WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after key legislative priorities were secured in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said, “After fighting to secure key wins for our state, I’m glad to see them included in the final bill. These provisions strengthen our military, support Hoosier innovation, and give our servicemembers the tools they need to keep America safe.”
Provisions secured by Senator Banks in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act:
- Crane MILCON funding
- $72 million in military construction (MILCON) approved to build a new pyrotechnics production facility at Crane Army Ammunition Activity.
- Separately, a funding bill passed last month includes $100 million in appropriations for this facility.
- Muscatatuck Urban Training Center
- Requires the Department of War to provide Congress with studies on how best to manage and fund ranges such as the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center.
- Navy Small Modular Reactor pilot program
- Requires the Navy to establish a pilot program for a Navy installation to be powered by a Small Modular Reactor (SMR).
- Quantum Corridor funding
- $12 million approved for Indiana’s Quantum Corridor project.
- Trine University Artificial Intelligence for Maritime Maneuver (AIMM)
- $5 million approved for Trine University’s Artificial Intelligence for Maritime Maneuver (AIMM) partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane to build and deploy fully autonomous low-cost vessels powered by artificial intelligence for the Navy. This program supports students at Trine, engineers at Crane, and midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy.
The National Defense Authorization Act is U.S. federal law that authorizes annual funding for the Department of Defense and sets policies and priorities.
Senator Banks served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and is an Afghanistan veteran. He previously served on the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives as the representative for Indiana’s third district.
