Proposed Approval by HASC could Prevent E-7 Retirement, Halts A-10 Withdrawal
The US House Armed Services Committee has passed its draft of the 2026 defense policy bill, marking a significant step towards maintaining a ready, lethal, and capable fighting force. The bill, which is expected to head to a vote by the full chambers, includes provisions that bolster air force capabilities and provide insights into the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program's sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47.
The bill looks to save the Air Force's plan to buy two E-7 Wedgetail airborne target-tracking jet prototypes from cancellation. In addition, it sends a strong signal of support for airborne force projection, with the inclusion of the B-21 and C-130J aircraft.
The F-47, developed by Boeing under the NGAD program, is set to replace or complement fifth-generation fighters like the F-22 Raptor. With an expected initial operational capability between the late 2020s and early 2030s, the F-47 aims for a top speed exceeding Mach 2 and a combat radius over 1,000 nautical miles, representing a 70% range improvement over the F-22.
The F-47 program is backed by a multi-billion-dollar contract, but development faces challenges, particularly with engine development under the related Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. The bill includes an amendment pressing the Air Force for a report on the next-generation F-47 program.
The bill also maintains the inventory requirement for intra-theater airlift at 271 C-130 aircraft and stops the Air Force from retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes or shrinking the total inventory below 162 planes until Oct. 1, 2027.
Moreover, the bill boosts funding for the new Sentinel ground-based nuclear missiles and authorizes $848.2 billion for the military, including at least $211.3 billion for the Air Force and Space Force. Lawmakers have also backed provisions meant to bolster the mobility and aerial refueling fleets, with a provision stopping the Pentagon from bringing on more than 183 KC-46 Pegasus tankers until a corrective action plan is in place for all of the plane's major design issues.
The bill authorizes the entirety of the Air Force's F-15EX procurement for FY26. As the bill heads towards a vote by the full chambers, a compromise bill is expected to emerge, potentially incorporating the eleven amendments that made it through the markup, including measures related to military aid to Ukraine, military hiring practices, and military installations commemorating Confederate heroes.
The Air & Space Forces Association provided audio for this article. Once the bill is passed, it will typically head to the president's desk at the end of the calendar year, before a group of lawmakers try to cobble the two bills into a final draft that both the House and Senate can agree upon.
- The next-generation sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47, developed by Boeing, is supported by a multi-billion-dollar contract under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
- The US House Armed Services Committee has passed a defense policy bill that includes provisions to save the Air Force's plan for two E-7 Wedgetail airborne target-tracking jet prototypes.
- The F-47 program, set to replace or complement fifth-generation fighters, aims for a top speed exceeding Mach 2 and a combat radius over 1,000 nautical miles.
- The bill authorizes the entirety of the Air Force's F-15EX procurement for FY26, but development of the F-47 faces challenges, particularly with engine development under the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program.
- In addition to supporting air force capabilities, the bill bolsters the Air Force and Space Force with funding for the new Sentinel ground-based nuclear missiles and various military technologies.
- The bill's provisions on military aid to Ukraine, military hiring practices, and military installations commemorating Confederate heroes may be integrated into a compromise bill, expected to emerge once the bill is passed by the full chambers.
