The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act, which includes funding and provisions that impact Maine’s defense sector. The bill, totaling $851.9 billion in discretionary spending, was advanced by a vote of 26-3 and will next be considered by the full Senate and House.
Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the committee, stated: “This legislation supports the brave men and women of our armed forces as well as the hardworking Mainers at BIW, PNSY, Pratt & Whitney, and elsewhere across the state, who make invaluable contributions to our nation’s defense,” said Senator Collins. “As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advance this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
Key elements in the bill include a 3.8 percent pay raise for all servicemembers and a 10 percent increase for junior enlisted personnel. The legislation also maintains a requirement for at least 100 apprentices to be inducted at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) and other shipyards.
The University of Maine is set to receive $27.5 million for Department of Defense research projects. This includes $10 million dedicated to continuing construction on UMaine’s Additive and Hybrid Manufacturing pilot facility.
The act allocates $44 million for Marine Corps investments in amphibious and autonomous ground vehicle systems intended to improve mobility and survivability in challenging environments. One platform highlighted is the Ripsaw Robotic Combat Vehicle from Howe & Howe Technologies in Waterboro, Maine—a technology that Senator Collins described as a model for innovation within the U.S. defense industrial base.
