The US $1.7 trillion spending bill for 2023 includes billions in military spending for Hawaii and the Indo-Pacific.
The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden, includes $1.3 billion to upgrade four Hawaii naval shipyards.
The amount includes $621 million for the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard dry dock and $20 million for the planning and design of the shipyard’s waterfront production facility.
The bill also funds two SSN-774 Virginia-class attack submarines, which will be maintained at the Pearl Harbor shipyard.
Other Hawaii Military Projects
Other Hawaii military spending includes “$87.9 million for a new barracks on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, $103 million for upgrading the missile magazines at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and $111 million for a new company operations facility on Schofield Barracks,” US Representative Ed Case said in a statement.
An amount of $164 million will be spent to continue deploying the X-Band Radar, a sea-based ballistic missile defense radar for Hawaii. In addition, $29 million will go toward the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Kapolei.
$393 Million for Guam
Elsewhere in the Pacific, the bill includes $393.2 million for the missile defense of Guam, including increased funding for joint exercises with partners and allies in the region.
“This measure strengthens our national defense and bolsters our commitments to diplomacy, development, and democracy throughout the Indo-Pacific, where the future of our country and world is being determined,” Case said.
“It also recognizes Hawaii’s continued critical role through investments in facilities, personnel, and institutions that are integral parts of our overall efforts, in addition to major contributors to our local economy.”
The bill also includes $772.5 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, $858 billion for defense funding, $40 billion for Ukraine assistance, and $38 billion for emergency disaster assistance.