Federal department responsible for the U.S. armed forces — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force. Alaska-relevant content includes Eielson AFB, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Fort Greely, Arctic strategy, Red Flag-Alaska training exercises, military construction at Alaska bases, and defense procurement at Alaska contractors.
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Mitch McConnell
“If fielding the F-35 remains an operational necessity, both for the United States and for our allies, there's really no excuse for not placing it squarely in full-year appropriations.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Mitch McConnell
“Also glad to see the fiscal year '27 request begin to address the issue of operational readiness rates by investing more in F-35 spares. But the department will continue to step on its own tail if it insists in housing procurement with new airframes, primarily in one-off reconciliation spending.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Chris Coons
“This year, more than most, this subcommittee understands and must understand your goals in building this budget, whether or not it's realistic to grow this fast, and the smartest ways to reprioritize your budgets in the case that reconciliation does not occur.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Susan Collins
“I would just suggests that it is taking a terrible risk and creates instability when you're counting on a third reconciliation bill for the bulk of the money rather than doing base funding through the defense appropriations bill.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Troy Meink
“The fiscal year 2027 President's Budget breaks that pattern with the $338 $1.8 billion request for the DAF, a 34% increase from last year.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Mitch McConnell
“It's also a recipe for major disruptions in the very possible event that party-line reconciliation fails. The administration's choice to structure an ambitious $1.5 trillion request in this way is yet another missed opportunity to put key aspects of our common defense on a stronger and more enduring fiscal footing.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
The Air Force wants $7 billion for fighter recapitalization at Elmendorf — but Alaska's military investments are riding on a partisan bill senators don't think will pass
Air Force fiscal 2027 budget request splits critical programs between base appropriations and reconciliation bill. Senators from both parties say the structure creates risk for Alaska installations and missions.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
The Air Force wants a $338.8 billion budget — a 34% jump that includes a 130% Space Force boost that flows to Clear
The Department of the Air Force asked Congress for $338.8 billion in fiscal 2027, a 34 percent jump from last year, to address readiness shortfalls after 25 years of underfunding. Senators questioned splitting the request between base appropriations and a reconciliation package.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Air Force seeks contractor for Red Flag-Alaska exercise at JPARC
The Air Force is soliciting bids for a specialized contractor to run tactical control and threat simulation for the Red Flag-Alaska 26-3 exercise at JPARC, with proposals due June 9 and work scheduled for August 12-28. The contract is set aside exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI