WASHINGTON — Sen. Jon Husted, R‑Ohio, voted Thursday to advance the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping Pentagon policy bill that includes tens of millions of dollars for Ohio military installations and defense contractors. The measure now heads to the president for final approval.
Husted, who has frequently highlighted defense spending as an economic driver for the state, secured $60 million for projects tied to Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base, NASA Glenn Research Center, and other facilities. Critics say the funding continues a pattern of prioritizing military construction and defense‑industry partnerships while broader questions about oversight, cost, and long‑term accountability remain unresolved.
In a statement, Husted said the bill “supports and creates Ohio jobs” and strengthens the state’s role in national defense. The senator pointed to installations in Dayton, Cleveland, Sandusky and Columbus, including Anduril’s new manufacturing facility, which stands to benefit from Pentagon programs authorized in the bill.
The NDAA includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members, but watchdog groups note that the legislation also expands several high‑cost weapons initiatives and nuclear‑related projects that have drawn scrutiny for delays, cost overruns, and limited transparency.
Among the Ohio‑specific provisions is $45 million for a new Human Performance Wing Laboratory at Wright‑Patterson, a project that has been discussed for years as existing facilities age. Another $15 million is set aside for planning and design work on the base’s deteriorating primary runway, which has required repeated patching to remain operational.
The bill also backs Project Pele, an effort to develop a portable micronuclear reactor for military use — a program that has raised safety and environmental concerns among some experts and community groups. Additional language encourages the Pentagon to rely on existing hypersonic testing infrastructure, including the Hypersonic Tunnel Facility in Sandusky, rather than constructing new sites.
Other provisions direct the Space Force to assign instructors to the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright‑Patterson and support the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, which includes autonomous “drone wingman” aircraft. Anduril plans to build its entry in the program, the Fury aircraft, at its $1 billion Columbus facility.
The bill also mandates a Pentagon review of supply‑chain vulnerabilities, requires new reporting on the military’s cyber workforce, and urges the Army and Air Force to adopt head and hearing protection standards already used by the Navy and Marine Corps.
Outside the defense‑spending sections, the NDAA includes policy measures unrelated to weapons systems or base construction. One provision bars men from participating in women’s sports at military academies, while another restricts cell phone use in Department of Defense schools — echoing legislation Husted previously supported.
The NDAA, passed annually, sets the Pentagon’s budget framework but does not appropriate funds. Lawmakers will still need to approve separate spending bills to implement the programs.