Today's D Brief: Defense bill heads to the Senate; New missile defense in Guam?; Jan. 6 as practice; Tragedy in southern India; And a bit more.
By Ben Watson and Jennifer Hlad
December 8, 2021 11:02 AM ET
The D Brief
Afghan war review among few big changes in the $768 billion defense policy bill. The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (PDF), which was released publicly Tuesday, passed in a 363-70 House vote later that evening. Now it heads to the Senate, where it’s expected to advance fairly easily before heading to the desk of President Joe Biden.
Included this year:
A total of $740 billion for the Defense Department, and another almost $28 billion for defense-related work at the Department of Energy (the totals come out to about $25 billion more than the White House asked for);
2.7% pay increase for service members and civilians;
A dozen more F/A-18E/F aircraft at a cost of $1 billion;
Half a billion dollars for five more F-15EX aircraft;
Nearly $5 billion for five new naval ships—two destroyers, two expeditionary fast transports, and a fleet oiler;
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/12/the-d-brief-december-08-2021/187373/
