National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Key Points

• This law authorizes funding and sets policy for the Department of Defense, military construction, and Department of Energy national security programs for fiscal year 2026. It covers procurement of major weapons systems, military personnel levels, research and development, and operations across all branches of the armed forces.
• The law bans all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the Department of Defense, eliminating DEI offices, chief diversity officers, employee resource groups based on race or identity, and related training courses. Equal Employment Opportunity offices are kept in place.
• It sets authorized end strengths for active duty forces at 454,000 for the Army, 344,600 for the Navy, 172,300 for the Marine Corps, 321,500 for the Air Force, and 10,400 for the Space Force. The Coast Guard is authorized to grow to 50,000 for FY2026 and 55,000 for FY2027.
• The law requires the Defense Department to provide alternative drinking water to households near military bases where water wells have been contaminated with PFAS chemicals from DoD activities. It also accelerates the phaseout of toxic firefighting foam and strengthens PFAS cleanup reporting.
• Major munitions programs receive multiyear procurement authority, covering systems like SM-3, SM-6, Tomahawk, AMRAAM, JASSM, LRASM, THAAD, PAC-3, and hypersonic strike weapons. The law also provides multiyear procurement for UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and authorizes early production of the future long-range assault aircraft.
• The law establishes the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act, restricting U.S. investments in covered national security technologies in countries of concern, particularly China. It authorizes $150 million for implementation and includes sanctions authorities against foreign persons involved in covered transactions.