US lawmakers have introduced a compromise $839 billion defense spending bill.
In materials released on January 19, the House Appropriations Committee stated that the $839 billion compromise spending bill included $3,9 billion for sixth-generation aircraft for the military. According to the committee, this includes $3 billion for the Air Force's F-47 fighter jet, to be manufactured by Boeing, and $972 million for the Navy's F/A-XX fighter jet.
That's hundreds of millions of dollars more than the Pentagon requested in its initial 2026 budget proposal last summer, which asked for nearly $2,6 billion for the F-47 and just $74 million for the Navy's F/A-XX.
The F-47, also known as the Next Generation Air Superiority Fighter, will be a cutting-edge fighter designed to replace the F-22 Raptor. It is designed to operate in tandem with multiple autonomous wingmen, known as Joint Warfare Aircraft (JWAAs), and will feature improved stealth capabilities and a longer range than the F-22 and F-35.
The spending bill also would prevent the Air Force from canceling the E-7 Wedgetail battle management aircraft program.
Although senior military leaders have for years emphasized the need to acquire Boeing's E-7 aircraft to replace the aging E-3 Sentry, Defense Minister Pete Hegseth expressed skepticism about the program's future use at a June 2025 hearing and suggested a space-based system would be preferable. When the Pentagon's budget proposal was released later that month, it called for the cancellation of the E-7 program, which is already in use by Australia and is in development for other allies.
It appears members of Congress responsible for budget appropriations disagree. The House of Representatives stated that the spending bill would allocate $1,1 billion for the E-7 program.
The proposed spending bill would also comply with the Pentagon's proposed reduction in the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters purchased in 2026. The Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps jointly purchased 75 F-35s from Lockheed Martin in 2025. However, the Pentagon's proposed budget calls for the purchase of 47 F-35s in 2026, including 24 F-35As for the Air Force.
The defense bill provides $7,6 billion for the purchase of 47 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for all three branches of the armed forces. It also provides $440 million for spare parts for both the F-35 and its F135 engine.
Last summer, the Pentagon announced plans to redirect funds that would have gone toward buying more F-35s to maintaining the aircraft's combat readiness and bolstering its supply base, as well as ensuring the timely completion of the Block 4 upgrade.
The Block 4 upgrade will allow the F-35 to carry more weapons, improve electronic warfare capabilities, and upgrade sensors, communications, and navigation systems. However, this work is several years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, so the F-35 program has scaled back its plans for these upgrades to focus on capabilities that can be implemented within the next five years.
The defense spending bill increases funding for the EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft by $474 million to purchase two more of the aircraft.
This will allocate $1,9 billion for the development of the B-21 Raider, a sixth-generation stealth bomber from Northrop Grumman.
The House said the spending bill also provides $27,2 billion for the Navy to build 17 ships, including a Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine. rockets On board are two Virginia-class fast attack submarines, three medium amphibious assault ships, and an anti-submarine ship. The Senate stated that the agreed-upon bill increases spending on the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines by $5,9 billion.
The bill also provides full funding for the Air Force's LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program.
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