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 US Senator James Lankford on Wednesday applauded final Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (FY26 NDAA), sending the annual defense bill to President Trump’s desk. The legislation strengthens America’s national defense, protects critical military missions, and delivers major wins for Oklahoma’s service members, defense workforce, and installations.

“The United States military is the most powerful and moral fighting force in the world,” said Lankford. “This year’s National Defense Authorization Act not only strengthens Oklahoma’s role in national security, but also makes sure our military remains a force no one in the world would ever want to challenge, ever.”

Lankford led or secured multiple provisions in this year’s defense bill that directly benefit Oklahoma and the nation. As a result of the FY26 NDAA process, the Department of Defense will:

• Support Oklahoma’s defense industry and small businesses: Requires the Department of Defense to assess how implementation of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC 2.0) affects small businesses. Lankford has led roundtables bringing DoD officials and Oklahoma defense industry leaders together to ensure accessibility and affordability for small businesses.
• Strengthen US supply chains: Directs the Department of Defense to map and address vulnerabilities in defense supply chains, reducing reliance on adversarial nations like China.
• Advance next-generation air defense technology in Lawton: Supports the Army’s investment in high-power microwave (HPM) technologies for drone defense and encourages collaboration with industry at the FISTA innovation park in Lawton near Fort Sill.
• Improve wound care for future combat environments: Requires a strategy for advanced wound management, prevention, and treatment to increase survival rates. 
• Expand hiring flexibility for Tinker Air Force Base: Expands Direct Hire Authority to include supporting units at installations, allowing Tinker to fill critical workforce needs across the Air Force Sustainment Center.
• Protect the 552nd Air Control Wing mission at Tinker Air Force Base: Prohibits the Air Force from retiring E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft until additional E-7 Wedgetails are procured or a full plan is in place to close the capability gap and ensure mission readiness.
• Strengthen support for national security chaplains: Builds on Lankford’s previous work to ensure the CIA’s Chaplain Corps is staffed with cleared, deployable officers and led by a Chief of Chaplains reporting directly to the Director.
• Protect the homeland through border drone threat assessments: Requires the intelligence community and DHS to assess and report on the use of unmanned aircraft systems by malign actors near US borders.
• Counter China’s influence in US research institutions: Advances key provisions in Lankford’s Countering Adversarial and Malicious Partnerships at Universities and Schools (CAMPUS) Act, which identifies businesses, academic and research institutions, and other entities in the People’s Republic of China that provide support to the People’s Liberation Army.
• Support innovation and small business partnerships in the Intelligence Community: Authorizes $75 million for an Intelligence Community Technology Bridge Fund to help small businesses advance promising technologies, strengthen the national security workforce, and maintain US leadership in innovation.