The House Armed Services Committee has approved a draft version of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act via a vote of 57 in favor and 1 against, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.
The FY2025 NDAA authorizes $883.7 billion overall for defense spending, with $849.8 billion going to the Department of Defense.
Highlights of the bill include funding for the construction of a second Virginia-class submarine; the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, albeit 10 fewer than the DOD originally requested; and the acquisition of F-15EX fighters in fiscal year 2026.
The bill also contains provisions that call for the audit of an ongoing review of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program; empower Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli to sanction contractors that perform poorly; and require DOD officials to provide lawmakers clarification on the agency’s Replicator program.
The bill will now have to be voted on by the whole House of Representatives then reconciled with the version that the Senate will produce. The Senate’s committee-level markup of the FY2025 NDAA is expected to begin in June.