Lawmakers Seek Emergency Powers for the Pentagon to Buy Arms for Ukraine

Senators introduced an amendment to the Senate version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would give the Pentagon wartime procurement powers, allowing it to purchase more arms for Ukraine.

According to Defense News, the amendment would allow the Pentagon to purchase arms using multi-year contracting authorities, which are typically reserved for procuring naval vessels and warplanes.

It would grant the Pentagon the power to lock in contracts for the fiscal year 2023 and 2024 to buy munitions made by Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, and Raytheon, the former employer of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The weapons makers have been cashing in on the US and NATO policy of arming Ukraine, and the amendment aims to incentivize them to increase the production of certain arms. The legislation would allow the Pentagon to partner with NATO to purchase weapons for alliance members in mass quantities.