Congress unveils FY18 US defence spending bill
US lawmakers are rushing to pass a $1.3 trillion spending bill before the end of 23 March to avoid another government shutdown and the US defence community is poised to see a sizable spending boost over last year.
After a snowy day brought DC to a halt, lawmakers unveiled their Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 omnibus package on 21 March that includes $654.6 billion for defence — $589.5 billion in base spending and $65.2 billion overseas contingency operations. The proposed bill provides the defence community with $61.1 billion more than in FY17.
The House could vote on the spending bill as
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
Taiwan approved for purchase of $11 billion in weapons from US
The US State Department’s approval of a multi-billion-dollar sale of weapons to Taiwan includes tactical mission networks equipment, uncrewed aerial systems, artillery rocket systems and self-propelled howitzers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.
-
US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry
The 2025 NSS has emphasised investment in the US nuclear and air defence inventory and national industry, but it leaves multiple unanswered questions on how the White House will implement this approach.
-
Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners
While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.
-
NATO experiments with solutions to integrate networks, AI and uncrewed systems
During the latest edition of the NATO DiBaX, the alliance tested multiple capabilities to inform requirements for future efforts.