Here are additional details:
Modernizing the Force
The NDAA prioritizes modernization to meet current and future threats and directs funds to provide critical military capabilities to our warfighters. The legislation:
-Authorizes $10.1 billion for procuring 90 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which is $2.6 billion and 20 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Includes $5.8 billion for procuring 56 F-35A fighters, which is $1.3 billion and 10 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Includes $2.9 billion for procuring 24 F-35B fighters, which is $526 million and 4 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Includes $1.4 billion for procuring 10 F-35C fighters, which is $800 million and 6 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $2.9 billion for procuring 17 KC-46A tankers, which is $400 million and 2 tankers more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $980 million for procuring 11 MC-130J aircraft, which is $600 million and 6 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $103 million above the administration’s request to restart A-10 replacement wing production.
-Authorizes $400 million for procuring a fleet of Light Attack/Observation aircraft.
-Authorizes $3.1 billion for Army helicopters, including $1.4 billion for 71 AH-64E Apaches, $1.1 billion for 92 UH-60 Blackhawks, $310 million for 10 CH-47F Chinooks, $246 million for 4 MH-47G Chinooks, and $108 million for 13 Light Utility Helicopters.
-Authorizes $2.2 billion for Army ground combat vehicles, including $1.1 billion for M1 Abrams tanks, $622 million for Stryker armored combat vehicles, $445 million for Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and $41 million for Ground Mobility Vehicles.
-Authorizes $133 million for Active Protection System development.
-Authorizes $26.2 billion for shipbuilding to fund 14 ships, which is $6.3 billion and 5 battle force ships more than the administration’s request.
-Includes $842 million for Columbia-class submarines, which supports the administration’s request.
-Includes $4.4 billion for Ford-class aircraft carriers, which supports the administration’s request.
-Includes $5.6 billion for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which is $2.0 billion more than the administration’s request, including funds for 1 additional destroyer and $250 million for multiyear economic order quantity procurement.
-Includes $5.9 billion for Virginia-class submarines, which is $698 million more than the administration’s request for a third FY20 Virginia-class submarine, multiyear economic order quantity procurement, or initiatives to expand the submarine industrial base.
-Includes $1.5 billion for Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs), which is $900 million and 2 LCSs more than the administration’s request.
-Includes $1.5 billion and incremental funding authority for either the lead amphibious ship replacement (LX(R)) or the next amphibious transport dock (LPD-30), which is in addition to the administration’s request.
-Includes $1.7 billion for LHA replacement ships, which supports the administration’s request.
-Includes $635 million for 1 expeditionary sea base, which is in addition to the administration’s request.
-Includes $466 million for 1 TAO fleet oiler, which supports the administration’s request.
-Includes $250 million for 1 cable ship, which is in addition to the administration’s request.
-Includes $76 million for 1 towing, salvage, and rescue ship, which supports the administration’s request.
-Includes $525 million for 8 ship-to-shore connectors (SSCs), which is $312 million and 5 SSCs more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $30 million for preliminary design of a smaller aircraft carrier, which is in addition to the administration's request.
-Authorizes $1.9 billion for procuring 24 F/A-18 Super Hornets, which is $739 million and 10 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $1.8 billion for procuring 10 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is $507 million and 3 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $1.2 billion for procuring 12 V-22 Osprey aircraft, which is $522 million and 6 aircraft more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes $3.0 billion for aircraft spares and repair parts, which is $280 million more than the administration’s request.
-Authorizes a $1.5 billion increase for various missile procurement and development.
-Authorizes $12.3 billion for the Missile Defense Agency to bolster homeland, regional, and space missile defenses.
-Expands the current capacity for ground-based interceptors, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, and SM-3 Block IIA missiles and strengthens the sensor network capabilities.
-Requires the Army to develop a comprehensive modernization strategy explicitly addressing the Army’s vision, end-state, key objectives, and warfighting challenges.
-Requires the Army to report how it will develop a prototype for a ground combat vehicle.
-Directs the Secretary of Defense to commission three independent studies on future Air Force aircraft inventory levels and capabilities.
-Requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum fighter aircraft inventory.
-Authorizes multiyear contract authority and advance procurement for up to 13 Virginia class submarines.
-Authorizes multiyear contract authority and advance procurement for up to 15 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
-Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to procure the first polar-class heavy icebreaker and includes a review of Navy capabilities in the Arctic region.
-Codifies at least a 355-ship Navy with the optimal mix of ships as U.S. policy.
-Authorizes limited aspects of the Department’s proposal to recapitalize the Ready Reserve Force.
-Expands the National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund to include multiyear procurement of critical components. Directs reports of maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting; defense of combat logistics and strategic mobility forces; the acquisition strategy to recapitalize undersea fixed surveillance systems; Los Angeles-class submarine service life extensions; and mine warfare readiness.
-Fully supports the modernization of the nuclear triad and ensures that U.S. nuclear forces are survivable, well-exercised, and increasingly ready to counter Russian nuclear provocations while reassuring allies.
