The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $549.3 billion spending plan for the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2015 base budget and Overseas Contingency Operations fund, which includes a major boost to Navy aviation but big cuts to the Army and Air Force aviation accounts, as well as sizable gains for Navy shipbuilding and Army ground vehicles. Whereas the House Appropriations Committee made cuts to the Navy’s request for Littoral Combat Ships, the Senate committee actually provided more money than requested. The…
