Legislative Proposal Seeks Funding for Additional F-35 Jets

According to a House of Representatives draft defence funding measure unveiled on Tuesday, the military will receive eight more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in fiscal 2025 than initially budgeted. Earlier this year, the Pentagon requested funding in its budget to purchase 68 F-35 aircraft: 42 F-35As for the Air Force, 13 F-35Bs, and 13 F-35Cs for the Navy and Marine Corps.

The draft budget plan by the House Appropriations Defence Subcommittee proposes increasing the Air Force's acquisition of F-35 aircraft by adding two additional F-35As and six more F-35Cs, bringing the total to 76 jets. Under this funding measure, the Marine Corps would not acquire any further F-35Bs. While the House's proposed National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) suggests reducing the number of F-35 acquisitions by up to 20, the proposed defence appropriations bill aims to enhance F-35 procurement. The Pentagon's F-35 acquisitions would be decreased to 58 under the NDAA, which was passed by the House Armed Services Committee last month. Following this, the military would be prohibited from accepting delivery of more than 10 additional aircraft unless it is confirmed that numerous issues with the aircraft have been addressed.

Lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) are expressing increasing dissatisfaction with the F-35 program and its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, due to delays in the Technology Refresh 3 upgrades, which have postponed the delivery of the latest jets for nearly a year. In May, HASC staff members informed reporters that approximately $1 billion saved by cutting the first 10 F-35s would be reallocated to ensure the aircraft are fully operational upon leaving Lockheed Martin's facility. Additionally, the defence appropriations bill includes funding for 15 KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, eight MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters, and 18 F-15EX Eagle II fighters, as requested by the Air Force in March. Initially, the Air Force had planned to procure 48 F-35As and 24 F-15EXs in 2025.

Additionally, the Air Force would get $120 million from the appropriations measure in 2025 to purchase two additional HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopters. The Air Force has attempted to reduce the number of HH-60W helicopters it purchases—from 113 to 75—on the grounds that they wouldn't be able to withstand a future conflict with a technologically sophisticated foe like China.

The Air Force would also receive $400 million from lawmakers to expedite the arrival of Boeing's E-7 aircraft, dubbed the Wedgetail in other nations, which is intended to replace the outdated E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS.

In addition, the appropriations plan suggests allocating $2.7 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) to further the development of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber and $1.9 billion for its purchase. The development and upgrade of the F-35 would also get $2.1 billion in RDT&E funding. $3.3 billion for development, matching the request of the Air Force, would go towards the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) future fighter programme. Nearly $493 million in RDT&E money would be allocated for the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile. Additionally, the Air Force would be given $3.4 billion to continue building the nuclear missile known as the LGM-35A Sentinel, which is meant to take the place of the outdated Minuteman III.