; defense service The terms defense article and defense service have the meanings given those terms in section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2794 ). 3. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) The United States has entered into a period of intense strategic rivalry with China that includes military competition on a scale unseen in generations. (2) The perpetuation of a military balance of power in the Indo-Pacific favorable to the United States and its allies and partners can no longer be assumed as China continues to invest massive resources in its military. (3) China has undertaken a nuclear breakout, fields the world’s largest navy, and is fielding a fully modernized air force. (4) North Korea remains an urgent and gathering threat as it fields an increasingly diverse and advanced nuclear and missile force backed by a massive conventional army. (5) Iran continues to pursue a nuclear weapons capability while fomenting unrest in the Middle East and beyond. (6) While China remains the pacing threat for the United States, Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine makes clear that multiple dissatisfied powers are coalescing into an informal bloc designed to challenge the existing United States-led global order. (7) United States efforts to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression and strengthen Taiwan’s ability to resist the coercion of the Chinese Communist Party have exposed the production constraints inherent in the United States defense industrial base. (8) The capacity limitations of the United States defense industrial base require urgent remedy to include a renewed examination of burden sharing roles with United States allies. (9) To meet this comprehensive challenge to American interests, we must act at the speed of relevance to expand the resilience and capacity of our defense industrial base. United States allies should be full partners in this effort and the AUKUS partnership is a necessary first step to share the responsibility of perpetuating the