Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced the Indo-Pacific Space Partnership Act of 2026. This legislation would require the U.S. Space Force’s Chief of Space Operations to submit a report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of expanding Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender (MNF-OOD) to incorporate additional allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan and South Korea.
“As China and Russia rapidly develop advanced space capabilities, the United States must bolster space cooperation with our allies to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Bennet. “Bringing additional allies into MNF-OOD will increase resilience, enhance burden-sharing, and reinforce deterrence – strengthening our collective capacity to protect the space assets that underpin our national security and economies.”
“Expanding Operation Olympic Defender with allies like Japan and the Republic of Korea makes us stronger together,” said Cramer. “Our coalition boosts deterrence, reinforces resilience, and protects our space infrastructure. By expanding the network to include allies in the same region as some of greatest adversaries and competitors, we are much more capable of countering hostile actions in space.”
MNF-OOD is a U.S.-led coalition of seven allies – Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States – focused on developing interoperability, addressing orbital debris, improving resilience of space-based infrastructure, enabling space domain awareness, and deterring hostile acts by adversaries. In 2025, the United States conducted two successful bilateral maneuvers with MNF-OOD partners, demonstrating alliance interoperability.
Bennet is a leading advocate of continued U.S. and allied space superiority, and of cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies to enhance regional deterrence.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently passed Bennet, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)’s legislation to address gaps in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ability to partner with Taiwan on space efforts.
As part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Bennet secured passage of his legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen U.S.-led multilateral efforts – with allies including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines – to deter China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Bennet also helped secure passage of legislation in the FY2026 NDAA to strengthen the AUKUS partnership, bar U.S. investment in China’s military technologies, and counter China’s efforts to open new military bases globally.
Additionally, Bennet and Cramer secured language – in line with their Quad Space Act – in the NDAA report requiring Department of Defense officials to brief Congress on efforts to coordinate best practices in space with allies and partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India.
As part of the FY 2025 NDAA, Bennet also helped secure passage of the Coordinating AUKUS Engagement with Japan Act, which requires the Department of Defense and State Department to determine how Japan can contribute to the AUKUS partnership comprising Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The text of the bill is available HERE.
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