The House Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee published its draft bill for fiscal year 2026 late Tuesday. It aims to purchase one more F-35 jet in comparison with the Pentagon’s budget request of 2025 and invest in missile defenses, naval vessels and other investments.

The draft version of the 2026 buying bill, drafted by a powerful committee, was released before any formal inputs from the Trump administration Pentagon. This has been postponed. The language in the bill shows the Republican-controlled Congress' continued focus on modernizing the U.S. armed forces but sets up a tug of war with the Pentagon over what could be conflicting priorities.

The bill still requires input from both the House and Senate. It directs the Pentagon, for a total of $8.5 billion, to purchase 69 Lockheed Martin F-35s, 15 Boeing KC-46 aerial refueling tanks, three F-15EX aircraft, for $345,000,000, as well as funding of $3.8 billion for Northrop Grumman’s B-21 stealth-bomber program. Media reports claim that the Pentagon's budget request for 2026, which hasn't been released yet, includes 47 F-35s.

The Navy's nonfighter aviation acquisition includes four E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, priced at $1.2 billion, and 19 CH53K heavy transport helicopters, priced at $2 billion. The bill emphasizes missile defence, allocating approximately $13 billion for the Missile Defense Agency as well as the Space Force Program's support of "Golden Dome". This would be more than the $25 billion Congress had earmarked in its reconciliation bill for Golden Dome.

The draft bill of the committee would also grant military personnel a 3,8% increase in their basic pay as of January 1, 2026.

The bill requires the Pentagon to purchase 28 naval vessels including two Virginia class submarines manufactured by General Dynamics for $6.2 billion. The Columbia-class sub program would get $5.3 billion. The funding of both programs is increased to support the advance procurement, underlining the strategic importance the United States' submarine fleet.

The surface fleet would be augmented by two DDG 51 destroyers, as well as refueling vessels, towing and rescuing ships, and surveillance ships. (Reporting and editing by Matthew Lewis in Washington, Mike Stone)

(source: Reuters)