Rep. Ronny Jackson Secures Major Wins for TX-13 During FY27 NDAA Markup

WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Ronny Jackson (TX-13) secured key defense priorities for Texas' Thirteenth Congressional District and America's warfighters during the House Armed Services Committee's (HASC) markup of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation advanced out of committee with strong support, 44-12, and is expected to be considered by the full House in the coming weeks.

"America faces rapidly evolving threats that demand a modern, lethal, and resilient military," said Rep. Jackson. "This year's NDAA will strengthen and modernize our national defense, revitalize our Defense Industrial Base, support our warfighters, and invest in the technologies and capabilities needed to deter our adversaries and win on the future battlefield. I'm proud to have championed policies that support Sheppard Air Force Base, Bell Helicopter, and the Pantex Plant in my district, bolster our Special Operations Forces, and provide our military with the resources needed to deter our adversaries and safeguard American citizens."

"Chairman Jackson is driving critical efforts to ensure America's national defense community remains the most capable and effective in the world," said HASC Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03). "Through his leadership of the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee, he is advancing investments in the FY27 NDAA that accelerate emerging technologies, strengthen our strategic advantages, and provide our warfighters with the capabilities they need to succeed in increasingly complex threat environments. Chairman Jackson understands that preserving America's technological and operational edge is essential to deterring our adversaries and safeguarding our national security."

Wins for Amarillo:

Bell

• Advances full development of the Bell MV-75 Cheyenne II Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), authorizing $2.141 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluation, along with $127.2 million for advance procurement of operational test aircraft.

• Supports the incorporation of the Nacelle Improvement Program on 24 United States Marine Corps MV-22 aircraft.

• Directs a V-22 Readiness and Modernization Report across the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps to outline investment plans, readiness improvements, mid-life upgrades, and accelerated nacelle modernization efforts for all V-22 variants.

• Fully facilitates the Navy's H-1 Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) program to enhance the performance, survivability, and effectiveness of H-1 aircraft.

Pantex Plant

• Section 3115 - Accelerates the timeline for completion of the High Explosive Synthesis, Formulation, and Production Facility at the Pantex Plant, moving the start of operations from 2034 to 2032.

• Directs a briefing on options to enhance the security and operational flexibility of National Nuclear Security Administration activities at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, including potential relocation opportunities within the airport complex.

• Authorizes an additional $20 million to accelerate development of the Material Staging Capability project at the Pantex Plant.

• Organizes a briefing on the progress of the Pantex Material Staging Capability project, including its finalized conceptual design and initial cost estimates.

Texas Tech University's Health Science Center (TTUHSC) Amarillo

• Authorizes $10 million to establish a Joint Neuroscience Demonstration Program focused on developing treatments for the long-term effects of brain injuries in servicemembers.

Wins for Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base:

• Section 1107 - Grants the Secretary of War direct hiring authority and competitive pay flexibility to recruit and retain instructor pilots and civilian simulator instructors, helping address critical training workforce shortages at Sheppard AFB.

• Supports expedited procurement of the Air Force's T-7A Red Hawk advanced pilot trainer aircraft to pilot training installations.

• Supports Air Force Technical Training Modernization through development of a comprehensive strategy to modernize training for aircraft maintenance, logistics readiness, and munitions and missile maintenance career fields.

• Directs an assessment from the Secretary of the Air Force on the benefits of incorporating large rotational student populations at installations like Sheppard Air Force Base into manpower authorizations to improve essential support services and force readiness.

Wins for Special Operational Forces:

• Authorizes an additional $1.3 billion for U.S. Special Operations Command to address critical modernization priorities and future battlefield requirements, including funding for 10 additional OA-1K Skyraider II aircraft.

• Section 1072 - Directs the Department of War to establish leadership and a long-term strategy for countering ubiquitous technical surveillance, including a plan for a program of record, to strengthen secure communications and develop digital protection capabilities across the force.

• Places the Irregular Warfare Exercise Laboratory under the strategic oversight of the Irregular Warfare Center to ensure alignment of Department-wide irregular warfare objectives.

• Examines the feasibility of providing anonymous telehealth-based counseling services for special operations personnel to increase access to mental health and wellness support.

• Directs a briefing on the operations, activities, and long-term strategic direction of the Irregular Warfare Center.

Wins for Revitalizing the U.S. Industrial Base:

• Section 1809 - Directs the Department of War to account for projected foreign military sales demand in defense industrial base planning, helping to advance President Trump's Executive Order 14383, "Establishing an America First Arms Transfer Strategy," by ensuring foreign military sales are leveraged to strengthen American manufacturing, grow the defense industrial base, create high-quality jobs, and reinforce the nation's long-term military readiness and technological advantage.

• Section 152 - Authorizes a multi-year procurement contract for F-35 aircraft, contingent on certification that each aircraft includes the necessary spare parts and mission equipment to support readiness.

• Directs a briefing on the Department's strategy for acquiring affordable, modular air-to-air munitions designed for use by Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

• Modernizes depot maintenance workload calculations by using a rolling average of past, current, and projected revenue to improve planning and resource allocation.

Wins for Countering Extremist Threats in the Middle East and Africa:

• Section 224 - Strengthens the U.S.-Israel alliance and establishes a United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative to accelerate the development and deployment of collaborative, next-generation defense technologies to America's servicemembers, consistent with Rep. Jackson's U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act.

• Provides an additional $45 million for contractor-owned, contractor-operated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support to U.S. Africa Command.

