
The House Appropriations Committee defense panel's (HAC-D) version of the fiscal 2022 defense funding bill recommends $16.6 billion for aircraft procurement for the U.S. Air Force--a more than $900 million increase over the Biden administration's budget request. The biggest boost would come in the account for Lockheed Martin [LMT] C-130J airlifters. While the Air Force requested nearly $129 million for one plane in fiscal 2022, the House defense appropriators would add $429 million to buy four more aircraft for the…