The compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act was approved by a 92-7 vote in the Senate Thursday. Because the House approved the bill last Friday, it now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. While Defense Secretary Ash Carter had urged Obama to veto the previous version of the bill, the size of the majorities supporting the bill means Congress would likely have the votes to override a possible veto. The bill authorizes $618.9 billion in the base budget and $59.5 billion for overseas contingency operations.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.