WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) - The House Appropriations

Committee's Defense subcommittee released its draft bill for

fiscal-year 2026 late on Tuesday, which aims to buy one

additional F-35 jet versus the Pentagon's 2025 budget request

and make investments in naval vessels, and missile defenses.

The powerful committee's draft of its version of the 2026

purchasing bill was released ahead of any formal input from the

Trump administration's Pentagon - which has been delayed. The

language in the bill shows the Republican-controlled Congress'

continued focus on modernizing the U.S. armed forces but sets up

a tug of war with the Pentagon over what could be conflicting

priorities.

The bill, which still needs input from the full House and

Senate, directs the Pentagon to buy 69 Lockheed Martin

F-35 fighters for $8.5 billion, 15 Boeing KC-46 aerial

refueling tankers for $2.7 billion, and three F-15EX aircraft

for $345 million as well as $3.8 billion in funding for Northrop

Grumman's ( NOC ) B-21 stealth bomber program.

The Pentagon's 2026 budget request, which has not been released,

requests 47 F-35s, according to media reports.

The Navy's non-fighter aviation procurement includes four

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for $1.2 billion and 19 CH-53K

heavy transport helicopters for $2 billion.

The bill also emphasizes missile defense, with approximately $13

billion to Missile Defense Agency and the Space Force program's

support of the "Golden Dome" initiative. This money would be

above the approximately $25 billion that Congress has earmarked

for Golden Dome in its reconciliation bill.

The committee's draft bill would also give military

personnel a 3.8% increase in basic pay, effective January 1,

2026.

The bill directs the Pentagon to procure 28 naval vessels,

including two Virginia-class submarines made by General Dynamics ( GD )

at $6.2 billion. The Columbia-class submarine program

would receive $5.3 billion. Both programs have additional

funding for advance procurement underscoring the strategic

importance of the United States' underwater fleet.

Surface fleet additions would include two DDG-51 destroyers,

refueling ships, towing and rescue ships and surveillance

vessels.