H.R. 7178 - U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act
H.R. 7178 was introduced January 21, 2026 by Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-5-NJ). It is currently pending before the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committee, and has 12 co-sponsors on a bipartisan basis.
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Bill Summary: The U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act of 2026 amends the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to expand and strengthen U.S.-Israel cooperation on countering unmanned systems, particularly in response to the growing threat posed by Iran and its proxies, by increasing authorized funding from $55 million to $100 million, promoting joint research, development, training, and information-sharing, and formalizing coordination through existing bilateral working groups. It documents a pattern of Iranian and proxy drone attacks against Israel, U.S. forces, and regional partners, expresses Congress’s support for deeper defense collaboration, and requires the Department of Defense to submit annual reports assessing joint counter-drone activities, progress toward deployment, coordination with other programs, future funding needs, and the adequacy of U.S. and Israeli defenses against unmanned aerial threats.
Context: In December 2025, Congress increased the cap on the U.S.-Israel cooperation to counter unmanned systems programs from $55 million to $75 million. H.R. 7178 seeks to further increase the cap for this DOD program to $100 million just one month after Congress approved that increase in S. 1071 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026). In the one month since the passage of S. 1071, what changed strategically to justify another increase of $25 million, or is the sponsor not aware of the previous increase.
Countering unmanned aerial systems was identified as a priority in the Department of Defense’s 2024 Strategy for Countering Unmanned Systems, in which the Department commits to mitigating the negative effects of unmanned systems on U.S. forces, assets, and installations at home and abroad. From a security perspective, while Israel faces UAS threats, it is given preferential treatment in H.R. 7178. U.S. NATO and AUKUS allies have mutual interests in theatres of critical strategic importance to the U.S. and are composed of states with cutting edge technology in this space that would be a benefit to U.S. interests. NATO in particular has shared security interests in Ukraine which has experienced the most sustained and advanced use of Iranian supplied strike drones , such as the Shahed 131 and Shahed 136 , against its forces and critical infrastructure. If Congress's primary intent is to counter Iranian UAS capabilities, cooperation with Ukraine, NATO, and AUKUS states would be strategically beneficial to the U.S. to directly counter UAS rather than preferential bilateral efforts with Israel.
American Values Analysis: H.R. 7178 reflects a continued U.S. commitment to unconditionally increase funding and bilateral ties to Israel. The bill seriously raises questions about equitable and evidence-based allocation of security resources. Authorizing additional funding for one partner a month after a substantial increase, without clear justification tied to new threats or gaps in national security, risks undermining Congress’s core responsibility of responsible stewardship of public funds. An approach based on American values would emphasize a more strategic and dispersed use of appropriated funds, especially after already increasing funding for this program by $20 million one month before.
American Interest Analysis: H.R. 7178 presents itself as a strategic initiative to counter Iranian unmanned systems. However, it does not seek to establish cooperation with the country most directly exposed to and experienced in countering these systems in high-intensity conflict, Ukraine. Instead, the bill focuses on increasing cooperation and funding for Israel only one month after Congress already raised the program’s authorization level.
H.R. 7178 appears less focused on maximizing U.S. learning, adaptability, and battlefield-relevant expertise, and more oriented toward expanding bilateral assistance to Israel. From an American interest perspective, integrating lessons from Ukraine’s frontline experience, would better serve U.S. defense readiness and strategic competition with Iran and its partners.
A New Policy’s Recommendation: OPPOSE
A New Policy opposes H.R. 7178 because it prioritizes expanding bilateral cooperation with Israel over building broader, evidence-based cooperation to counter unmanned aerial systems. This is evident in the bill’s failure to acknowledge that Congress already increased funding for this program in the FY 2026 NDAA and in its omission of partners, such as Ukraine and NATO Allies, that also have cutting edge capabilities in the counter-drone space.
For more information please contact: Josh Paul, (202) 770-0055, info@anewpolicy.org