-Fully supports Department of Energy programs to modernize and extend the life of our nuclear weapons and authorizes over $175 million more than the administration’s request to repair and rebuild aging infrastructure across the nuclear enterprise.
-Requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct an assessment of the Department’s global force posture in conjunction with the development of a new National Defense Strategy.
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SASC Summary of FY18 NDAA Conference Report.pdf
Driving Innovation in Research and Development
A strong and responsive research and development (R&D) enterprise has always been the backbone of defense innovation and is crucial to delivering cutting-edge military technology. For over 70 years, the DOD research enterprise has produced myriad scientific breakthroughs, which ensured that the United States maintained a significant military technological advantage over its adversaries. With that technological edge now eroding in the face of rapid and sustained foreign investment in military technology, it is important that the United States maintains an agile and streamlined defense research and development enterprise. While DOD R&D continues to operate at an advanced level, it has been hampered in recent years by an increasingly restrictive set of rules and regulations imposed by the Department itself. Building on previous efforts to make the research enterprise more efficient and effective, the NDAA:
-Authorizes funding for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Strategic Capabilities Office, and basic research near or above the level of the administration’s budget request.
-Authorizes significant additional funding to accounts meant to drive advancements in the Department’s Third Offset Strategy and address unfunded requirements of the Department, with the goal of bolstering U.S. military technological superiority, including over $40 million for basic research programs, and an additional $100 million for prototyping of directed energy systems.
-Establishes and authorizes funding for a directed energy weapon system prototyping and demonstration program to enhance the fielding and deployment of such systems for the benefit of the warfighter.
-Expands the use of Other Transactions Authority and Experimental Procurement Authority as methods for entering into research agreements.
-Streamlines bureaucratic processes that hinder the effectiveness of Department of Defense laboratories.
-Expands DOD technology prize authority to allow non-cash prizes and to allow the government to jointly fund prizes with private sector organizations.
-Establishes authority for test and evaluation facilities of the DOD to hire senior scientific technical managers.
-Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish more flexible mechanisms for the DOD to access technical expertise at U.S. universities.
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SASC Summary of FY18 NDAA Conference Report.pdf
Countering Russian Aggression
Russia’s ongoing aggressive actions—including its invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, threats to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, rapid military modernization, advanced anti-access and area denial capabilities, increasing military activity in the Arctic region and Mediterranean Sea, evolving nuclear doctrine and capabilities, and violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and Open Skies Treaty—constitute a major challenge to the security interests of the United States and that of our allies and partners in Europe. Furthermore, Russia’s ongoing malign influence activities—misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, cyber attacks, election interference, active measures, and hybrid warfare operations—pose not only a threat to the security interests of the United States and those of our allies and partners in Europe but also to the integrity of Western democracies and the institutions and alliances they support. Therefore, the NDAA:
-Authorizes $4.6 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) to reassure NATO allies and enhance the U.S. deterrent and defense postures in Europe. The legislation also requires the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commander of the United States European Command, to submit a future years plan on activities and resources of EDI for fiscal year 2018 and four successive fiscal years.
-Authorizes $350 million to provide security assistance to Ukraine, including defensive lethal assistance. The legislation restricts half of these funds until the Secretary of Defense certifies that Ukraine has taken substantial action to make defense institutional reforms critical to sustaining capabilities developed using security assistance.
-Authorizes up to $100 million from the European Deterrence Initiative to conduct or support a single joint program of the Baltic nations to improve their resilience against and build their capacity to deter Russian aggression.
-Authorizes $58 million for measures in response to the Russian violation of the INF Treaty, including a research and development program on a ground-launched intermediate-range missile, which would not place the United States in violation of the treaty.
-Strengthens the implementation of existing sanctions against individuals who facilitate the violation of arms control agreements, in accordance with section 1290 of the FY17 NDAA.
-Provides that a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD), such as cable and satellite television providers, may not be required to carry video content from television stations to the extent that such content is owned, controlled, or financed by the Government of the Russian Federation. Likewise, MVPDs may not be required to lease, or otherwise make available, channel capacity to any person for the provision of video programming that is owned, controlled, or financed by the Government of the Russian Federation.
-Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to counter threats by the Russian Federation.
-Requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to develop jointly a comprehensive strategy to counter the threat of malign influence by the Russian Federation.
-Adds reporting on hybrid warfare as part of the annual report on Russian military and security developments, including assessments of Russia’s information warfare strategy and capabilities, malicious cyber activities, and coercive economic tools.
-Extends the prohibition on using DOD funds for bilateral military-to-military cooperation with Russia.
-Prohibits the DOD from using software platforms developed by Kaspersky Lab due to reports that the Moscow-based company might be vulnerable to Russian government influence and requires the Secretary of Defense to review and report on the procedures for removing suspect products or services from federal government information technology networks.
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SASC Summary of FY18 NDAA Conference Report.pdf
