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Summary of Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Bill Approved by Senate Armed Services Committee

Note: summary based on Senate Armed Services Committee press release.

Top Line Funding Totals

  • $740.5 billion: Total funding supported in the bill:
    • $636.4 billion: Department of Defense discretionary base
    • $  25.9 billion: Department of Energy discretionary base
    • $  69.0 billion: Overseas Contingency Operations
    • $    9.1 billion: Defense-related activities outside the bill’s jurisdiction

Shipbuilding

  • Authorizes $21.3 billion for shipbuilding — $1.4 billion above the request
  • Authorizes procurement of seven battle force ships, which is one fewer than requested due to the LPD-31 previously authorized by Congress
  • Provides multi-ship contract authority for up to two Columbia-class submarines, three San Antonio-class amphibious ships, and one America-class amphibious ship
  • Authorizes $500 million for LPD-32 and LPD-33 long lead time material
  • Provides for an increase of $472 million for Virginia-class submarine advance procurement to preserve the option to procure 10 Virginia-class ships from FY 2019 to 2023
  • Authorizes $260 million for long lead time material for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
  • Accelerates construction of the LHA-9 amphibious assault ship with $250 million above the request
  • Authorizes $350 million to improve submarine and surface ship supplier stability

Aircraft

  • Authorizes $9.1 billion to procure 95 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, an additional 14 aircraft above the administration’s request:
    • Includes $5.5 billion to procure 60 F-35As
    • Includes $1.2 billion to procure 12 F-35Bs
    • Includes $2.4 billion to procure 23 F-35Cs
  • Adds $165 million for the purchase of an additional MQ-1 aircraft for the Army to meet state requirements for unmanned fixed wing ISR
  • Increases MQ-9 procurement by a total of $170.6 million to prevent termination without a replacement

Weapons programs

  • Authorizes increases for weapons procurement programs that will be used to support National Defense Strategy requirements, for a total of $3.7 billion, which is $48.8 million above the request
  • Adding $26 million for 10 additional Tomahawk missiles, authorizing a total procurement of 165 missiles
  • Adding $35 million for 10 additional Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), which will enhance our ability to blunt a Chinese offensive (58 total)
  • Adding $59.6 million for 36 Ground-Based Anti-Ship Missiles

Active duty end-strength

  • Army: 485,000
  • Navy: 346,730
  • Marines: 180,000
  • Air Force: 333,475

Miscellaneous notes and provisions

  • The Committee puts forward as the primary rationale for high military budgets, the decline of the U.S. military superiority, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region plus “threats from other aggressors — rogue states like Iran and North Korea” and terrorist organizations.
  • Expresses a sense of the Senate that long-term strategic competition with Russia is a top defense priority that requires sustained investment and enhanced deterrence due to the level of threat posed
  • Urges innovation acceleration so the U.S. can compete effectively and regain our comparative advantage over China and Russia
  • Establishes new Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI): $1.4 billion, an increase of $188.6 million above budget request, and $5.5 billion in FY22
  • Requires the Secretary of the Army to submit a plan to operationally deploy or forward station in an operational theater or theaters the two batteries of interim cruise missile defense capability
  • Provides additional funding for missile defense priorities, including the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, components for an eight Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, and additional SM-3IIA interceptors
  • Prohibits DOD from conducting another round of additional BRAC (base closings) in FY 2021
  • Prohibits the use of FY21 funding to reduce the quantity or alert status of intercontinental ballistic missiles below 400
  • Authorizes certain military construction projects to convert Minuteman III launch facilities to Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent configurations under certain conditions
  • Requires a report on Russian support to racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist groups and networks in Europe and the United States that creates or causes growing national security threats, information warfare, and increasing risks to societal stability and democratic institutions
  • Requires the Pentagon to rename military facilities named for Confederate Leaders within three years
  • Restricts funding for the use of military force against peaceful demonstrators
  • Provides $250 million in security assistance for Ukraine, requires a long-term plan for assistance to Ukraine, and supports NATO designation of Ukraine as an “enhanced opportunities partner”
  • Authorizes $44 million for vaccine and biotech research supported by DOD
  • Authorizes $4 billion for the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASSF)
  • If the final House-Senate conference report is approved by Congress and signed by the President, it will continue the streak of 60 straight years of successful completion of the bill.
  • The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the bill by a vote of 25-2.