SC Alaska News

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 with a bipartisan vote of 77-20. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) supported the legislation, which authorizes $925.8 billion for defense and national security programs.

The NDAA includes a 3.8 percent pay increase for military personnel, expanded investment in military construction, support for advanced defense technologies, and measures to strengthen alliances abroad. According to Senator Murkowski, these provisions also provide significant benefits to Alaska’s defense infrastructure.

For Alaska, the bill authorizes new military construction projects at Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). These projects aim to improve readiness and quality of life for service members stationed in the state. Murkowski also secured an amendment expanding eligibility under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program to include demolition projects. This change will help communities modernize outdated structures near military installations.

Senator Murkowski stated: “Our servicemembers and their families sacrifice so much to defend our nation, and Senator Murkowski has always prioritized that Congress provide the support they need to execute their mission and provide for their loved ones.”

The NDAA includes several additional measures affecting Alaska’s servicemembers:

- A government-funded travel program allows unaccompanied personnel stationed overseas to return home on leave.

- The bill modifies payment requirements for Department of Defense Regional Centers for Security Studies—such as JBER’s Ted Stevens Center—to allow greater participation from allied nations.

- Funding is provided for cold weather gear modernization ($11.2 million), aerial fire suppression capabilities ($5 million), and development of nuclear micro-reactors ($5 million) to promote energy resilience at remote bases.

On broader national security issues, the NDAA adds nuclear fission and fusion energy to covered technologies under defense innovation programs—a move long advocated by Senator Murkowski. It also calls for a comprehensive study on future U.S. space launch capacity that recognizes Alaska’s potential role in national space defense initiatives.

The bill supports missile defense programs including up to $200 million allocated toward Israel’s Golden Dome system and provides $500 million in continued assistance through 2028 under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.