Senate Subpanel OKs Funds for Reaper Drones

WASHINGTON — A Senate subcommittee voted to support the Obama administration's nearly $11 billion funding request for America's most elite military forces.

Armed Services Committee Emerging Threats and Capabilities (ETC) subcommittee on Tuesday approved part of the full SASC's 2016 national defense authorization act (NDAA).

In its section of the bill, the subpanel endorsed authorizing $10.6 billion for US Special Operations Command, said Rranking Mmember Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

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That amount includes funds to purchase new General Atomics-made Reaper armed drone aircraft, Nelson said. It also would authorize SOCOM to purchase "tactical unmanned aerial vehicles," he said.

The section of the NDAA also contains several cybersecurity provisions, including one that would require the Pentagon to establish a panel of independent cyber experts, Nelson said.

ETC was one of just a few of the Senate committee's subpanels to hold a public markup session. Most of the Armed Services subpanels closed their markups.

The full SASC is expected to begin cobbling together the legislation on Wednesday, with a Friday completion target.

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