US House panel unveils $696.5 bn defence policy bill

Washington June 27 (IANS) The US House Armed Services Committee unveiled a $696.5 billion defence policy bill that is more than what was requested previously by President Donald Trump the media reported.

The committee s version of the National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) would authorize $28.5 billion more than what was requested by Trump but is $8.5 billion less than what the committee s chairman said he was moving ahead with last week The Hill magazine reported on Monday.

The bill would be broken down into $621.5 billion for the base budget and $75 billion for a war fund known as the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account.

Of the OCO $10 billion would be used for base budget requirements.

Last week committee Chairman Mac Thornberry said he was moving forward with a $640 billion base budget a number he has been pushing for months. Coupled with $65 billion for the OCO account the total would have been $705 billion.

On Monday committee aides said the chairman received the assurances he was looking for but declined to elaborate.

The bill would add 17 000 soldiers -- 10 000 soldiers for active duty 4 000 for Army National Guard and 3 000 for reserve -- to the army but in line with the unfunded requirements list the service sent to Congress reports The Hill magazine.

The bill will also provide a 2.4 per cent pay raise to troops above the 2.1 per cent requested by the administration.

On aircraft the bill would provide 17 more F-35s than requested and eight more F/A-18s. In all the bill would provide 87 aircraft above the administration s request for 289.

Additionally the bill would provide $2.5 billion more for missile defence than the $9.9 billion requested by the administration. The extra money would go toward research and development and procurement.

--IANS
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