Money for submarines survives congressional knife
Washington — Congressional negotiators sharply cut funding for Connecticut-made Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters and trimmed the number of F-35s the Pentagon would buy next year.
But money for submarines survived.
Senior staffers of the House and Senate armed services committees released details of a final $618 billion National Defense Authorization bill Tuesday.
A House vote is expected Friday. The Senate could vote next week.
The final bill rolled back hundreds of millions of dollars in authorization for spending on a number of defense programs in the House and Senate defense authorization bills, including funding for extra Joint Strike Fighters and Sikorsky-made helicopters.
The authorization bill, however, would continue the two-per-year purchase of Virginia-class submarines, made jointly by Electric Boat in Groton and Newport News Shipbuilding. It also would add $85 million to the submarine's advance procurement fund.
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said he was "very pleased" the final defense bill contained the extra money, which was provided in the House version of the bill.
The defense bill also contains about $773 million to continue preliminary work on the new Columbia-class nuclear ballistic submarines, which will be built by Electric Boat.
Courtney said the money allows for preliminary production work on the sub.
The $618 billion bill authorized spending on 63 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in 2017, down from 66 this year. Pratt & Whitney makes the engine for the F-35.
Ana Radelat is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (www.ctmirror.org). Copyright 2016 © The Connecticut Mirror.
aradelat@ctmirror.org
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