed planes staying in Israel at least 270 days per year (Sec. 3(b)).
What Changes
The U.S. Air Force must begin training Israeli pilots and crew on KC-46 aircraft operations and maintenance. The U.S. must also temporarily station KC-46 aircraft in Israel on a rotating basis while Israel acquires and trains its own KC-46 fleet.
Important Definitions
KC-46 aircraft: a military refueling plane (specific technical details not defined in the bill).
Effective Date
The bill's training requirements expire ten years after it becomes law (Sec. 2(c)).
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 510
To require the Secretary of the Air Force to provide training to members
of the air force of Israel on the operation of KC–46 aircraft, and
for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Mr. COTTON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Foreign Relations
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Air Force to provide training
to members of the air force of Israel on the operation
of KC–46 aircraft, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expediting Israeli Aer-
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ial Refueling Act of 2023’’.
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•S 510 IS
SEC. 2. TRAINING ISRAELI PILOTS TO OPERATE KC–46 AIR-
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CRAFT.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the
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Air Force shall—
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(1) make available sufficient resources and ac-
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commodations within the United States to train
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members of the air force of Israel on the operation
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of KC–46 aircraft; and
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(2) conduct training for members of the air
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force of Israel, including—
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(A) training for pilots and crew on the op-
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eration of the KC–46 aircraft in accordance
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with standards considered sufficient to conduct
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coalition operations of the United States Air
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Force and the air force of Israel; and
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(B) training for ground personnel on the
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maintenance and sustainment requirements of
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the KC–46 aircraft considered sufficient for
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such operations.
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(b) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE MILITARY PER-
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SONNEL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.—The Secretary of De-
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fense shall, with respect to members of the air force of
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Israel associated with the operation of KC–46 aircraft—
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(1) before the completion of the training re-
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quired by subsection (a)(2), authorize the participa-
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•S 510 IS
tion of such members of the air force of Israel in the
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United States Air Force Military Personnel Ex-
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change Program;
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(2) make the United States Air Force Military
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Personnel Exchange Program available to such
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members of the air force of Israel; and
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(3) to the extent practicable, ensure that such
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members of the air force of Israel may participate
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in the United States Air Force Military Personnel
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Exchange Program immediately after such members
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complete such training.
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(c) TERMINATION.—This section shall cease to have
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effect on the date that is ten years after the date of the
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enactment of this Act.
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SEC. 3. FORWARD DEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES KC–46
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AIRCRAFT TO ISRAEL.
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(a) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense
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shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the
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Senate and the House of Representatives a report that
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describes the capacity of and requirements for the United
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States Air Force to forward deploy KC–46 aircraft to
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Israel on a rotational basis until the date on which not
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fewer than four KC–46 aircraft procured by the military
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•S 510 IS
forces of Israel are commissioned into such military forces
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and achieve full combat capability.
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(b) ROTATIONAL FORCES.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
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the Secretary of Defense shall rotationally deploy
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one or more KC–46 aircraft to Israel until the ear-
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lier of—
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(A) the date on which a KC–46 aircraft
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procured by the military forces of Israel is com-
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missioned into such military forces and achieves
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full combat capability; or
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(B) five years after the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act.
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(2) DESCRIPTION.—The one or more KC–46
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aircraft deployed under paragraph (1)—
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(A) may vary in size and number, as the
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Secretary of Defense considers appropriate; and
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(B) beginning in the year that is one year
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after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
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in each year thereafter until the applicable date
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described in that paragraph, shall remain in
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Israel for a period not less than 270 days.
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Æ
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