Bill
S 4374
Authorizes multiyear procurement of F-35 and F-15EX and expands fighter inventories to 1,800 total with 1,369 combat-coded by 2030 and 1,558 by 2035.
Proposed by: U.S. Senate (Senators Budd, Shaheen, King, Schmitt, Sheehy, Rounds, Kramer) with several co-sponsors
Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
Date introduced: April 22, 2026
Status: Referenced to the Senate Committee on Armed Services
Purpose of the bill
- To authorize the Secretary of Defense to enter into multiyear contracts for the procurement of F-35 and F-15EX aircraft.
- To adjust and expand fighter aircraft inventories for the U.S. Air Force and to authorize expanding the F-15EX fleet for recapitalization purposes.
Key provisions and changes
1) Multiyear procurement authority for F-35 and F-15EX (Section 2)
- The Secretary of Defense may enter into one or more multiyear contracts for the procurement of F-35A, F-35B, F-35C (collectively “F-35 variants”) and F-15EX aircraft.
- These multiyear contracts would be subject to 10 U.S.C. § 3501 (standard multiyear procurement rules), but the bill provides specific deviations:
- Findings requirements: Contracts described under this section are deemed to meet the requirements of 10 U.S.C. § 3501(a).
- Section 3501(i)(2) (limitations on multiyear authority) would not apply for purposes of this Act.
- Within 90 days of enactment, the Secretary of Defense must submit a report to Congress detailing preliminary findings and the basis for those findings as described in 10 U.S.C. § 3501(a)(1)-(6).
- Advance procurement authority: The Secretary may enter into contracts for advance procurement of key components of F-35A/B/C and F-15EX in economic order quantities (EOQ).
- Any certification submitted under 10 U.S.C. § 3501(i)(3) must describe the specific components intended for advance procurement.
2) Sense of Congress on timely payment to defense industrial base (Section 2)
- Acknowledges the importance of timely funds to subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers across the defense industrial base to support production.
3) Modification of Air Force fighter inventory requirements (Section 3)
- Amends 10 U.S.C. § 9062(i) to require:
- For October 1, 2026, through October 1, 2035: The Air Force must maintain a total fighter aircraft inventory of at least 1,800 aircraft.
- Combat-coded fighter aircraft inventory requirements:
- At least 1,369 combat-coded fighters by December 31, 2030.
- At least 1,558 combat-coded fighters by December 31, 2035.
- Definitions:
- “Fighter aircraft” includes aircraft with mission prefixes F- or A-, manned by one or two crew, capable of missions including air-to-air, air-to-ground, suppression of enemy air defenses, close air support, etc., but excludes collaborative combat aircraft.
- “Primary mission aircraft inventory” refers to aircraft assigned to fulfill the primary wartime mission of a unit.
- “Total aircraft inventory of combat-coded fighters” includes primary, backup, and attrition reserve inventories.
4) F-15EX fleet expansion (Section 4)
- Authority for the Air Force to increase the F-15EX fleet from 129 to 329 aircraft (subject to conditions).
- Condition: Any F-15EX aircraft procured beyond the initial 129 may only be used to recapitalize the F-15E fleet (i.e., not to create new mission sets beyond recapitalization).
Effective date
- The inventory amendment in Section 3 takes effect on October 1, 2026.
Potential impact and considerations
Industrial base and procurement:
Fleet and readiness:
Financial and timing considerations:
Overall, S. 4374 seeks to accelerate airpower modernization by locking in multiyear procurement for F-35 and F-15EX, ensure robust fighter inventories, and provide strategic flexibility for component sourcing and fleet recapitalization.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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