The military would get an additional $15 billion in its overseas war account under a budget agreement released by Congress early Monday.
More than half of the increase — $9 billion — is tagged for getting forces better trained and prepared to fight while $2.5 billion is for wartime needs such as munitions and spare parts that directly support deployed troops. Another $1.4 billion would go to modify existing aircraft, ships, submarines and vehicles, according to a Senate summary.
The funding is tucked inside a massive $1-trillion-plus spending package to keep the federal government funding through September. Now that the agreement has been released, lawmakers must vote to approve the bill before current funding legislation expires on Friday.
“The additional defense funding will accelerate the campaign to defeat ISIS and support ongoing operations in Afghanistan and address critical budget shortfalls in personnel, operation and maintenance, procurement, and modernization programs,” the Senate Appropriations Committee wrote in its summary.
The increased war funding would also put $359 million into replacing some aircraft needed by downrange troops, including an MV-22 Osprey for the Marine Corps, and Apache helicopters and an MQ-1 Grey Eagle drone for the Army.
The bill would provide a total of $593 billion for defense, which is $19.9 billion more than the level enacted for fiscal 2016. Of that total, $526.1 billion is for baseline funding and $76.6 billion for overseas contingency operations.
For equipment, the bill pays for $123.3 billion in equipment. According to a House fact sheet, that includes:
- $21.2 billion to procure 13 Navy ships, including three DDG-51 guided missile destroyers, three littoral combat ships, one LPD-17, and advance procurement for the polar icebreaker;
- $8.2 billion for 74 F-35 aircraft;
- $1.1 billion for 14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft;
- $1.2 billion for 62 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters;
- $774 million for 52 remanufactured AH-64 Apache helicopters, $262 million for seven new Apaches, and $72 million to support advanced procurement needs for an additional 10 aircraft;
- $702 million for 145 Patriot MSE missiles;
- $275 million for 20 MQ-1 Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles;
- $187 million for 28 Lakota light utility helicopters;
- $1.8 billion for 11 P-8A Poseidon aircraft;
- $2.6 billion for 15 KC-46 tanker aircraft;
- $1.3 billion for 17 C/HC/KC/MC-130J aircraft; and
- $210 million for HMMWV modernization for the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
