The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) restores funding for a second Navy destroyer and calls for adding an additional F-35 above the budget request.
SASC approved its NDAA markup during a closed session on Wednesday by a vote of 23-3.
The committee, most notably, approved a $25 billion increase to the Pentagon’s requested FY ‘22 topline of $715 billion budget request, which followed repeated calls from Republican lawmakers pushing for three to five percent annual budget growth (Defense Daily, July 22).
The topline increase has led to SASC authorizing additional funding to cover all items on the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps’ unfunded requirements lists, according to the executive summary.
For the Navy, the panel has authorized an additional $1.7 billion to cover procurement of a second Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, as well as $125 million increase to cover long-lead materials for a third destroyer.
Pentagon leadership had faced scrutiny from lawmakers on SASC over the decision to push back procurement of a second new Navy destroyer in the budget request.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said the proposal to break from the ongoing multi-year destroyer procurement contract, that splits work between General Dynamics’ [GD] Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ [HII], “sent a shudder through the industrial base” (Defense Daily, June 10).
For the F-35A program, SASC has authorized $4.3 billion including an $85 million boost to procure one additional F-35A above the budget request.
The executive summary notes lawmakers also included $175 million for procurement of F-35 power modules and $185 million for the program’s weapon system sustainment efforts.