Politics

The $717 billion defense bill just made its way to Trump's desk. Here's what the Pentagon is poised to get

Key Points
  • The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act authorizes a top-line budget of $717 billion. 
  • President Donald Trump is expected to sign the defense policy bill.
  • Here's a roundup of some big ticket items the Pentagon is approved to buy.
A U.S. helicopter from the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven One lands on a Navy vessel.
Department of Defense photo

President Donald Trump is expected to approve the colossal defense policy bill that authorizes a top-line budget of $717 billion.

The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act includes $616.9 billion for the Pentagon's base budget, another $69 billion for the overseas contingency operations, or OCO, funding and $21.9 billion for nuclear weapons programs under the Energy Department.

The defense-friendly bill, named in honor of Senator John McCain who is battling brain cancer, authorizes a 2.6 percent pay raise for troops -- the largest in nearly a decade.

The measure also delays the delivery of stealth fighter aircraft to Turkey and blunts Chinese investments by strengthening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

And while the actual funding for the policy bill has yet to materialize from Congress, here's a breakdown of some of the big ticket items the Pentagon is authorized to buy.

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter approaches at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.

The NDAA allows $7.6 billion for 77 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The fifth-generation stealth jet is made at a Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, Texas and remains the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system.

The defense policy bill also bars the delivery of F-35 jets to fellow NATO member Turkey amid concerns over Ankara's desire to buy a Russian missile defense system.

Turkey, an F-35 program partner, is currently slated to receive two of the jets, the first of what Ankara hopes will be the start of a 100-strong fleet.

A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.
Source: U.S. Army

The legislation authorizes $85 million for UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters. The choppers are made by Sikorsky, a unit of Lockheed Martin, at a facility in Stratford, Connecticut.

In March, Trump described Sikorsky's Black Hawk helicopters as "fighting machines" and the "most advanced helicopters in the world."

Congress also agreed to fully fund the U.S. Air Force's new long-range stealth B-21 bomber. America's next heavy bomber is named "Raider" and made by Northrop Grumman.

The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is underway with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group in the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Harry Andrew D. Gordon

Congress approved $1.56 billion for three littoral combat ships even though the Navy only requested one. The bill also authorizes the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, six icebreakers, and a Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.

In all, a total of 13 new Navy warships were approved for the coming fiscal year.

A U.S. M1A1 Abrams main battle tank
Cpl. Tyler Main | United States Marines

The NDAA authorizes $225.3 million for Stryker A1 combat vehicles and supports efforts to modernize the Army's armored combat vehicles, which includes: 135 M1 Abrams tanks, 60 Bradley fighting vehicles, 197 armored multi-purpose vehicles, 38 improved recovery vehicles, and 3,390 joint light tactical vehicles.

The legislation also adds $140 million to the Missile Defense Agency for development of critical directed energy and space sensing projects as well as hypersonic defense capabilities.

The Army's efforts to integrate its Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile defense systems also gets $284 million.

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