US lawmakers signal F-35 investment commitment of $10.7 billion in FY2026
US Air Force F-35A Lightning II. (Photo: US Air Force)
Although it remains unclear how the US DoD has advanced in fixing issues with the F-35 programme, the multi-billion dollar fund has been included in the FY2026 defence bill.
The US House Committee on Appropriations has allocated US$10.7 billion to the acquisition and improvement of the F-35 fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft despite issues recorded in its procurement process.
The funding was included in the FY2026 defence bill, which was recently approved by the Committee. It encompasses $2.2 billion for continued development and modernisation of the fighter, and $8.5 billion for the purchase of 69 F-35s.
It covered $4.5 billion for the acquisition of 42 F-35As for the US Air Force (USAF), $1.9 billion for 13 F-35B short take-off and vertical landing variants for the US Marine Corps (USMC),
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