The Senate on Wednesday voted 87-13 to pass a defense policy bill that would authorize a total of $883.7 billion in fiscal year 2024 funding for national defense.
The FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act would authorize $841.4 billion for the Department of Defense, $32.4 billion for the Department of Energy’s national security programs and $438 million for defense-related activities, the Senate Armed Services Committee said Wednesday.
The proposed measure includes critical investments in submarines, battle force ships, aircraft, combat vehicles, long-range artillery and other equipment to maintain military advantage and seeks to strengthen the defense industrial base and national supply chain by authorizing additional munitions eligible for multiyear procurement contracts.
Other provisions in the legislation are the modernization of hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and other military technologies and capabilities, advancement of a secure nuclear deterrent, development of missile defense systems and efforts to strengthen DOD’s cybersecurity strategy and capabilities.
The NDAA would also increase investments in the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and establish the Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative to deter China, support a 5.2 percent pay increase for military servicemembers and DOD’s civilian workforce and invest in the European Deterrence Initiative and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
