Subcommittee Mark-Up Supports Marine Corps' Request For Six F-35s

摘要

The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee mark-up of the fiscal year 2016 defense authorization bill would grant the Marine Corps' request for six additional F-35 B-model aircraft while denying a Navy request for eight more of the C-model variant. Committee staff members briefed reporters April 22 on the mark-up, and while they confirmed that the Marine Corps will get more F-35s but the Navy won't, they wouldn't discuss the reason for that decision. The Navy and Marine Corps included the additional aircraft in their unfunded priorities lists for FY-16. The press release accompanying the subcommittee's mark-up notes that the bill also supports the Navy's wish for more F/A-18F Super Hornets, but it doesn't detail whether it will grant the full request for 12 more aircraft, which would cost about $1.1 billion.