Defense Secretary James Mattis has said additional defense funds under the fiscal 2017 omnibus spending bill would support efforts to rebuild military readiness and address budget shortfalls facing the Defense Department, DoD Buzz reported Tuesday.
Mattis noted that the defense spending boost will aid the campaign against the Islamic State militant group and support ongoing operations in Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump signed the $1 trillion spending bill that would fund government operations through Sept. 30 and increase defense budget by $21 billion.
“Everything from new missiles and ammunition, to facility upgrades, to new aircraft are being funded by this bill,” said Mattis.
The bill includes a $15 billion increase in overseas contingency operations funds and provides $85 million for Tomahawk cruise missiles as well as $151 million for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in South Korea, the report stated.
