WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) applauded passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The NDAA authorizes significant investments in our nation’s military that ensure it remains capable to meet global challenges in addition to delivering support for our men and women in uniform as well as their families, while also boosting recruiting, readiness and lethal capabilities. 

“It is more important than ever for Congress to provide our armed forces with the tools and resources required to protect our nation and interests,” Boozman said. “That begins with supporting our personnel and their families with better pay and quality of life support and extends to reforming the Pentagon while rebuilding and strengthening military readiness. This bipartisan bill delivers on those goals and makes key progress for our national security missions and industries in Arkansas.”

 

The legislation includes multiple priorities to enhance and expand Arkansas’s defense contributions. Boozman-backed provisions in the FY26 NDAA include:

• Increased support for organic industrial base sites such as Pine Bluff Arsenal (PBA) as well as modernization of Army Arsenals through establishment of additional production lines at PBA and other sites;
• Enhanced airspace security at military installations through inclusion of the COUNTER Act, led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), which simplifies guidance to enable more military bases to detect, track and neutralize drones.
• Extending the minimum requirement of C-130 inventory through 2028 and prohibiting reduction of that aircraft assigned to the National Guard for the same duration. The Arkansas National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base is home to the C-130 Formal Training Unit responsible for training C-130 pilots and loadmasters;
• Supporting accreditation of the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center located at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, which offers premier instruction in the proper use of certain small weapons systems, and keeps it within the Arkansas National Guard;
• Evaluating U.S. stockpiles of critical munitions required to fight simultaneous conflicts, some of which are produced in Camden by major defense contractors;
• Expanding telehealth and mail order pharmacy benefits for veterans and servicemembers in freely associated states; and
• Adoption of legislation Boozman and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have led to increase awareness and utilization of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan benefits: the VALID Act.

 

Other measures in the bill would:

• Provide a 3.8 percent pay raise for servicemembers while boosting housing and military dependent education initiatives;
• Reform and streamline defense acquisitions as well as update progress on audit activities to meet the statutory 2028 deadline;
• Accelerate expansion of the defense industrial base, including munitions and readiness restoration efforts;
• Compel briefing plans for U.S. military installation commanders to engage threats from drones and all Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS);
• Authorize key portions of the Golden Dome defense system to protect the U.S. homeland;
• Enhance cooperation for border security activities with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Mexican military as well as facilitate training on counternarcotics operations; and
• Support military recruitment surge activities including increasing required JROTC units, broadening recruiter access to secondary schools and establishing a National Week of Military Recruitment.

 

The U.S. House of Representatives has also passed FY26 NDAA legislation. The chambers will work to produce a conferenced bill for final consideration later this year.