Washington — The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes roughly $60 million in projects tied to Ohio military installations, including new construction and runway planning at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to statements from Sen. Jon Husted and local reporting by the Dayton Daily News. The projects are described as part of the broader $900.6 billion defense policy package cleared by the Senate.
The bill passed the Senate 77–20 and was sent to President Donald Trump, though the NDAA authorizes policy and topline spending and does not itself appropriate all funds.
Wright-Patterson: new lab and runway planning
Husted said the NDAA provides $45 million to construct a new Human Performance Wing Laboratory at Wright-Patterson, plus $15 million for planning and design work connected to refurbishment of the base’s primary runway. The Dayton Daily News reported the runway funding is framed as a step toward a full rebuild, with the current runway kept operational through repeated patching.
Research and infrastructure priorities in Dayton area
Rep. Mike Turner said the bill advances Wright-Patterson-related priorities, including infrastructure improvements at Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU Dayton). The Dayton Daily News also reported the NDAA contains an additional $20 million authorization tied to hypersonic-related research and testing work associated with the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Ohio industrial base and testing facilities
Husted highlighted NDAA language supporting the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort, pointing to Anduril’s plan to build its CCA entrant at a manufacturing facility in Columbus. Husted also cited language encouraging use of existing hypersonic test infrastructure, including NASA’s Hypersonic Tunnel Facility at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky.
Service member pay and benefits
Husted and Turner both pointed to a 3.8% pay raise for service members. Turner also cited increases to certain special pays and an increase in Family Separation Allowance for deployed service members.