• Examines efforts to strengthen defense partnerships in Africa, support counterterrorism initiatives, and counter the malign influence of strategic competitors like China and Russia.

• Advances the Department's efforts to develop and sustain regional unmanned aircraft systems training centers for partner forces across Africa.

• Evaluates counterterrorism requirements in West Africa, including an analysis of extremist threats, territorial control, attack trends, and intelligence gaps affecting situational awareness and operational response capabilities.

Wins for Advancing Unmanned Systems and Emerging Technology:

• Section 218 - Establishes designated national airspace corridors for testing and training small unmanned aircraft systems to help advance the Department of War's Drone Dominance Program.

• Assesses the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group's (DAWG) speed of autonomous system adaptation to advance procurement of emerging drone technologies to America's warfighters.

• Provides a $64 million increase to support ground launch demonstrations of the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program.

• Includes $2.5 million for secure hypersonic prototype manufacturing and $5 million for hypersonic modeling and simulation capabilities research at academic institutions like Texas A&M.

• Directs a briefing on Group 3 unmanned aerial systems with potential to perform Group 4 mission sets.

• Authorizes a pilot program to evaluate commercially available technologies that strengthen human identity verification for high-consequence cyber and physical security actions.

• Accelerates procurement and fleet integration of commercially available small unmanned surface vessels in the U.S. Navy.

• Evaluates efforts to assess and adopt AI-enabled assistive technologies for air crew personnel.

• Directs the Department to provide a plan to accelerate adoption and deployment of extra-large unmanned underwater vehicles using existing production contracts.

• Examines efforts to establish a National Security and Defense Artificial Intelligence Institute as authorized by Rep. Jackson in the FY26 NDAA.

• Directs a briefing on systems for managing seabed data collected from unmanned underwater operations.

• Advances efforts to certify, procure, and scale production of electronic safe-and-arm optical proximity fuze systems for counter-UAS applications.

• Accelerates the Army's autonomous cargo handling capabilities in contested logistics environments.

• Assesses capabilities developed by the Army's Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team to sustain and supply forces on future, highly volatile battlefields.

Wins for the Defense Intelligence Enterprise:

• Section 1615 - Directs the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security to issue a biennial assessment and strategy for the Department's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in order to meet intelligence collection requirements.

• Supports object-based generative AI for OSINT capabilities for the Defense Intelligence Enterprise.

• Integrates OSINT training and tradecraft into all-source intelligence analysis training.

• Identifies barriers preventing Service Intelligence Centers from transitioning and scaling validated intelligence capabilities that enhance analytic performance, operational awareness, and mission support for Defense Intelligence Enterprise-wide use.

Wins for United States Military Readiness:

• Renames the "Department of Defense" as the "Department of War," restoring the Department's historic warfighting ethos.

• Section 143 - Examines alternatives for developing the next generation of military airlift aircraft.

• Section 1603 - Extends the cap on reimbursable indirect space launch fees through FY2031, helping ensure predictable and competitive access to national security launch facilities.

• Section 817 - Authorizes federal agencies to acquire critical national security services through usage-based contracts and extends a pilot program testing consumption-based solutions, while requiring recommendations on whether to make the authority permanent.

• Provides an additional $11 million for the Advanced Vital Intervention Airborne Training for Emergencies (AVIATE) to expand military-civilian medical training and preparedness, strengthening readiness and response capabilities for large-scale combat operations and major domestic disasters.

• Directs the Air Force to assess the operational, cost, infrastructure, and readiness impacts of the decision to retrofit unsuited rotary-wing aircraft for the continuity of government missions and the transport of U.S. officials and security personnel in the National Capital Region.

• Examines the Department's efforts to establish and conduct recurring evaluations of military and civilian medical surge capacity and interoperability, while supporting digital tools that improve medical planning and decision-making in contested environments.

• Authorizes the Air Force to partner with commercial providers to strengthen the readiness and reliability of airlift operations, including support for outsized cargo transport capabilities.

• Evaluates the Department's efforts to improve interagency coordination, operational effectiveness, and allied cooperation to counter adversarial gray zone activities.

• Analyzes medical sustainment, casualty evacuation, and force health support requirements in future contested environments with significant unmanned systems activity.

• Reviews efforts to expand and modernize the Navy's SHARKCAGE cybersecurity program through a unified information technology and operational technology defense architecture across surface and submarine fleets.

• Extends a pilot program to improve aerial refueling and fuel management efficiency through AI technologies.

• Evaluates hydrogen-based power solutions for military operations in contested and austere environments.

• Examines the role of nonprofit youth development organizations in supporting the Department's recruiting efforts.

Wins for the Well-being of Servicemembers and their Families:

• Establishes a joint VA-Department of War Task Force, consistent with Rep. Jackson's Blast Overpressure Research and Mitigation Task Force Act, to coordinate research on cognitive performance, brain protection, and recovery from blast-related neurological injuries affecting servicemembers and veterans.

• Section 745 - Directs the Department of War to establish policies and procedures for wellness checks following significant injuries or illnesses to help ensure the health and welfare of affected servicemembers.

• Removes the 60-day limit on the accumulation of leave for members of the Armed Forces.

• Examines the impact of Military-Connected Academic and Support Program (MCASP) grants and related quality-of-life improvements for servicemembers and their families.

• Explores efforts to expand the use of veteran-led nonprofit organizations in POW/MIA recovery missions.

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