House Defense Committee proposes more F-35 jets, naval vessels

Investing.com -- The House Appropriations Committee’s Defense subcommittee released a draft bill for fiscal-year 2026 on Tuesday that proposes buying more F-35 fighter jets than the Pentagon requested, along with significant investments in naval vessels and missile defense systems.

The draft bill calls for purchasing 69 Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) F-35 fighters at a cost of $8.5 billion, which is one more than what the Pentagon reportedly plans to request in its 2026 budget. The bill also includes funding for 15 Boeing (NYSE:BA) KC-46 aerial refueling tankers at $2.7 billion and three F-15EX aircraft at $345 million.

The committee has allocated $3.8 billion for Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)’s B-21 stealth bomber program. For naval aviation, the bill provides $1.2 billion for four E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft and $2 billion for 19 CH-53K heavy transport helicopters.

Missile defense receives substantial attention in the draft, with approximately $13 billion directed to the Missile Defense Agency and Space Force’s "Golden Dome" initiative. This funding would be in addition to roughly $25 billion already earmarked for Golden Dome in the reconciliation bill.

The draft legislation directs the Pentagon to procure 28 naval vessels, including two Virginia-class submarines manufactured by General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) at $6.2 billion. The Columbia-class submarine program would receive $5.3 billion, with both submarine programs getting additional funding for advance procurement, highlighting the strategic importance of the U.S. underwater fleet.

Surface fleet additions would include two DDG-51 destroyers, refueling ships, towing and rescue ships, and surveillance vessels.

The bill also proposes a 3.8% increase in basic pay for military personnel, effective January 1, 2026.

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