A bill to require coordination of depot-level maintenance in multinational exercises conducted by the Air Force.

The bill mandates that the Secretary of the Air Force annually integrate depot-level maintenance, repair, and sustainment considerations into at least one multinational exercise conducted within the United States Indo-Pacific Command's area of operations. This integration includes binational or multinational planning sessions with designated "covered nations" such as Australia, South Korea, and Japan. These sessions aim to identify cooperation opportunities, minimize transportation needs, facilitate real-time munitions coordination, and establish mutual recognition of airworthiness and maintenance certifications. The exercises also require coordination with the Air Force Sustainment Center and participation from key commands like INDOPACOM and Air Mobility Command. Furthermore, the legislation requires the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within one year of enactment. This report must summarize lessons learned from an exercise specifically involving the Republic of Korea and the Commonwealth of Australia. It needs to detail candidate systems for co-sustainment, identify repair workload opportunities, and explore incorporating Korean and Australian industry partners. The report must also address potential logistical challenges, intellectual property concerns, and impediments related to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), while offering recommendations for facilitating maintenance partnerships and assessing their contribution to allied operations and regional resilience.