WASHINGTON - The House Appropriations Committee has unveiled its $1 trillion defense spending bill for fiscal 2027, an amount aligning with the Pentagon’s $1.15 trillion discretionary request. However, the bill doesn't address $350 billion requested by the administration through a proposed reconciliation bill.
Munitions production serves as a central focus of the legislation, which allocates $10.6 billion for critical legacy systems like PAC-3, THAAD, and Tomahawk, alongside $836 million for low-cost munitions. The measure grants multiyear procurement authority for these programs, enabling the Department of Defense to finalize outstanding framework agreements with contractors. Additionally, the legislation provides full funding for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at $6.9 billion, restores $1.6 billion for the Air Force's E-7 Wedgetail development, and designates over $2.9 billion for industrial base and technology initiatives like the Defense Production Act.
Procurement and developmental funding are distributed heavily across the services, with the bill providing $248.3 billion for overall procurement and $221 billion for research and development. The Navy and Marine Corps accounts feature $56.7 billion to fund 21 vessels, including 11 battle force ships such as two Virginia-class submarines and one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, while also injecting $1.3 billion into shipbuilder productivity enhancements. Air Force provisions include $3.5 billion for 15 KC-46 aircraft, $2.6 billion for 24 F-15EX aircraft, and $5 billion for the sixth-generation F-47 fighter. For the Army, the bill mandates a funding boost for additional UH/HH-60M Black Hawk and CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters, alongside $1.1 billion for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle procurement. The full committee markup is set for June 24.
