Pentagon asks Congress for Indo-Pacific Security Assistance Initiative

The Defense Department is proposing legislation that would allow it to establish an Indo-Pacific Security Assistance Initiative to deliver weapons to Taiwan and other friendly militaries in the region, modeled after a similar program used to arm Ukraine.

The proposal, submitted to Congress in April, asks for authorization to establish the initiative and requests $500 million in fiscal 2025 to arm Indo-Pacific partners either through the program or through Taiwan Presidential Drawdown Authority replenishment.

“This proposal would prioritize allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region that are at risk of invasion by revanchist powers,” the Defense Department wrote in its proposal. “This proposed authority is similar to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) but focused on strengthening deterrence and bolstering partners’ self-defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative has allowed the Pentagon to place weapons contracts for longer-term support to Kyiv. It’s a key pillar of U.S. support for the war-torn country alongside Presidential Drawdown Authority, used to transfer weapons to Ukraine from U.S. stockpiles.

The Defense Department’s $500 million funding request in the proposal for fiscal year 2025 would provide money to arm Indo-Pacific partners, such as Taiwan and the Philippines, under both authorities.

“The current environment in the Indo-Pacific region requires new approaches beyond the authorities developed for countering violent extremist organizations,” the Pentagon proposal states. “USAI has proven an effective tool in bolstering partner capabilities by expanding or creating opportunities for additional procurement.”

But the House’s draft text of the FY25 defense policy bill does not include the requested authorization for an Indo-Pacific Security Assistance Initiative or the $500 million in funding to arm security partners in the region.

The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to mark up the legislation on Wednesday, when lawmakers will have the opportunity to add amendments to the legislation.

The $95 foreign aid bill Congress passed in April included nearly $4 billion in military aid for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies. That includes $1.9 billion in replenishment funds to send Taiwan weapons from U.S. stockpiles and another $2 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Taipei and other Indo-Pacific partners.

The FY24 government funding bill, which Congress passed in March , included another $300 million in Foreign Military Financing for Taiwan.

Bryant Harris is the Congress reporter for Defense News. He has covered U.S. foreign policy, national security, international affairs and politics in Washington since 2014. He has also written for Foreign Policy, Al-Monitor, Al Jazeera English and IPS News.

美国国防部提议立法，建立印太安全援助计划，向台湾和该地区其他友好国家的军队提供武器，该计划仿照向乌克兰提供武器的类似计划。

该提案于 4 月提交国会，请求授权设立该倡议，并要求在 2025 财年拨款 5 亿美元，通过该计划或通过台湾总统撤军授权补充资金来武装印太伙伴。

美国国防部在提案中写道：“这项提案将优先考虑印太地区面临复仇主义势力入侵风险的盟友和伙伴。这项拟议的授权类似于乌克兰安全援助倡议（USAI），但侧重于加强威慑，并提升印太地区伙伴的自卫能力。”

乌克兰安全援助倡议使五角大楼能够签订武器合同，为基辅提供长期支持。它与总统撤军授权一起，成为美国支持这个饱受战争蹂躏的国家的重要支柱，后者用于将武器从美国库存转移到乌克兰。

国防部在 2025 财年提案中提出的 5 亿美元拨款请求，将根据这两项授权，为台湾和菲律宾等印太伙伴提供武装资金。

五角大楼的提案指出：“印太地区当前的形势需要采取新的方法，超越现有的打击暴力极端组织的授权范围。美国陆军采购倡议（USAI）已被证明是增强合作伙伴能力的有效工具，它能够扩大或创造额外的采购机会。”

但众议院 2025 财年国防政策法案草案并未包括所要求的印太安全援助倡议授权，也未包括向该地区安全伙伴提供 5 亿美元武装的资金。

众议院军事委员会计划于周三审议该法案，届时议员们将有机会对该法案提出修正案。

今年4月，国会通过了一项950亿美元的对外援助法案，其中包括近40亿美元的军事援助，用于援助台湾和其他印太盟友。这其中包括19亿美元的武器储备补充资金，用于从美国库存中向台湾输送武器；以及另外20亿美元的对外军事融资，用于援助台北和其他印太伙伴。

国会于 3 月通过的 2024 财年政府拨款法案中，包括向台湾提供 3 亿美元的对外军事融资。

布莱恩特·哈里斯是《防务新闻》的国会记者。自2014年以来，他一直在华盛顿报道美国外交政策、国家安全、国际事务和政治。他还曾为《外交政策》、《Al-Monitor》、《半岛电视台英语频道》和IPS新闻撰稿。