Pentagon Set to Ask Congress for $6 Billion in Additional Funds
- Funds included to counter Islamic State drones: comptroller
- Fiscal 2017 budget amendment to be submitted after election
People walk through a corridor at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
Photographer: Rich Clement/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Pentagon will request about $6 billion more for the current fiscal year to pay for troop increases in Iraq, a slower draw-down of troops from Afghanistan and more intense air operations, according to Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord.
The “budget amendment” also will respond to an urgent request from field commanders for additional systems to counter Islamic State drones, McCord said in an interview. “You start to see these in play now in the fight,” he said.