"Congress Pushes for Defense Funding and Oversight in Key NDAA Drafts"

The House Armed Services Committee chairman Mike Rogers' markup of the FY24 defense policy bill would authorize about $588 million for the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP), which the Pentagon had zeroed out in the upcoming fiscal year. The legislation would also authorize funding for the Engine Core Upgrade (ECU), the Pentagon's preferred approach to modernizing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's engine. The funding for AETP is specifically geared toward laying the groundwork for a sixth-generation aircraft like the Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance fighter. The committee would mandate the military services to set requirements for key decisions like engine modernization and an upgrade for the F-35's power and thermal management system.