Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, secured several provisions in the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) passed on June 11, 2026.
Bennet secured provisions in this package that advance long-running priorities such as backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia, enhancing U.S.-Ukraine defense cooperation, ensuring U.S. technological leadership, and supporting Colorado’s military and defense community.
Specifically, Bennet secured the following provisions:
- U.S.-Ukraine Drone Cooperation – The NDAA requires the Secretaries of Defense and State to engage Ukrainian authorities to establish a U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Defense Innovation Working Group. Bennet, working with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), authored a provision requiring this Working Group to explore the mutual transmission of U.S.-Ukraine unmanned aerial systems (UAS) expertise, including the rapid development, cost-effective production, and fielding of UAS; the tactics, techniques, and procedures enabling battlefield use of offensive and defense UAS; and best practices with regard to force protection from UAS. This provision also requires the regular mutual transmission of lessons learned to the U.S. Army’s drone and counter-drone program and to the Ukrainian military’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401.
- Partnership Program Between the United States, Indo-Pacific, and Arctic for Military Trauma Care, Disease and Non-Battle Injury, Health Systems Support, and Research – Bennet worked with the University of Colorado Anschutz to draft and secure an NDAA provision requiring the Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the commanders of the appropriate combatant commands, to seek to partner with Indo-Pacific and Arctic region country counterparts to establish a joint program focused on military trauma care and research. This provision requires the program to focus on the sharing of lessons learned in combat casualty care; the conduct of joint engagements and research and development initiatives; and the provision of training to Indo-Pacific and Arctic partner countries’ armed forces, among other measures.
- Prohibiting Use of U.S. Government Funds for the Recognition of Russian Sovereignty over Ukrainian Territory – Bennet joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-Il.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and colleagues to include a provision – included in every NDAA since FY23 – to prohibit the use of U.S. government funds for the recognition of any sovereign Ukrainian territory Russia has forcibly seized.
- Supporting Colorado’s Military Installations and Securing Investments to Colorado’s Defense and Aerospace Industry – Bennet helped secure a $100 million authorization to construct a new Space Operations Center at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado Springs and additional financial support for missions to which Colorado contributes, including $10 million for advanced laser development and a new artificial intelligence data tool. Bennet also helped secure full authorization for a Special Operations Command long-range strike program to which Colorado heavily contributes.
Additionally, Bennet secured inclusion of several provisions in the Senate NDAA report, which directs action by the Department of Defense (DoD), including the following:
- First Island Chain Deterrence – Bennet secured language, based on his First Island Chain Deterrence Act with Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Ne.), requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – a nonpartisan and independent agency that works for Congress – to produce a report on how delays of U.S. foreign military sales (FMS) to Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan affect the DoD’s ability to build, posture, and sustain deterrence along the First Island Chain (FIC), the chain of archipelagos extending from the Kuril Islands and Japan, through the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines, to Borneo. This provision reflects nearly 80 years of bipartisan U.S. policy and aims to hold the Trump administration accountable to its 2026 National Defense Strategy, which emphasizes the priority of “erect[ing] a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain.”
- Indo-Pacific Space Collaboration – Bennet secured language, based on his Indo-Pacific Space Partnership Act with Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), requiring the Pentagon to report to Congress on efforts and additional steps needed to expand Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender (MNF-OOD) to include additional Indo-Pacific allies such as Japan and South Korea. 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, improving resilience of space-based infrastructure, enabling space domain awareness, and deterring hostile acts.
- U.S.-India Defense Collaboration – Bennet secured language requiring the Department of Defense to brief Congress on advancing U.S.-India defense industrial base cooperation, including by identifying priority sectors for U.S.-India co-production and co-sustainment and making recommendations to strengthen U.S.-India defense industrial integration, among other measures.
- U.S.-India Space Cooperation – Bennet secured language requiring the Department of Defense to brief Congress on efforts to expand and deepen U.S.-India military exercises in the space domain, including exercises such as Cope India, Yudh Abhyas, and Tiger Triumph.
- Space Force Joint Commercial Operations in the Indo-Pacific – Bennet secured language requiring the Commander of U.S. Space Command to brief Congress on the feasibility and advisability of establishing additional Space Force Joint Commercial Operations (JCO) cells in the Indo-Pacific – particularly in India, Japan, and South Korea – to complement existing JCO cells in Australia and New Zealand.
- In-Space Mobility Industrial Base – Bennet secured language directing relevant offices within the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the supply chain risks associated with critical in-space mobility capabilities.
- Rapid Rocket Resupply – Bennet secured language directing the Secretary of the Air Force, to brief Congress on ongoing and planned rapid rocket resupply initiatives for contested logistics within space access, mobility, and logistics efforts.
- High-Altitude Warfare – Bennet secured language directing the Defense Department to brief Congress on a comprehensive concept for sustained high-altitude and stratospheric operation.
###